The Truth About AMD's Development Cycle

[Svartalf]

I think that they can't help being better drivers by default. It's pretty evident that the entire architecture the original drivers are based on is completely outdated. There has been zero performance increases in how many releases now.. 10? No AIGLX support.. it most likely can't be supported with the drivers in their current state

Just because they've redesigned them doesn't make for better drivers for us. We might get better drivers. We might not. To presume that they're going to be better because they re-worked them is setting yourself up for disappointment.

[emparq]

Just because they've redesigned them doesn't make for better drivers for us. We might get better drivers. We might not. To presume that they're going to be better because they re-worked them is setting yourself up for disappointment.

While I agree that being overly optimistic about anything can lead to disappointment, why would you doubt that these drivers (when and if they ever get released), wouldn't be 'better' at least in some regard (performance, stability, or added features)?

Development time costs money, and AMD/ATI wouldn't be allocating developer-hours to completely re-work an underlying subsystem of their drivers just to realize no improvement on any front. What would be the point in that?

At the very least, one would have to expect that with these new drivers, a brighter path towards higher performance, more features, or less instability problems would emerge.

[cornelius]

Any updates on the slides Michael?

[Michael]

Any updates on the slides Michael?

I asked AMD about it yesterday with it taking sooo long. Apparently their internal control process for releasing public material takes longer than the Linux people expected and they have already had to remove a few slides. I am hoping for it soon...

[rolz]

Another week passes...


In two weeks time it would have been 3 months ago when the slides were first mentioned . Every time I return to this page, I feel a bit more like a horse that's chasing a carrot which is being dangled in front

yet still very interested in seeing those slides. Not as much as the next driver release, but still pretty damn curious

I don't want to come of all mean and bitter, bit ironic though how a slideshow "the truth about our monthly development cycle" is taking 3 months

[Svartalf]

Another week passes...


In two weeks time it would have been 3 months ago when the slides were first mentioned . Every time I return to this page, I feel a bit more like a horse that's chasing a carrot which is being dangled in front

yet still very interested in seeing those slides. Not as much as the next driver release, but still pretty damn curious

I don't want to come of all mean and bitter, bit ironic though how a slideshow "the truth about our monthly development cycle" is taking 3 months

You've little idea about how IP leakage and bad PR adverse this bunch is. Honestly.

[Michael]

Great news folks The article should (finally) be out by month's end.

The AMD VP last in the chain has apparently signed off on the slides yesterday.

[Svartalf]

Heh... Finally.

[Raven3x7]

Great. Lets hope the info they are going to give you was worth the wait.

[emparq]

That is good news. However, I think this also demonstrates a truth about AMD/ATI's management and their decision-making policies.

How long ago did you first contact AMD/ATI, Michael? I imagine that this was sometime back in February? And now, only in the middle of May (5/18), do they finally get the final sign-off?

I really hope that this delay period was just an extreme case of nondecision/bureaucracy within AMD/ATI's management structure.