Editing S3 Graphics (section)

==History==
{{plain image with caption|File:S3 Graphics logo old.svg|Logo used from 1989 to 1997|150px}}
S3 was founded and incorporated in January 1989 by [[Dado Banatao]] and Ronald Yara.  It was named S3 as it was Banatao's third startup company.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.computerhistory.org/resources/access/text/2014/07/102746746-05-01-acc.pdf|title=Oral History of Diosdado “Dado” Banatao|author=Uday Kapoor |work=[[Computer History Museum]]|date=2013-08-13|accessdate=2021-04-29}}</ref> 

The company's first products were among the earliest [[graphical user interface]] (GUI) accelerators.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LIyy_CtozLcC&pg=PA228|title=The S3 Crowd|last=Quain|first=John R.|work=[[PC Magazine]]|page=228|date=January 12, 1993|volume=12|issue=1}}</ref> These chips were popular with video card manufacturers, and their followup designs, including the [[S3 Trio|Trio64]], made strong inroads with [[OEM]]s.  S3 took over the high end 2D market just prior to the popularity of 3D accelerators.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.techspot.com/article/650-history-of-the-gpu/|title=The History of the Modern Graphics Processor|last=Singer|first=Graham|work=Techspot.com|date=2021-01-07|accessdate=2021-03-21}}</ref>

S3's first 3D accelerator chips, the [[ViRGE]] series, controlled half of the market early on but could not compete against the high end 3D accelerators from [[ATI Technologies|ATI]], [[Nvidia]], and [[3Dfx]].<ref name=techspot2>{{cite web|url=https://www.techspot.com/article/653-history-of-the-gpu-part-2/|title=History of the Modern Graphics Processor, Part 2|last=Singer|first=Graham|work=Techspot.com|date=2020-12-04|accessdate=2021-03-21}}</ref>  In some cases, the chips performed worse than software-based solutions without an accelerator.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/from-voodoo-to-geforce-the-awesome-history-of-3d-graphics/|title=From Voodoo to GeForce: The Awesome History of 3D Graphics|last=Lilly|first=Paul|work=[[PC Gamer]]|date=2009-05-19|accessdate=2021-03-21}}</ref>  As S3 lost market share, their offerings competed in the mid-range market.  Their next design, the [[Savage 3D]], was released early and suffered from driver issues, but it introduced [[S3TC]], which became an industry standard.  S3 bought [[Number Nine Visual Technology|Number Nine]]'s assets in 1999,<ref name=techspot2/> then merged with [[Diamond Multimedia]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.zdnet.com/home-and-office/networking/s3-diamond-make-merger-official/|title=S3, Diamond Make Merger Official|last=Spangler|first=Todd|work=[[ZDNet]]|date=2000-07-28|access-date=2021-03-21}}</ref>  The resulting company renamed itself SONICblue, refocused on consumer electronics, and sold its graphics business to [[VIA Technologies]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/out-with-s3-in-with-sonicblue/|title=Out with S3, in with Sonicblue|author=<!-- Staff -->|work=[[ZDNet]]|date=2000-11-01|accessdate=2021-03-21}}</ref>  Savage-derived chips were integrated into numerous VIA motherboard [[chipset]]s. Subsequent discrete derivations carried the brand names DeltaChrome and GammaChrome.

In July 2011, [[HTC Corporation]] announced they were buying VIA Technologies' stake in S3 Graphics, thus becoming the majority owner of S3 Graphics.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.dailytech.com/VIA+WTI+Sell+Stakes+in+S3+Graphics+to+HTC/article22078.htm | title=VIA, WTI Sell Stakes in S3 Graphics to HTC | publisher=DailyTech | date=6 July 2011 | access-date=28 January 2014 | author=McGlaun, Shane | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110709091636/http://www.dailytech.com/VIA+WTI+Sell+Stakes+in+S3+Graphics+to+HTC/article22078.htm | archive-date=9 July 2011 | url-status=dead}}</ref>  In November, the [[United States International Trade Commission]] ruled against S3 in a patent dispute with Apple.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/s3-graphics-case-against-apple-collapses-at-itc/|title=S3 Graphics' case against Apple collapses at ITC|last=Lowensohn|first=Josh|work=[[CNET]]|date=2011-11-21|accessdate=2021-03-21}}</ref>