Subject: Re: I'm disapointed with the AMD64 port, and NetBSD in general...
To: None <netbsd-help@netbsd.org>
From: Wolfgang S. Rupprecht <wolfgang+gnus20050726@dailyplanet.dontspam.wsrcc.com>
List: netbsd-help
Date: 07/26/2005 13:10:25
>> I'm so excited about 64-bit processors on the desktop, and the AMD64
>> processors in particular, that I finally scraped some money together to buy
>> some hardware and installed NetBSD/AMD64 2.0.2 on it.
...
>> Originally I saw on the NetBSD web site that the BCM5751 was supported (this
>> is not AMD64 specific), but later found out that the info on that page
>> pertained to NetBSD-Current (an oversite on my part).  

As far as I'm concerned Netbsd/i386 or Netbsd/amd64 is a wonderful
alternative to $5,000 - $10,000 sun running System-V.  You get BSD and
you get it for $1,000 - $2,000 depending on how well you shop.

Unfortunately some companies never release programming documentation
for their chips.  Often it hardly matters since cheap alternatives are
readily available.  How much should one worry that the undocumented
built-in ethernet can't be supported when gigabit ethernet pci cards
are $25?

The biggest joke is the frame buffers.  The 3-year old ~$50 ati rage
cards (with 128 megs memory and 400Mhz dacs no less!) are supported,
but the $150 and up ones aren't.  Its almost as if the company is
forcing BSDer's to save their money.  In 3 years those cards will be
$50 and they'll release docs.  I can wait.

-wolfgang
-- 
Wolfgang S. Rupprecht                http://www.wsrcc.com/wolfgang/
      Microsoft Vista - because "Virus Installer" was too long.