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Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.carno.net.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!news.rmit.EDU.AU!news.unimelb.EDU.AU!munnari.OZ.AU!spool.mu.edu!howland.erols.net!math.ohio-state.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!gatech!news.mathworks.com!news.kei.com!news.texas.net!newsfeed.concentric.net!news-master!news From: Subhas Roy <subhas@pobox.com> Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.development.apps,comp.os.linux.development.system,comp.os.linux.x,comp.os.linux.hardware,comp.unix.bsd.386bsd.misc,comp.unix.bsd.bsdi.misc,comp.unix.bsd.netbsd.misc,comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc Subject: Re: Why not buy Matrox Millennium Date: Fri, 09 Aug 1996 14:54:02 -0400 Organization: Concentric Internet Services Lines: 63 Message-ID: <320B894A.5BFAB1C1@pobox.com> References: <4j21ph$crr@slappy.cs.utexas.edu> <stephenkDvp30A.366@netcom.com> <4u7hv4$jcd@agate.nbnet.nb.ca> <slrn50epup.vrk.knaff@choiseul.inrialpes.fr> <4u9oeg$91j@rigel.tm.informatik.uni-frankfurt.de> <32093E50.39EB@aloha.net> <slrn50ipqh.a9.cbbrowne@dantzig.brownes.org> <32097C81.167EB0E7@star-gate.com> <3209F875.3652CCE1@pobox.com> <320B5C98.38201961@xinside.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: cnc054031.concentric.net Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mailer: Mozilla 3.0b6 (X11; I; Linux 2.0.11 i586) To: Patrick Giagnocavo <support@xinside.com> Xref: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au comp.os.linux.development.apps:20138 comp.os.linux.development.system:29511 comp.os.linux.x:37678 comp.os.linux.hardware:47097 comp.unix.bsd.386bsd.misc:1013 comp.unix.bsd.bsdi.misc:4565 comp.unix.bsd.netbsd.misc:4329 comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc:25253 Patrick Giagnocavo wrote: > > Subhas Roy wrote: > > > > I think the real reason for Matrox not helping XFree86.org > > is probably this: > > > > Matrox sold the specs of their cards to Xinside and MetroX. > > Now, if Matrox gives the specs to Xfree for free, Xinside > > or Metro might sue them. Matrox is afraid of that. > > > > This is a completely no-win situation for Matrox. They > > are losing potential buyers because their cards can't be > > supported by Xfree86. I bought STB Trio64V+ card instead > > of Matrox MGA due to this reason. However, xinside etc > > of course don't mind that Matrox customers can't use > > Xfree86. > > > > > > -- > > Subhas Roy subhas@pobox.com > > This is utter and complete baloney. > > Matrox does over $200 million a year (so I am told) in graphics cards, > and is growing like crazy. They do huge deals like the one they did > with Compaq and other big computer makers to put their MGA chips in a > lot of systems. > > Any Matrox honcho who would 'sell' their MGA specs only to two smallish > Unix device driver companies for what we'd be able to pay for them would > be shot by his boss, if the investors/shareholders didn't get to him > first. > > The idea that a relatively small company would sue a $200 million giant > is equally ludicrous. > > On what information do you base these ill-informed claims? I was just SPECULATING! I was just describing a possible scenario to explain something that the readers of these newsgroups are baffled about. Sorry for the misunderstanding. I thought my speculation is a little more plausible than some others. I have no idea why Matrox would try to force such a self-defeating NDA upon Xfree86. Diamond understood their previous mistake of forcing NDA and now they cooperate with Xfree876. Matrox itself created the ground for such speculations because (to my knowledge) they don't explain their position. They lost and are losing potential customers like me who want to use Xfree86. Now some of the posts suggest that Matrox too is going to release the needed info. If they announce that in this newsgroup that would be good. > > Cordially > -- > Patrick Giagnocavo - patrick@xinside.com > X Inside Incorporated - Accelerated X Servers > Technical Support Department -- Subhas Roy subhas@pobox.com