[ Thanks to James
Maguire for this link. ]
“Specifically, I’m referring to the fact that drivers with 3-D
hardware acceleration are required by both GNOME 3 and Unity.
Whether each development team decided on this requirement
separately, or whether one decided that it must match the other in
sophistication, will probably never be known. But the fact remains
that two of the leading desktops now require what, for FOSS, is
advanced — at times, even bleeding edge — technology.“This requirement is a problem for two reasons. First, in
general, FOSS hardware acceleration lags behind that of other
operating systems. Video drivers is an expert’s field, but,
Phoronix’s Linux Graphics Survey in September 2010 suggests that
more or less reliable hardware acceleration is available only for
72% of Linux desktops — those using Intel, Catalyst/fglrx, and
NVidia drivers. (And many would quibble about the reliability of
each of these drivers).”