Anyone with games for the PS2 is already going to have a PS2 that can play those PS2 games just fine.
True. But let's say that the PS2 is the only current generation console I own. For the next generation, if the next Nintendo is backward compatible, it might be a selling point that by buying the next gen hardware I could enjoy the great (and cheap, by then) games that I didn't own before (Zelda, Metroid, etc), because I didn't want to buy the other console just for a couple games. If it's close between which next gen console to buy, this could be key: I can get a few cheap games I've been wanting to own while I wait for the games that really take advantage of my new hardware). Not only that, by being backward compatible, the company wins because it might squeeze out some more money from the previous generation games. It's probably only worth the effort, though, if it's easy (as was the case with the PS2).
For discreet graphics chips, ATI and nVidia absolutely dominate with over 90% combined market share. nVidia has the lead in desktop discreet units with 62% (ATI has 32%). ATI has the lead in mobile discreet units with 71% (nVidia has 21%).
However, in the quickly growing integrated space, Intel does quite well with 67% desktop units and 45% mobile units, enough to give them the overall market share lead.
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I googled and found instructions here.
Xeon is probably somewhere near Radeon on the marketing table of imaginary elements.
What kind of graphics card will I need to jack everything off?
True. But let's say that the PS2 is the only current generation console I own. For the next generation, if the next Nintendo is backward compatible, it might be a selling point that by buying the next gen hardware I could enjoy the great (and cheap, by then) games that I didn't own before (Zelda, Metroid, etc), because I didn't want to buy the other console just for a couple games. If it's close between which next gen console to buy, this could be key: I can get a few cheap games I've been wanting to own while I wait for the games that really take advantage of my new hardware). Not only that, by being backward compatible, the company wins because it might squeeze out some more money from the previous generation games. It's probably only worth the effort, though, if it's easy (as was the case with the PS2).
According to the Mercury Research numbers released just a couple weeks ago (found here), the overall graphics market is split as follows:
Intel: 35%
nVidia: 25%
ATI: 22%
Via: 9%
SiS: 8%
Matrox: 1%
For discreet graphics chips, ATI and nVidia absolutely dominate with over 90% combined market share. nVidia has the lead in desktop discreet units with 62% (ATI has 32%). ATI has the lead in mobile discreet units with 71% (nVidia has 21%).
However, in the quickly growing integrated space, Intel does quite well with 67% desktop units and 45% mobile units, enough to give them the overall market share lead.