Re: [SLUG] Cheap'n good laptops for Linux

From: Eben King (eben01@verizon.net)
Date: Tue Nov 14 2006 - 09:17:24 EST


On Tue, 14 Nov 2006, Bob Stia wrote:

> On Monday 13 November 2006 15:42, Paul M Foster wrote:
>> Bob Stia wrote:
>>> On Monday 13 November 2006 09:26, Robert Snyder wrote:
>>>> On 11/13/06, Jonathon Conte <thesicktwist@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> <snip>
>>
>>>> If Free Software is important to you and/or you don't want to have
>>>> to deal
>>>>
>>>>> with proprietary video drivers then get a laptop with Intel, VIA,
>>>>> or ATI (Radeon drivers for models up to 92xx work well, newer
>>>>> Radeon models have experimental 3D support so avoiding cutting
>>>>> edge ATI) video. _Avoid NVIDIA_.
>>>
>>> And Why ???? Would you avoid NVIDIA ??? It is clearly superior to
>>> ATI and is supported in Linux,uncluding 3D.

>> Yes, NVidia drivers are pretty good, and NVidia cards deliver nice
>> performance. But they've steadfastly refused to release source for
>> their drivers. Thus, if you're further toward RMS than Linus on this,
>> you'll want to avoid them.
>
> Welllllll.....yes and no. True, Nvidia wants to control it's sources.
> But, it is still free and available to any and all in the Linux
> community. And they are serious about it because they are continually
> upgrading drivers as new kernels evolve. I mean, what more can you ask
> of them? Why would you hold that against them?

See, that's the difference between free (as in speech, _libre_) and free (as
in beer, _gratis_). The word "free" is ambiguous, and should be qualified.
If not, respondents should ask for clarification before making a response.

-- 
I firmly believed we should not march into Baghdad ...To occupy Iraq
would instantly shatter our coalition, turning the whole Arab world
against us and make ... a latter-day Arab hero assigning young soldiers
to a fruitless hunt for a securely entrenched dictator[.] -- GHWB
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