Why is ATI ignoring?

[RealNC]

You can softmod a 3870 to a FireGL V7700, but I guess only in Windows. If you're into that stuff and not a gamer, this setup is extremely fast for professional 3D apps.

I'm not sure about the legality of those things around the world. Over here, I can legally do to binaries I have on my PC whatever I please as long as I don't distribute it.

[BlackStar]

The point is that you should not buy a card with the expectation that it can be softmodded. The fact that you can softmod current models does not mean that you'll be able to do so in the future.

If it does work, great! But if it doesn't, you don't get to complain.

In any case, precious few people apply softmods so it's probably doesn't make (financial) sense for Amd to add proper hardware locks.

I'm also pretty certain that Fire* cards are more thoroughly validated prior to shipping - not that this makes any difference to the people who are likely to softmod (students/hobbyists with limited budgets and lots of free time).

[Porter]

Maybe AMD/ATI simply lacks people who have experience in Linux driver development. Maybe it's time to hire more people for this.

Hire more people?

You obviously don't read the news much.

http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/industries/technology/amd-lay--employees/

AMD to Lay Off 1,100 Employees
Friday, January 16, 2009

SAN FRANCISCO--Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD: 2.23, -0.02, -0.89%) plans to cut 1,100 jobs, 9% of its global staff, and slash the remaining employees' pay as the chip maker hopes its third round of layoffs in a year can help it get through a brutal market for computer sales.

The Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company said Friday that 900 workers will have their positions cut. The rest of the reductions are coming from attrition and the previously announced sale of a business unit.

The company has 15,000 workers currently, but it is spinning off its manufacturing operations, which have 3,000 employees who are not affected by Friday's announcement. So AMD's cut of 1,100 jobs amounts to 9% of the remaining 12,000 workers.

The firings represent AMD's third round of major layoffs in the last year. AMD cut 600 workers just last month, and earlier in 2008 jettisoned 1,600.

Pay for workers who survive the cuts will shrink. AMD's CEO Dirk Meyer and executive chairman Hector Ruiz, the former CEO, will see their salaries slashed by 20%. Vice presidents and other top management will have their pay cut 15%, other salaried workers will go down 10%, and pay for hourly workers will fall 5%. AMD said the pay cuts are temporary. AMD was not specific about how pay would be cut in other countries.

The company is in the throes of a big restructuring that has seen it change CEOs, sell nearly a fifth of the company to an investment arm of the Persian Gulf state of Abu Dhabi, and agree to break off its factories in a moneysaving move.

AMD is the smaller rival of Intel Corp. (INTC: 13.6399, 0.7399, 5.74%), the world's biggest semiconductor company, and has struggled with product delays, huge debt from its $5.6 billion acquisition of graphics chip maker ATI Technologies, and the inability to outspend Intel on developing new technologies.

AMD's announcement came a day after Intel reported that fourth-quarter profits dropped 90% and sales fell 23%, a sign of the severity of the slowdown facing both companies, which provide nearly all the microprocessors for the world's PCs.

AMD, which reports its fourth-quarter results on Thursday, has already warned that its sales will come in 33% lower than a year ago. Over the past eight quarters, AMD has lost $5.6 billion, and analysts aren't expecting relief any time soon.

AMD shares fell 6 cents, or 2.7%, to $2.20 in afternoon trading Friday.