Venting: I hate you ATI

My last system (now my debugging console) had a dual head NVidia Graphics Card. It was beautiful. The software ran flawlessly, I was able to set all my apps to launch on the desired monitor, and all those apps could launch their dialogs on any desired monitor. The NVidia tools are amazing. I loved NPerfMon and a variety of other free development tools from NVidia.

Cut to today. A while back I build a new box and somehow got talked into an ATI Radeon for the PCI-E slot as all my other cards were AGP. I suppose I wasn't really thinking but I didn't forsee problems in the future. Now I'm using ATIs HYDRAVISION and I'd rather scratch my own eyes out. The options are far more limited, and they break. Custom Application Options reset themselves and the HYDRAVISION interface crashes every time I apply my changes. ATI PerfStudio is ugly and (though I've barely used it) seems unweildy.

So realistically, how does ATI compete with NVidia so prominently? If the only comparison of quality is purely at the user/gamer level, one would think developers would jump onboard with NVidia and tip the scales.

Maybe I just haven't found and turned up the Goodness Slider yet...

Set Application Behaviour
<- Scratch Your Eyes Out / NVidiaesque ->
--|---------------------------------------

Well you need to think that a company needs such competition from ATI to keep NVidia at the top of their game. As I see it I am a nvidia fan but I just bought a new iMac with a ATI and I have to say that I'm happy. ATI is about the average consumer it seems. My ATI is a very powerful card for the price. And its the greatness slider under the fix my problem now tab right under the fry this chip so I can return it check box

ATI vs. nVidia is a lot like Linux vs. Microsoft. Both take a different approach to the same thing, they both have their individual fine points. The problem is, must you learn both?

I would say that game industry support is somewhat geared towards ATI right now, thanks to a resurgence in people liking Direct3D. It won't last, though. ATI seem to employ the most hairless monkeys to write their driver interfaces. :rolleyes:

Ati must die.

They dropped linux support for my 9250 card.

>>ATI vs. nVidia is a lot like Linux vs. Microsoft

I can see it easily construed as such. I've had no problems whatsoever with the driver of hardware aspect of my card. It works like a charm. My only beef was with the software on the developer side of things. Though come to think of it, the flashy ATI screenwave that comes on the installation CD will crash after the first cycle, but only on a multi-monitor setup... Not sure what they expected me to run it with seeing as how it came with a dual head card.

>>thanks to a resurgence in people liking Direct3D

Here's a prime example of what I'm wondering about. It's not that "people" (i.e. consumers) like Direct3D. The consumer doesn't give a rats *beep* what they need to run the lastest eye candy game. If the package says, install Brand Z, Brand Z gets installed. Its Microsoft and developers that cause that tip in the balance. Which of course is the beggining and an ever widening endless circle, but thats another post.

So why hasn't poor dev tools on ATIs part sent more companies and indie dev teams packing to the other side? Oh well, I'll cope. But next time around it's back to nVidia for me.

hahahahaahah I just have to giggle. Linux versus Microsoft. The people facing a huge corporation. Yes thats Microsoft for you.