Don wrote: > From what I've seen on this list there's a lot of comments/problems with > nvidia graphics cards.... if I'm looking to buy a machine, should I avoid > nvidia all together? And if so, what's a better choice? As I understand it, nVidia's cards require non-Free Software XFree86 drivers to use the 3D functionality (one of the chief reasons for getting nVidia hardware). I see this as a big problem because I want software freedom and I also want all the practical advantages that come from having software freedom. Considering you don't really care about a GUI and none of your tasks require graphics, I'd get an inexpensive 2D card I could operate with XFree86 as it ships from upstream. Check out http://www.xfree86.org/ for their documentation on supported hardware and find a nice cheap graphics card that will do the resolution and refresh rate you desire should you decide to switch to a GUI someday.
