Xubuntu+Compiz on a PIII 800 MHz

[Refalm]

Xubuntu Compiz Fusion VERY OLD computer / Better than Vista

[davidnix71]

The only drawback I see, is that it requires proprietary video (restricted) drivers.

[Refalm]

The only drawback I see, is that it requires proprietary video (restricted) drivers.

So what?
I use NVidia drivers. I'm glad they make them for Linux.

If I want Linux, I need to be able to set my monitor to 75 Hz, and play some videogames once in a while.

[piratePenguin]

So what?

So, some of us care to be using free software, did you not know? Free software means free code, means distributors can make an effort to support it in configurations of Xorg where the drivers are not foreign (they are DRI). It means we don't have to promise not to share or reverse engineer and fix the driver, etc, but are encouraged to be free with it instead. This, to me, is what I would chose given the choice. That's what.

david, afaik, with a cheap radeon, or maybe one of the ATi rage cards, this would work out of the box. I wish I had my old computer with onboard rage working. I've done this in out-of-the-box Ubuntu with a radeon 9700 before.

[mobrien_12]

Very impressive...  especially with all the beryl effects running on an GF2/MX400.  

Now compare that to freaking vista that needs a top of the line so called "directx10" card to do similar stuff.

I really wish nvidia wasn't such a bunch of nutsacks about releasing programming specs.  

If ATI does, I will become an ATI gfx man.

BTW, why not add openarena to that box and show how it can be used for gaming too

[Lead Head]

Vista only needs a DX9 card, like a Radeon 9550 or something, but vista's effects are far less impressive then that.

I've run Compiz on an 800MHz duron, with an nVidia Geforce 2 before, it wasn't bad at all.

[KernelPanic]

AFAIK AMD have plans to release more documentation to developers. I think they've released select pieces already, but under NDA terms.

[Aloone_Jonez]

I wouldn't whine about it too much, they do a better job at supporting Linux than most manufacturers do.

[solemnwarning]

I've got a load of old, crappy parts lying around, including a PIII-450 machine I test stuff on, maybe I could try that with compiz sometime

[Calum]

very old and poor? my main desktop PC is still a 700MHz P3, and i have relatively few problems with the latest mandriva, though to be fair i am using XFce, not gnome/kde, and i probably wouldn't even try to get all that 3d eyecandy to work etc.