Competition among graphics chips

> "We expect substantial competition from Intel's publicized focus on moving
> to selling platform solutions dominated by Intel products, such as when
> Intel achieved success with its Centrino platform solution. ... If Intel
> and AMD continue to pursue these initiatives, we may not be able to
> successfully compete in these segments."

I think this reveals the current situation much better than any other text in this article and
its reply.  What I perceive includes:

  (1) good 3D graphics on Linux is, up to the current moment, a near monopoly that NVIDIA is
enjoying;
  (2) they can do 3D graphics well basically because of the 3D drivers they have produced;
  (3) the inability for others to do 3D graphics well is, at least in part, because NVIDIA
drivers had been close-source;
  (4) the near monopoly is economically favorable to NVIDIA since they believe the number of
sales increased by this monopoly can cover the cost of developing them; and
  (5) IBM and AMD are leading efforts to create free drivers, and once that matures NVIDIA
expects that they will lose their monopoly.

So my (rather conservative) speculation is that once IBM and AMD gets their drivers right,
NVIDIA will stop developing their close-source drivers.  What I expect is that they will
open-source them and ask the community to take over: it is one thing move from "the only
provider" to "one of the providers", it is a completely different to move from "the only
provider" to "the only non-provider".

Giving this light, I think it makes sense to really be focusing on improving the IBM and AMD
drivers.  If we will get open-source driver anyway, why we have to create them ourselves?  The
only question: the 8 people team might not be interested...