CompuServe Messages

John, >> A generalized processor will not be able to keep up with the >> specialized 3D hardware A good point, but you may be missing a "small" point. Just like SGI "adds" the fast 3D to the system, so can this "graphics subsystem" be added to a Pentium, Alpha, etc.. Just take a look at the Matrox MGA card w/Z-buffer. That system can now do realtime Goraud shading in ACAD and is planning to have drivers for 3DS which will allow realtime shading in the editor (and that's based on a 486 performance). The point is, that the market for the "IBM compatibles" is so large, that mfgr's like Matrox can afford to make a card which have broad based appeal (Windows, ACAD … yes 3DS). Now, SGI could take some 3DS customers if they "Go NT" (like they have said that they wil) AND write special drivers for 3DS do allow access to the "off-processor" graphics performance AND make the systems affordable. But, only a limited amout of the affordability issue for SGI is under SGI's control. Since SGI has such a small market, ALL peripheral hdwr/sftwr is VERY EXPENSIVE. I was recently looking for a dye-sub printer driver for an SGI for a customer, and the prices ranged from $1k-$3k .. just for the software driver! It'll be interesting to see what happens. Ang