3D card Recommendations

Lucas Vogel wrote:

>> From: "Bob Cober" <cplusplus@home.com>
>> Subject: Re: 3D card Recommendations
>
>> NVidia's drivers are closed source.... :-(
>
> ....
>
>> Nvidia's drivers are cool because one driver works with all
>> chips. Only problem is theyre closed source....
>
>
> Pardon my ranting, but why is the fact that their drivers are closed source
> make it a 'problem' ??? I don't understand why that constitues a 'problem'.
>
> Lucas
>
> ________________________________________________
> See http://PLUG.phoenix.az.us/navigator-mail.shtml if your mail doesn't post to the list quickly and you use Netscape to write mail.
>
> PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us
> http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss
>
Good question Lucas. The fact that the drivers are closed-source is a
problem because of the possibility that Nvidia could decide to stop
supporting them.

For example, if Nvidia stops updating the drivers, then there will be no
more bug fixes and even more importantly no more support for future
versions of OpenGL.

If the drivers were open source, then the source code would be availible
for anyone to continue supporting them even if Nvidia stopped.(Well
anyone who was qualified to develop graphics drivers).

Additionally, there are some people who will _*only*_ use free software
for moral and ethical reasons.

In my opinion, Nvidia has done an excellent job with their linux
drivers, and I would recommend them to anyoneone. But to me, the
drivers would be even better if they were open-source...