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Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: herb will who wrote (36518)	8/30/1998 2:40:00 PM
From: Ali Chen	Respond to of 1572090

Herb, <Just trying to keep informed.> We would appreciate your attempt if you would be more open minded and not in the "bash-and-short AMD" mode as you are: Message 4296321 Therefeore I consider your statement, <.. you overlooking that what the article said that in order for 3D Now to do its thing is that special drivers and software patches are needed to supplement the 3D Now that is built into the K6 2..>, as a malicious attempt to spread extra FUD on AMD thread, and not a fair mistake on your part. The fact that you are trying to press that ignorant article for the second time speaks for the same your reason. For your info (and for other readers here), every "new technology" require a special driver. This is by definition of the term "driver", and stems from the so-called HAL (Hardware Abstraction Layer) of any OS, including even Windows <GGG>. For the Windose environment, if the hardware was released after the final WIN9x release, it is "new" and requires all the pain in the a$$ during installation/integration. From your remark it is apparent that you have never installed any new hardware on your computer. Try any high-end PCI sound card, any PC-TV or video grabber, 3Dfx at least, and find out that "..special drivers that interface with the technology must also be present to achieve performance increases" (or just for plain functionality, I must add).

To: herb will who wrote (36518)	8/30/1998 5:01:00 PM
From: Maxwell	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1572090

Uniformed Herb Will: <<The drivers and patches available from Nvidia, AMD and 3dfx Web sites aren't developer-supported. Therefore, little, if any, technical support is available.>> The following companies support 3DNow! technology: 1)3DFX 2)Microprose 3)Microsoft 4)SGI 5)IBM 6)Weswood 7)NTT Software 8)Nullsoft 9)NuMega Lab 10)Pegasus 11)Psygnosis 12)Quadrant International 13)Rage 14)Rebellion 15)Shiny Entertainment 16)Simis Holdings Ltd 17)Sony Interactive 18)Team17 19)Tornado Alley 20)ViewPoint Data Labs 21)Xing Technology Corporation 22)Zoran Corporation 23)Aureal 24)NVidia 25)Matrox 26)Trident 27)Metrowerks 28)Motorola 29)LucasArts 30)Kalisto 31)Innerworkings 32)Imagine Studios 33)Id Software 34)GT Interactive 35)Gremlin Interactive 36)ESS Technology 37)Epic Megagames 38)Eclipse Entertainment 39)Dreamworks Interactive 40)Digital Anvil 41)Criterion Studios 42)Crack dot Com, Inc. 43)WizBang! Software Productions Here is what the big boys are saying of 3DNow! in comparison to Intel pipeline FPU. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Dreamworks Interactive (Producer of Trespasser) "When we began working with AMD, it was the very first time that anyone had asked us prior to being finished with a piece of hardware, 'Hey, how do you guys really work?' If you're clever about how you use 3DNow! technology, you can not only render stuff, but you can make stuff move in a way that people haven't been able to do up until now." Seamus Blackley- (physicist who developed the 'physics engine') Producer Dreamworks Interactive -------------------------------------------------------------------- Microsoft Chrome- (3D Killer Application) "Microsoft's Chrome, a code-name for Windows 98 technology, will be powered by the AMD-K6-2 processor with 3DNow! technology, to deliver a significantly richer multimedia enabled experience for PC users demanding more sophisticated web, DVD and multimedia applications. Chrome will enable content developers to add eye-catching effects, such as animation and morphing, to web pages without having to worry about lengthy download times. With 3DNow! technology and Chrome, developers will effectively raise the bar by providing dynamic, high-performance interactivity. Microsoft supports AMD's commitment to supplying the market with future-driven 3D processor platforms." Eric Engstrom General Manager, Multimedia Technologies Microsoft Microsoft indicated to get an equivalent performance on Chrome using K6-2-300 user must use AT LEAT A PII-350MHz or higher. -------------------------------------------------------------------- SGI (The Best in 3D Graphics) The AMD-K6-2 processor with 3DNow! technology accelerates geometric operations directly on the CPU, lowering a key barrier to mainstream visual computing. Silicon Graphics and AMD have been working closely to ensure that the OpenGL device driver kit, to be released in June, will allow developers to take full advantage of the power of the AMD 3DNow! technology and OpenGL." Miriam Geller, OpenGL product manager Silicon Graphics, Inc. -------------------------------------------------------------------- WizBang! Software (Developer of Baseball 3D) WizBang! Software is constantly looking for ways to improve the performance of our 3D graphics engine. A major bottleneck in 3D graphics is the transformation of geometry, a floating-point intensive process. By integrating the new AMD-K6-2 processor enhancements throughout Microsoft Baseball 3D we have been able to see significant improvements in frame rate and performance. The AMD-K6-2 enhancements provide our users a more exciting game and give us a competitive edge in the 3D game market. Andrew Johnston President WizBang! Software Productions, Inc. Developer of Microsoft Baseball 3D Publisher: Microsoft They are comparing to a PII! --------------------------------------------------------------------- LucasArts (Premier in Computer Animated Entertainment) "LucasArts is working with AMD to ensure that our 3D titles take advantage of the 3DNow! technology in their next generation AMD-K6-2 processor." Paul LeFevre, senior programmer LucasArts. --------------------------------------------------------------------- I am sure these big boys have more EXPERIENCES in developing 3D applications than Herb Will and CRW. They know the K6-2 is SUPERIOR to the PII. They will show consumers what the K6-2 can do. Too bad Intel doesn't have a 3D engine. Even if they do they would be too difficult to work with. They consider themselves INTEL, the elite. It is kind of funny that their shareholders also think the same way as Intel. Bad business practices don't pay off. Maxwell

To: herb will who wrote (36518)	8/30/1998 7:02:00 PM
From: Jim McMannis	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1572090

Herb, Ali's right, just about every piece of new hardware needs drivers. Some come in Windows some don't. Install a printer, you need drivers, a video card, you need drivers. A CD-ROM drive, you need drivers.etc. etc. No big deal. Actually, I don't play games but it seems the guys that write these reviews do. How quick they whip out the Quake II benchmarks. How quick Intel will tell you of their powerful 3D engine and show you a Quake II score...bragging about the powerful FPU. So now AMD comes out with a superior gaming chip and all the Intelabes can say is, yeah, it's fine if you want to blast Mutant Aliens. I say...oh, I see, it's OK when the the beanchmark favors Intel but when it doesn't it's "no biggie". This is humorous. In reality, very few programs use the FPU extensively. Now that AMD has a great gaming chip it takes a lot of steam out of Intels FPU arguement...but still Intel keeps hoping for some killer apps that will need all the power future chips have...and they are still searching...and searching. Jim