Re: [OT] Crazy idea: Design open-source graphics chip

[Timothy Miller <miller@techsource.com>]

Geert Uytterhoeven wrote:
> On Thu, 29 Jan 2004, Timothy Miller wrote:
> 
>>John Bradford wrote:
>>
>>>>The real question we have to ask ourselves is, what would be the market
>>>>demand for a graphics card that is 3 generations behind the state of the
>>>>art and over-priced, the only advantage being that it's a 100% open
>>>>architecture?
>>>
>>>
>>>Err, well there are always the server and embedded markets, if the
>>>device was cheap enough.
>>
>>Ah, but it won't be.  Low-volume ASICs are expensive.  The chip itself
>>would probably be around $150, not counting $100k NRE.  Then you have to
>>pay for the board, make up for the NRE, and make some profit to make it
>>worth while.  How much are YOU willing to pay?
> 
> 
> Then why are companies doing ASICs with an OpenRISC core?

I don't see how that relates.  And to answer your question, maybe 
because there's a demand for it.  I don't know.

> 
> 
>>Whatever we design is going to be EXPENSIVE.  So, regardless of the fact
>>that an ATI All-in-Wonder Radeon 9000 is over-powered for job you
>>describe, that board will be cheaper than what we could produce.
> 
> 
> And it's probably overpowered when speaking about power consumption, too...
> 
> Now think of a SoC with an OpenRISC core and an integrated graphics
> controller...
> 

That would be cool.  :)