[linux-audio-user] Re: Linux/Protools

[Brad Fuller]

Kjetil Svalastog Matheussen wrote:

>Mark Knecht:
>  
>
>>BTW - I truly think that in the next 12-24 months Digi will release
>>PTLE for Linux. If they did they solve the hardware support problem
>>and have an advantage over anyone using other Linux tools with home
>>grown Alsa support. That would be pretty cool. If their normal release
>>policies applied then for $75 I'd have a 3rd OS to run on.
>>    
>>
They would probably not be able to offer support. I can see how that 
would be a blackhole for cost

>>    
>>
>
>What digidesign should do, is to make their own specialized distribution
>of linux to run protools with, and set up a list of recommended hardware. 
>Then they would solve various hardware- and software-issues running
>protools on a PC, and they would automatically give back a lot
>to the linux-community thru work on the protools linux distribution and
>getting a bounchelibounch of new audio linux users.
>  
>
That's what I would do -- have to do -- if the decision was to offer a 
product based on linux. But, again, they would have to plan out a 
strategy of how this product would be 
created/marketed/delivered/supported/etc in the marketplace. As it is, 
they don't support an OS today, they just use two that someone else 
creates/markets/supports/etc. The OS maker has the enormous cost burden. 
This could be a significant burden that they otherwise just don't need 
at the moment.

On the flip-side, if they look at their overall costs, it might just 
prove cheaper if they roll-their-own exclusively. Today, they may spend 
a bunch on adapting their products to each new release of an OS (well, 
we know by history that they don't adapt too quickly.) They are 
dependent on others (MS and Apple) and maybe that, when you look at it 
holistically (what new features or product releases have the missed 
because of this external dependency? -- thus lost dollars), costs them 
more than adapting their own OS.

brad