On the Subject of OpenGL 2.0

zendal writes "The danger with pixel shaders and vertex shaders is that there is no standard for programmability of graphics hardware. A schism has formed within DirectX between the competing demands of GPU makers Nvidia and ATI. Noted analyst Jon Peddie gives THG an exclusive first look at a White Paper on how OpenGL 2.0 is trying to bring stability and open standards to programmable graphics and GPUs."

Comments

The Standard is always long to come

[gounthar]

In every emerging technology, there will always be a delay between the first appearance and the outcome of an almighty standard.
It was the same with SuperVGA (took about 2 years), Internet Protocols (still on going, W3C is struggling for standards) and now OpenGL and DirectX.
OpenGL 2.0 seems pretty much like the definitive solution...

Re:The Standard is always long to come

[Starship Trooper]

As long as IDSoftware uses OpenGL, there will be life left for it on the games industry.

Rarely do you see something on Slashdot that contains as much truth as that statement. Microsoft focuses their best development efforts into free products designed to crush other people's standards. OpenGL has been a continuing thorn in their side, and their ferocious work on Direct3D is aimed at obtaining the complete dominance they're used to in the gaming market. Jon Carmack has (almost singlehandedly) prevented them from doing this, and the ensuing competition has left consumers and game developers with... two really good standards. I could almost feel good about this, if it weren't for the fact that iD is competing with a monopoly, and is succeeding only because they remain privately owned and hold their market presence through sheer programming prowess.

If only we had someone like Carmack to write Office software for Linux.

interesting point at the end

[4im]

A most interesting point is right at the end of the article:

One of the key points stressed by the ARB is that the "open" needs to go back into OpenGL. The group has pledged that all ideas submitted for OpenGL, if adopted, are then open for use and not licensable as IP.

So, they won't pull a "Rambus" here... hopefully.

Exclusive first look?

[Jonathan Blocksom]

I don't think so. The 2.0 proposal was brought up at the September 2001 OpenGL ARB meeting -- about five months ago. And the OpenGL 2.0 White Paper has been since at least November. While this stuff is important, there's nothing new about it. (Good thing, too; good standards take time.)

Re:The problem with OpenGL on Windows...

[Namarrgon]

I've read so many comments on the high quality of nVidia's OpenGL drivers over the years - from people I tend to believe, like John Carmack & Brian Hook. Things like "it just works", "best in the industry", "better than any other [consumer?] vendor's", etc.

What exactly leads you to say otherwise? Presumably personal experience, rather than just a desire to trash nVidia, but compared to what? Given that 3D game luminaries have repeatedly stated they prefer nVidia's OpenGL drivers to those from ATI or (shudder) Matrox, that really only leaves the few remaining "professional space" vendors (sgi, 3DLabs), and I can't imagine they're universally perfect either.

Perhaps your perspective needs widening? Or perhaps you're running into the same bug over & over and have not bothered to notify nVidia about it? (or perhaps they just think it too isolated a case to get a high priority)