I have been buying AMD cards since the the HD 3xxx series , not really loyalism but there was not much I could complain, well priced, not many problems. I noticed that their drivers for linux made some screen tearing when in 2D wish was a bit annoying.
You always hear that mantra… nvidia drivers are better, nvidia drivers are better. I found a well priced laptop with a exciting 740m and, sadly I didnt think it twice.
Let me tell you something, since the mid 00s, you install ubuntu, you get a warning that there are 3d graphics propietary drivers available, then you choose to install them and voila!!! you have a 3D capable computer, next step is downloading steam and Team Fortress 2.
My experience with my 740m and linux is VERY DIFFERENT. Suddenly I feel like I am in the 90s again:
THE OS has no idea you have a 3d card…
you try to install drivers manually…
black screen…
you find yourself guessing what conf file needs to be edit…
you reinstall…
you find out about some group of people that makes something called bumblebee, you learn in forums about that, then there is something called primus…
you trust those people that offer you packages online, you manage to install them
you get some latency when running games, you dont know who to blame, the bublebee? the nvidia drivers?
you try to change stuff, you mess up the system,
try to reinstall the whole thing but It does not seem to work anymore…
This is very much like linux in the 90s!!! In the 90s things were not supposed to work straight away in linux. Now they do, they really do.
So my question… when are we getting a linux 21st century experience?
That’s like 3 terminal commands. Granted I agree with your point about your card being detected and installed from the additional drivers.
No configs, no packages(besides driver from NVIDIA’s site). The default ubuntu driver works well on every: server, workstation, desktop, laptop, development board, mobile device, I’ve run it on. The problem is the installation has changed over the years. My experience with Linux has been a steady incline in changes. Most are probably used to it. I’ve noticed a lot of users(such as yourself) prefer something to remain stable while also expecting the latest and greatest. I’ve installed it on 6 different random laptops this year. Roommates, friends of roommates, college friends. I’ve heard it before.
Few lessons I’ve learned in linux:
appreciate changes
expect things to break on occasion
appreciate when things that broke get fixed
every day someone finds an easier, cheaper, better, way of doing things. Keep up on it.
show your appreciation, especially when some developer out there survived on ramen noodles for years to give you that software.
The blame is due to Optimus technology, which was never designed to work on Linux. Only recent kernels have native support and you still have to configure it correctly, or use Bumblebee (and configure that correctly). If you want something that works like in the past, the higher end GTX mobile cards are actual discrete cards most of the time and don’t have that issue. That means you’re paying $$$… because those laptops usually are never cheap.