LWN.net Logo

OLS: The state of Linux wireless networking

OLS: The state of Linux wireless networking

Posted Aug 2, 2008 5:20 UTC (Sat) by proski (subscriber, #104)
In reply to: OLS: The state of Linux wireless networking by jamesh
Parent article: OLS: The state of Linux wireless networking

Customers will install different drivers, even if they don't see the difference. However, it's likely that the drivers will have different bugs.

One device is not necessarily better of worse for a particular purpose. For instance, support for 802.11a is irrelevant if no 802.11a APs are used. However, some customers (and more importantly, reviewers) may discover that a particular device is better at a particular task.

You are right, retailers may not like it. That's why so many manufacturers are doing it. That's why asking nicely is not sufficient.

The issue is orthogonal to Linux, by the way. Even if all users are going to use Windows and the vendor drivers, they are still entitled to be informed of essential changes in the product they are buying.


(Log in to post comments)

OLS: The state of Linux wireless networking

Posted Aug 4, 2008 13:10 UTC (Mon) by proski (subscriber, #104) [Link]

P.S. We don't see motherboards switching from Intel to VIA chipset without changing the model number. We don't see desktop systems switching from Intel to AMD, but keeping the model number. We don't see video cards using ATI chipset in rev1 and nVidia chipset in rev2. Retailers and end users can deal with it somehow.

It is pretty much expected that changing the main chip would make it a different model. Wireless OEMs are misusing our trust. They should not be allowed to get away with it.

Copyright © 2013, Eklektix, Inc.
Comments and public postings are copyrighted by their creators.
Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds