Voodoo3 feature-set sucks...
There! I said it. We've all danced around the topic but it's damn time we all started admitting it. I came to that realization as I got twitchy in Frys today staring at the Creative Ultra TNT2. I almost bought the damn thing. What's even more amazing is that I'm glad the Voodoo3 bites.
Why? If it were just the best technology around that brought 3dfx to where they are today I would be very concerned. What happens when 3dfx slips and their product isn't top of the line? Revenues would plummit and we'd be in S3 hell, right? Well guess what...Voodoo3 is the slip. 256x256 texture restrictions, 16 MB memory max, 16 bit output max, no hardware bumpmapping, 2nd texture unit is idle if not multitexturing, no DX6 texture compression (S3TC). Common' guys, let's be honest with ourselves. Of NVIDIA, S3, ATI and Matrox 3dfx has the weakest feature set by far. What if NVIDIA had these very same specs? They would get the cold shoulder from everyone like S3 did with the Savage3. The amazing thing is that this gimpy little turd got 50% of the retail market and 3 volume tier1 wins.
What we have here is Mike Tyson fighting with one hand tied behind his back. Pretty soon he's gonna get pissed, shake of the shackles, and someone's gonna lose an ear!
Pat "waitin' for the first round TKO" Grinsell |
