#3DS/NT: CANCELLED!
I just have recieved this month issue of PowerPC News via Internet. Take this
people: 3DS Release 5 for NT developement has been halted and the new version
will be released for PowerMacintosh only as a result of Apple's buyout of 55%
stock from Autodesk Inc. The new 3DS will fully support Quickdraw 3D and maybe
Autodesk is going to start its own Mac clone operation targeting the high end
3D market, directly against Silicon Graphics. Apparently, the move has come out
from the latest SGI and MS adquisitions of the major 3D developers on the
Silicon Graphics arena, Alis, Wavefront and Softimage. Quoting an unnamed Adesk
official: "We can't longer be the wife of Microsoft and NT, specially since
they are going to directly compete with us with their Softimage's products and
probably use their own technology against our former 3D star, 3D Studio for
NT).
As for the clone move, the same official said that the license is still on the
works but most probably the new machines will be based on Daystar/Apple
multiprocessor technology and will count with up to four 150MHz PowerPC 604
processors and with a custom PCI graphics board by Truevision/Rasterops with up
to four GLiNT 300TX processors running in parallel. The machines would have
prices from $6,000 to $15,000 for the full blown package, including 526MB of
RAM and a 2GB disk RAID O array. Of course, all the boxes will come bundled
with 3DS Release 5 for the MacOS and will probably be released arround 1Q/96.
Monitors are not included in price.
The press release is dated for the 3rd of April (to be released this monday),
but I have received the advance _today_ from powerPC news (to subscribe:
add@power.globalnews.com) If you want, I can post the press release today, but
most probably it will be available here by monday.
Maybe Gary would like to comment on this surprise move by Adesk and his team.
Gary?
and /krazy images