

Nvidia Responds to F-Bomb From Linus Torvalds - marcieoum
http://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2012/06/nvidia-linus-torvald/

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mnazim
I know it's off topic, but isn't the article wrong when it mentions: >
"Torvalds created Linux in 1991 as an open source alternative to Microsoft
Windows"

Linus wanted to run Unix on his desktop. I don't think Linus has ever said
that "alternative to Windows" was the goal.

~~~
talmand
That's the way I've always understood it. If he had wanted an alternative to
Windows then it stands to reason it would look and operate more like Windows.
Plus it would probably have been named something like Lindows, which someone
eventually did.

~~~
mnazim
Also didn't Windows actually start gaining the majority share only after 95
release, I am not sure about it though.

~~~
DanBC
Majority share of what?

MS Dos was popular on many desktops. CP/M was used on some weird systems
(especially word processing); other forms of dos (PC dos, dr dos) were
available but not nearly as popular as MS Dos. ("Dodgy" licensing deals were
available then.)

Windows 3.1 was very popular version of Windows. Windows for workgroups
introduced some 32bit kludges. Since these are not operating systems I guess
they don't count.

But what was competing with them? GEM? Some Norton commander thing?

~~~
rbanffy
3.1 was very popular at that time. Macs were also more common, although their
popularity was eroding. If you wanted Unix you'd probably run it on a 680x0 or
RISC box. We all thought RISC would be the future. Linux started in the 386
era. By then, Microsoft owned the PC space. CP/M was a distant memory.

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sp332
The complete text of the response makes a few good points.
<http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=184564> By using the same
binary blob on all platforms, they have Linux support on day one for every
update across all their hardware, the same driver version number across all
platforms, and all extensions supported on Windows work just the same on
Linux. On the other hand, that doesn't excuse their stonewalling of the
Nouveau project.

~~~
ajross
Nor does it really explain their inability to support the native mode
switching API, or video acceleration framework, or their own hybrid
configurations. Windows has that stuff too, and it works "on day one" there.

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nodata
To be fair, Nvidia's "response" is pathetic. Come on Nvidia! Proper response!

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gvb
"While this may not please everyone, it does allow us to provide the most
consistent GPU experience to our customers, regardless of platform or
operating system."

Consistent is not the same as good.

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nicholassmith
It was a totally expected, prepared, reasonable and truthy response that'll
still not make people happy because it's not what _they_ want. People need to
stop assuming companies are there to make them happy, they're there to do what
makes them happy _and_ makes money.

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sixbrx
I just wish nvidia would show how to keep the video card from running balls to
the wall all the time, without installing their blob which can break for
kernel updates. That way I won't have to avoid nvidia cards for laptops.
Surely they could do this without enabling their competition to crush them.

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runjake
See the previous discussion from when this was submitted a few days ago:
<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4132931>

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jason_slack
Linus gives the finger at 49:50 but the conversation a minute or so before
leads up to it.

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adventureful
Linus acted like a petulant child with the fuck you nVidia bit.

~~~
dreadsword
Linus did lose some credibility in my eyes. Not that one needs to conduct
themselves like a suit at all times, but his behaviour seemed counter-
productive at best.

~~~
fdr
I don't think his behavior was at all out of the ordinary there for Linus, so
if he lost credibility for you I don't understand why this would be only after
this event.

We'll see if it ends up being counter-productive after all, or if the public
naming of nVidia as a bad actor causes them to shore up support even a tiny
bit. His reaction certainly will make me reconsider an nVidia card for my next
Linux machine: I didn't realize there was so much ire beyond the frustration
that nVidia ships a binary blob. As-is things didn't seem to be going
anywhere, and there were no signs that nVidia was at all unhappy with that
situation.

