Actually, there are in fact complete specifications from AMD for the 3D aspects of the hardware: http://developer.amd.com/documentation/guides/pages/default.

Actually, there are in fact complete specifications from AMD for the 3D aspects of the hardware: http://developer.amd.com/documentation/guides/pages/default.aspx#open_gpu Yes, they omit parts that are covered by macrovision copy-protection and the like, but those are not necessary for full 3D support. That is why I qualified my earlier statement. The real reason is as you pointed out, writing drivers is hard and the skillset is scarce. I just wanted to point out that most people believe the myth that full specifications == instant, great open source drivers.