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Would A Kickstarter Open-Source GPU Work?

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  • #11
    Originally posted by MWisBest View Post
    What would be cool is a completely open-source computer (I'm talking desktop here, not a little Raspberry Pi), but just a GPU isn't going to do any good.
    Um, you realise you need to start somewhere right? If an open gpu is successfull a cpu could surely follow. GNU\Linux started of as the GNU open source tools in the 80's followed up with the Linux kernel in the 90's.

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    • #12
      I don't think there is a point to it, has the kickstarter would never gather enough money to have a budget, that would let them survive the discrete market, has general purpose computing no longer has use for a dedicated GPU, has integrated GPU are now good enough.

      Best chance these day for a open source discrete GPU would be in an Open Compute Project's OpenCL related hardware.

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      • #13
        Originally posted by timothyja View Post
        Um, you realise you need to start somewhere right? If an open gpu is successfull a cpu could surely follow. GNU\Linux started of as the GNU open source tools in the 80's followed up with the Linux kernel in the 90's.
        Sun Sparc T1 and T2 are completely Open Source... HERE

        It would require some work but eventually it would be possible to make a completely open source PC, you'd just need money and maybe a Silicon Foundry along with a Fab.

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        • #14
          Originally posted by LinX View Post
          I've been thinking of this for quite some time.

          I would through money behind it if it meets some specific requirements.


          7. Active corperate backing. I'd like to see it made, marketed, deals and talks made with Valve and any other interested gaming company.. I'd also like to see them contribute. (Think of a valve console with open Graphics )
          whats the point of having a real "opensource" or free driver with the microcode open, if you use it in a steam closedsource proprietary drm plattform with proprietary games?

          If you dont care about freedom with drm and complete closed software system why does microcode of a driver than matter? I mean the rest ok, because of portability but then you dont need the microcode.

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          • #15
            Originally posted by iniudan View Post
            I don't think there is a point to it, has the kickstarter would never gather enough money to have a budget, that would let them survive the discrete market, has general purpose computing no longer has use for a dedicated GPU, has integrated GPU are now good enough.
            Well the post says "Up to now the company has licensed their technology to various firms." so I assume the company already has its market figured out. Also as I said previously with Kickstarter projects it not always about getting something you need but having fun watching the company come up with a product. I would hope they would do regular blog post/videos about the project.
            Last edited by timothyja; 16 July 2013, 07:19 PM.

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            • #16
              Originally posted by timothyja View Post
              Um, you realise you need to start somewhere right? If an open gpu is successfull a cpu could surely follow. GNU\Linux started of as the GNU open source tools in the 80's followed up with the Linux kernel in the 90's.
              Yes, but software is much easier to start from nowhere, has minimal investment is required if you have volunteer manpower.

              Hardware require money to actually large investment produce something that will actually recoup it cost has to be able to continue further development and/or take care of specific needs of a financial backer.

              Why do you think Open Compute Project work, it simply because Facebook finance the development of standard for their own need that were not fulfilled by any OEM, they just decided to be nice and make it open project was more beneficial for them, has other may bring innovation their own engineer didn't envision, has they have no intention of going into the OEM market.

              Also you not going to get anywhere developing a open sourced GPU architecture unless you have large amount of money available and a team of willing of experienced GPU engineers, has to compete with AMD, Nvidia or Matrox discrete solution, since system-on-a-chip GPU are good enough for most purpose these day.

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              • #17
                Originally posted by blackiwid View Post
                whats the point of having a real "opensource" or free driver with the microcode open, if you use it in a steam closedsource proprietary drm plattform with proprietary games?

                If you dont care about freedom with drm and complete closed software system why does microcode of a driver than matter? I mean the rest ok, because of portability but then you dont need the microcode.
                You have to start somewhere... The more companies making successful business models around open source, the more companies should follow. While a number of business' in the past have made a killing out of their closed source, hardware / software, it seems in at least some cases that the model is unsustainable. Especially as more open technologies become competitive. It'll take a few open source games to become popular, have good graphics, sound and the like. But unfortunately it's likely to be the entertainment industry that takes the longest to adopt.

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                • #18
                  Originally posted by iniudan View Post
                  Yes, but software is much easier to start from nowhere, has minimal investment is required if you have volunteer manpower.

                  Hardware require money to actually large investment produce something that will actually recoup it cost has to be able to continue further development and/or take care of specific needs of a financial backer.

                  Also you not going to get anywhere developing a open sourced GPU architecture unless you have large amount of money available and a team of willing of experienced GPU engineers, has to compete with AMD, Nvidia or Matrox discrete solution, since system-on-a-chip GPU are good enough for most purpose these day.
                  From Michaels post: "Up to now the company has licensed their technology to various firms."

                  So I would assume the company both already has a working product (not starting from nowhere) and already has its market figured out.

                  Again I would back this out of interest rather than expecting to get a great gpu.

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                  • #19
                    As said by many, I also don't see much benefit in having a completely open source hardware that will never catch up to the closed ones. I would much rather have a company go to kickstarter with an open SoC project: Lincense the cores, Fab the chips, open the whole software stack. That would be pretty neat and it might be comercially viable since there is still something to be sold: the SoC itself. I can see many projects adopting such a SoC for its flexbility. AFAIK an ARM SoC costs around $50 million to develop. Might not be completely out of reach of kickstarter.

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                    • #20
                      Originally posted by LinX View Post
                      I think that would be enough as a start. I hope I'm bot being too ambitious.
                      Basically, what you're saying is that it needs to be competitive in all respects with contemporary hardware, which NVidia and Intel and AMD have spent many years and many millions of dollars developing. And I'd agree - for all that open source is a good thing, the result has to actually be useful in order for people to use it, and even more so if you want them to pay money for it. And if you produce something that costs a fortune, devours energy, and delivers performance comparable to first-generation Intel graphics - well, why bother?

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