[Openicc] ColorVision Open Source Policy

[Robert Krawitz]

   From: "Hal V. Engel" <hvengel at astound.net>
   Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2007 17:21:07 -0800

   In a follow up from C. David Tobie of ColorVision he wrote:

   "We have supported Linux for years, for specialty clients such as
   Disney. We continue to consider the possibility of a display
   calibration solution for end users on Linux. But no one on
   Linux/Unix,BSD ever contacts us and asks about products they can
   purchase from us for those platforms, they always ask if we have an
   SDK, so they can write something themselves. Its a very different
   type of market.."

The fact that he says people are asking for an SDK suggests to me just
how wide the gulf is.  I think it's much more likely that people are
asking for the programming specs for the hardware, not an SDK.  A
proprietary interface to a binary-only library with functionality
restricted to what ColorVision thinks is important isn't likely to be
too interesting to the kind of hard core *IX people who want this kind
of device.

Yes, it is a very different type of market.  It isn't the kind of
market with a few clearly defined vendors and a large mass of people
who are willing to go along with what the vendor wants to provide.
The line between supplier and user is blurry; it's a community of
people that expect to be treated, and to treat others, as peers.

Unfortunately, there are a few high profile members of the open source
community (I won't bother with names -- none of whom are people I've
seen contribute to this list -- but it's probably fairly obvious whom
I'm thinking of) who embrace proprietary solutions and are happy with
proprietary-only support for hardware, as long as there are Linux
drivers available.  Some proprietary vendors understandably latch on
to this, but in the long run it doesn't help anyone -- it just means a
proprietary Linux solution that's usually inferior to the proprietary
Windows or Macintosh solution.

The same thing happens with printers (my area of expertise -- I'm the
project lead for Gutenprint).  Epson does provide programming manuals
for many of their printers.  These manuals aren't great, and they're
missing some things, but they do make it possible to write drivers.
Unfortunately, they've stopped providing manuals for the Stylus Pro
printers, and I'd really like to support those printers in Gutenprint.
HP provides open source drivers for a lot of printers, but some of
them are limited in functionality (particularly in the color arena)
and they offer a lot fewer options than Gutenprint.  Both of these are
light years better than any of the other inkjet or dye sub vendors,
who provide nothing at all.

There *is* a real demand for open devices out there, and it's not just
the hardest of the hard core.  Look at how many people are unlocking
iPhones, for example.  It seems to be enough to actually worry Apple.
And I just happened to check Slashdot, and found this tidbit
(http://linux.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/11/12/2235200) about how
WalMart's Linux PC sold out in a real hurry.

   In short they just don't get it.  His example of "supporting linux"
   is support for one firm that represents perhaps 0.0000001% of the
   installed Linux user base.  Wow if only we had that kind of
   "support" from every hardware vendor!  He also did not see the
   contradiction of claiming to support linux while at the same time
   having a blanket policy of not providing support for their hardware
   in open source projects.

Again, there are enough self-proclaimed leaders in the community who
are willing to live with this situation that it's easy for a company
with proprietary leanings to miss the other side of it.

   For testing I have a Spyder 2, a EyeOne Display Lt and a Huey.  Of
   the three I like the EyeOne the best in almost every way.  The one
   thing I like more about the Spyder 2 is the LCD weight is attached
   to the cord so it can not be lost.  I have not had the Huey long
   enough to comment on it other than to say that the software that
   comes with it is far too crippled.  But if we can get the Huey
   working with our open systems it may a good solution for many users
   because of it's very low cost.  These are selling on eBay for
   around $50 plus shipping.

Not to mention that if we could get it working we could almost surely
write better software for it.

-- 
Robert Krawitz                                     <rlk at alum.mit.edu>

Tall Clubs International  --  http://www.tall.org/ or 1-888-IM-TALL-2
Member of the League for Programming Freedom -- mail lpf at uunet.uu.net
Project lead for Gutenprint   --    http://gimp-print.sourceforge.net

"Linux doesn't dictate how I work, I dictate how Linux works."
--Eric Crampton