I suggest you read the 'Final Thoughts" section first as a reminder of the impact buying PC cards has on the Mac market. I understand people's frustration, and many have written me saying they tried to buy a Mac voodoo II card but gave up after waiting for months. Hopefully VillageTronic can deliver Banshee cards in quantity and as a reminder, their new $99 Mac Magic card is a best buy - a Mac 8MB Voodoo 1 card with a software tweaker for about the same price as a cheap PC 4MB card and adapter cable kit.

I'm also hoping since 3Dfx recently lowered prices on chipsets that Microconversions can lower their prices and most importanly, deliver the cards in quantity. I've asked in the past that they consider selling a reference design card (VGA connectors) which would allow lower prices and make getting the cards from an OEM much easier (and with the qty of reference design cards made they should be much lower in cost).

Enough of my ranting, here's the original mail I received from Kyle LeBoeuf (also sent to other mac game sites):

" Subject: The TRUTH about 3dfxGlideLib 2.5.3
Date: 11/2/98 4:42 PM
Received: 11/3/98 7:50 AM
From: Kyle LeBoeuf

After hearing about the "leak" of the mac voodoo2 glide library, I figured I should come forth with the facts I know. Especially since alot of dis-information appears to be spreading.

THE FACTS:

I have had in my posession since August a Voodoo2 reference glide library which I aquired from 3dfx after requesting their latest SDK for macintosh. The SDK arrived on a hyrbrid CD and included only the voodoo1 driver (the same one distributed by Techworks). BUT, seperately, I recieved from someone named [Name/address removed ] at 3dfx a version of the glide library (version 2.5.3) which [Name removed] said would work with ANY voodoo2 card based on 3dfx's reference design. So I tested it out and sure enough it worked on every voodoo2 card I tried.

The cards I tested it on so far are the Diamond MonsterII, STB Blackmagic, Canopus Pure3dII and Orchid RighteousII. The games I've tested so far are Unreal beta 5.1 (I don't have the release), Tomb Raider II demo, FutureCOP:LAPD Alpha (full version) and the FutureCop demo, and Quake 3dfx. All the games worked flawlessly, except for Quake which would not load at all. Recently, I tried using the above cards with MicroConversion's version of the Glide library and NONE of them worked with ANY of the above games.

MY THOUGHTS

After talking to Chris Brady at Alt.Software aka Alt.Drivers.INC (the developers contracted by 3dfx to port the original glide library to macintosh) I figured out a few things.

First, Chris said they were unaware that 3dfx had a voodoo2 version and figured 3dfx must have internally updated the last build of the glide library using the source code Alt.Software had supplied to them. Not that there is anything wrong with that. No contract exsists that says 3dfx has to hire Alt.Software to make updates.

Second, apparently 3dfx has had this version of the glide library for some time now (I got it in August). And they (3dfx) acted like it was no big secret when they sent it to me. I got the impression that anyone who asked for it could have it. The REAL problem was, most employees at 3dfx didn't seem to know that the updated library EXSISTED or cared enough to put it on their website. After e-mailing 2 other's at 3dfx I concluded that it was just a case of poor communication and policy confusion caused by a general apathy towards anything macintosh.

Third, after some thinking I decided not to post this or the glide software or anything else about this thing publicly. I kept it to myself and only gave two other fellow employees copies of the drivers and insisted that they not tell anyone or give others copies (yeah, right). I started thinking it's probably a GOOD thing that the drivers aren't available publicly because obviously everyone would just buy the cheap PC cards and the macintosh market would suffer. And worse, the mac market wouldn't even get credit for buying the cards. [Note - many Mac owners that bought Voodoo 1 cards in the past have noted they were for a Mac on the registration - an important thing to remember in all cases of hybrid hardware and software-Mike] And game developers wouldn't make 3dfx games cause the numbers wouldn't show how many 3dfx cards are being used by mac users. But, it looks like the drivers have "leaked" out anywayz. And I'm troubled by it.

***FINAL NOTES***

I'm not positive that the glide library that is being passed around is the same as the one I have. Or if it's even the REAL one from 3dfx. I haven't found it online yet to check.

BUT I INSIST that if you post my message on your website that you also remind everyone that **buying PC cards for your Mac is NOT in the best interest of the Mac community**.

If VillageTronic or MicroConversions lose money cause everyone is buying PC cards, you can forget them or anyone else investing in mac compatible hardware. If you love your mac, spend the extra $100 and support it. You'll be glad later.

Kyle LeBoeuf
PC Accelerator
Imagine Media
http://www.pcxl.com"

I was glad to see someone from a non-Mac magazine write in support of the Mac market. Thanks Kyle.

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