Linux and "WinDevices"

The hardware compatibility arena is one of those places in the computer world where issues are at their hottest.

Take my own Neo Laptop as an example. It would have been easy for me to use Linux out of the box, weren't it for the SiS video chipset and the C&E OSD keyboard filter... Although I've found the solution to my SiS problem in the form of a generic 2D driver (many thanks to the posters at Ubuntu Forums! ), not all of my "Fn" keys work, especially the WiFi switch, which is one of what I need most when doing online research from my laptop while on the move, and I have not found a driver for those special "Fn" keys. And even though I'm happy with the SiS fix, how about other computer users who want to use Linux but are forced to use Windows because of hardware? $^&$@#@&*$!

Another good example is the PCI card sector. These are cards that plug into the motherboard, such as sound cards, LAN/Ethernet cards, video cards, and so on. Because of their nature, there is no single driver that fits all cards, even generic ones. A good exception, though, is video cards in VGA mode [640x480, 16 color] - the BIOS requires support for that at start-up. In virtually all other respects, things differ wildly between devices such as USB PCI cards, WiFi adapters, and on and on. This incompatibility problem gives the hardware vendors an opportunity to force the user to use the card only on the OS(es) of their choice, which in many cases is Windows Vista and later (mine's Windows XP + Ubuntu dual-boot.)

I know that computer hardware vendors are constantly striving to bring to the end-user more sophisticated, better, and more fashionable peripherals, such as faster video cards and sound cards delivering more realistic sound. But to the same vendors, really, if you cannot provide full functionality on even the "Big Three" operating systems (Windows, Linux, Mac OS), your innovations are essentially useless, for many of the same people wanting better hardware dislike Windows and/or Mac.

P.S. I may be one who would give a try on making PC peripherals, but I'd be as generic as possible - or if not possible, at least provide native drivers for the "Big Three."