I don't define very early. Even now, I'm questioning myself. I thought the info about them stopping to need a ROM dump was in the keeping current article. I don't see it there, so, I want to find where I read before I continue to make judgments.
What I recall,but can't find my source any longer: Was at some point they had enough ROMs to ship with them. However, I'm thinking Sonnet didn't require a return of the old CPU... thus they wouldn't get ROMs back... I think my brain is blending two or three different companies.
Though I'm not sure of when/if if they stopped using the ROM dump tool, I am certain about that video issue if that thread is to be given any credibility.
Looking at LEM for the video hardware:
1g- ATI 3D Rage LT
2g- ATI Rage LT Pro
The 1g also had a 12 inch model that was 800x600 and only had 2MB of VRAM as opposed to 4.
It would make sense to use 1 ROM for a 1g WS's, even if that means supporting two different VRAM configurations, since it is the same GPU controller. (What I mean is, I doubt there are 2 1g ROMs.) However, is is definitely likely that the 1g GPU part of the ROM is quite different from the 2g GPU part of the ROM. With that possibility in mind, I am inclinded to trust the thread mentioned above on the differeing ROMs.
In short: I can't tell you when they stopped using the ROM dump, if at all :'( * However, I can tell you that I trust the video/ROM issue does exist. The easiest way to test would be to try a 1g CPU in a 2g WS.
*until I do more research... when I get back from school today.
What I recall,but can't find my source any longer: Was at some point they had enough ROMs to ship with them. However, I'm thinking Sonnet didn't require a return of the old CPU... thus they wouldn't get ROMs back... I think my brain is blending two or three different companies.
Though I'm not sure of when/if if they stopped using the ROM dump tool, I am certain about that video issue if that thread is to be given any credibility.
Looking at LEM for the video hardware:
1g- ATI 3D Rage LT
2g- ATI Rage LT Pro
The 1g also had a 12 inch model that was 800x600 and only had 2MB of VRAM as opposed to 4.
It would make sense to use 1 ROM for a 1g WS's, even if that means supporting two different VRAM configurations, since it is the same GPU controller. (What I mean is, I doubt there are 2 1g ROMs.) However, is is definitely likely that the 1g GPU part of the ROM is quite different from the 2g GPU part of the ROM. With that possibility in mind, I am inclinded to trust the thread mentioned above on the differeing ROMs.
In short: I can't tell you when they stopped using the ROM dump, if at all :'( * However, I can tell you that I trust the video/ROM issue does exist. The easiest way to test would be to try a 1g CPU in a 2g WS.
*until I do more research... when I get back from school today.