Behringer [was Re: [linux-audio-user] Re: [linux-audio-dev] RME is no more]

[Mark Knecht]

On Sun, 28 Nov 2004 17:31:38 -0500, Rick B <zajelo3 at cfl.rr.com> wrote:
> Lee Revell wrote:
> 
> 
> 
> >On Sun, 2004-11-28 at 13:51 +0100, Marek Peteraj wrote:
> >
> >
> >>I really like the philosophy of not letting any closed source drivers
> >>into the kernel. In the end i only saw people upset because their XY
> >>nvidia or ATI driver wasn't working.
> >>
> >>
> >
> >That's a perfectly valid point.  But for every disgruntled nvidia user
> >there are 100 who are just happy to be able to play UT2004.  As Jan
> >said, open source is not a religion for every Linux user, and like it or
> >not, if you have superior hardware and good drivers there are many Linux
> >users who will buy your gear, open source or not.
> >
> >Lee
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> That's me. I admit that I'm not an Open Source purist, my kernel is
> tainted by a closed source Nvidia driver so that I can play UT2004 on
> Linux. What are my alternatives? Play UT2004 under Windows? That's not
> going to happen. What are the alternatives for Linux pro audio users?
> (1) Linux & closed source drivers. (2)Windows & closed source
> everything. (3) Mac & closed source drivers. (4) Build your own open
> source based audio interfaces. (5) As was mentioned before, "start a
> dialogue with Audioscience". If RME has a Fireface 800 osx driver it
> shouldn't be that hard to port to Linux. Open Source software is winning
> some impressive battles, but it's not going to win them all. "Rome
> wasn't built in a day" if you understand what I mean.
> 
>                 Rick B
> 

I think the real answer to the RME/Fireface problem is to appeal to
their pocket book. If there was a petition to get a driver done (open
source/closed source I don't care - we can argue that one out later)
with a promise to buy, or a partial purchase through RME up front with
the balance to follow when they make the driver work, then if there
was enough money in it to interest them they would have to do it.

500 unit sales at $800 US each (or whatever that unit costs) would be
a no-brainer for RME and the driver would probably exist in a matter
or weeks. I doubt RME would turn down $400K revenue and likely $100K
profit just because it was Linux and they were being political.
Possibly the real number of signatories would only have to be 50 or
100 to get them to notice. It's an opportunity for us to show we're
real. (If we want to...)

However, a few folks, most of who never bought anything from RME
before, threatening to not buy in the future is unlikely (in my
simplistic mind) to incentivise them do anything.

For me, even being out of work right now, I'd sign up to buy a unit if
I had a promise from RME to support the device under Alsa. That would
be a first, I think, having the manufacturer actually agree to write,
maintain and support their hardware under Alsa, wouldn't it?

Just my 2 cents for the 20th time today. (See what happens when KDE
apps stop working and I have too much time on my hands? Who said Linux
was more stable than Windows anyway?) ;-)

- Mark