#MONALISA DRIVERS
22 messages in this thread
I AM TRYING TO REACH YOU AT YOUR BBS (415) 354-1396,
TO DOWNLOAD NEW DRIVERS. BUT I CAN'T CONNECT.
IS THERE SOMETHING WRONG? DID YOU CHANGE YOUR NUMBER?
PLEASE ANSWER
Antonio,
Sorry, but as I've heard it, Opta has gone under.
Kevin Krell – Computer Support Associates
Kevin:
Thanks, everyday I learn something.
I can verify what Mr. Krell told you — Opta is no longer in business. I
believe they went out of business about 60 days ago.
Dylan Rhodes
Hercules Computer Technology
Dylan:
I am looking for a Graphics Board, with the next features:
1)TIGA 34020 GRAPHICS CONTROLLER
2)3DS, AUTOCAD AND WINDOWS, DRIVERS.
3)NTSC AND S-VHS OUTPUT (24 BIT COLOR)
4)1280X1024 24 BIT COLOR
THANKS
Antonio,
The Opta drivers for 3DS were by Vibrant Graphics. As far as I know, the
MonaLisa never had a 3DS driver update after Vibrant's 1st release. Jack from
Vibrant should be able to tell you.
The MonaLisa card was not a very consistent card for us and we moved to
offering the Hercules Chrome for those kinda customers. One two identical
machines (as indentical as machines can get) the card would perform flawlessly
on one and lock-up on the other. I juct switched-out a MonaLisa for a Chome
with a customer who does Corel Draw alot.
Hea Jim Carlton, Hercules (if your listening). How about setting up a
competive upgrade for TIGA based 24-bit boards to the 431 Chrome?
Ang
Ang:
Of course I'm here! I'm a professional lurker, doncha know…always looking
for an opportunity to help someone decide to buy a Hercules card <g>!
We've kicked the idea around here a few times… Haven't ever done it, as we
can't figure out how to handle such a beast through our two-tier distribution
channel and still let everyone make a buck or two in the deal. If you have any
good ideas, PLEASE let me know!
It's a shame that so many of the companies building TI-based boards have gone
out of business, stranding a lot of users. I wouldn't mind having a way for
these guys to get into one of our boards if we could get the selling logisitics
out of the way.
Jim Carlton Hercules Computer Technology
<< We've kicked the idea around here a few times… Haven't ever done it, as we
can't figure out how to handle such a beast through our two-tier distribution
channel and still let everyone make a buck or two in the deal. If you have any
good ideas, PLEASE let me know! >>
Make like Aldus… advertise the availablity of said upgrade, but make it
direct distro only.
DannO
Dan:
They can't risk getting their dealers upset with them by going direct.
Hercules has set up a pretty good authorized dealer network, and all the
time and money they spent on it would be thrown out the window by going
direct… And on a trade-in, they wouldn't make enough money to justify it.
Greg Pyros
Greg:
Well said! Although, _I_ think we could make money AND expand the demand for
CHROME with a trade-in program. This is _not_ the company position, however,
so I toe the line like a good soldier!
Jim Carlton Hercules Computer Technology
<< They can't risk getting their dealers upset with them by going direct.
Hercules has set up a pretty good authorized dealer network, and all the time
and money they spent on it would be thrown out the window by going direct…
And on a trade-in, they wouldn't make enough money to justify it. >>
Ahh. Oh yes, that makes sense. I guess the software and hardware markets are
pretty different critters. Aldus, while alienating dealers with a direct-only
upgrade path, at least can make some money at it because they expect future
upgrades. Not so with Herc.
DannO
DannO:
No Way!!! We don't do the nasty "direct" sell thing. Something about not
wanting to upset the distributors and resellers. Personally, I can see doing
it for the "bail out" program, but avoiding it for any "new" sales. This gets
viewed a little like the old "dominoes" theory of Communist expansion — let
'em sell direct and, pretty soon, there won't be a channel left.
We're still haggling this one out… I'll definitely let you folks know if we
decide to do one!
Jim Carlton Hercules Computer Technology
<<No Way!!! We don't do the nasty "direct" sell thing. Something about not
wanting to upset the distributors and resellers. Personally, I can see doing
it for the "bail out" program, but avoiding it for any "new" sales. This gets
viewed a little like the old "dominoes" theory of Communist expansion — let
'em sell direct and, pretty soon, there won't be a channel left.>>
I see your point. Like I told Pyros, I begged the question by assuming that the
software and hardware markets worked the same.
DannO
Jim,
Make it a rebate directly to the customer. That way the distribution
channel is kept out of it completely, but the up-front sales can use the
leverage of the rebate to close.
K.I.S.S that's the philosophy that I like to use.
Ang
Ang:
We've gone around and around on that one before! First, how would we "certify"
that the user actually had a board, unless they sent it to us. Pain in the
***. Second, in this scenario, everybody makes their normal profit, except us!
Kind of de-incents the folks here to think of our margin going to a rebate —
especially since the rebate would have to be pretty substantial, I would think,
to get the customer to pop for another $1000 or so.
Like you, we want to K.I.S.S.! We just can't see how, without giving away a
big chunk of our margin. A $100 or $200 dollar rebate wouldn't be enough to
get people to buy (we know, we've tried them). It's got to be more like $500,
which is about the same as wrapping the board in $$$$ instead of foam when we
send it out.
Jim Carlton Hercules Computer Technology
Jim,
Yea, your probably right. I guess you have to look at what your plans are
for the Chrome and its expanding DRAM capabilites. If in fact, you will
have applications that take advantage of the onboard DRAM, and you can sell
these applications (like a special OEM version of HiRes QFX, photoshop or
something, or even a special Windows driver) then you make the money on
"selling the blades" and not the "handle", if you know what I mean. I would
think that those empty DRAM slots are there for a purpose, and software has
a much nicer margin from a mfg's prespective.
I'm not privy to your near term plans, but if they include something along
those lines, then it may be worth the lost margin up front in order to get
the installed base to the point that there is enough market to justify
the development of customized software that takes advantage of the board and
REALLY takes the card into a class all its own.
Ang:
Actually, there are already a few apps that take advantage of the DRAM now,
with more to follow. We've also completed the support for the memory under
Windows, but not too many applications can use it! They've all short-circuited
Windows memory management and thereby lost the opportunity to use the DRAM…
We're trying to find a few application developers who will go back to the
proper method for memory allocation when Chrome is present — stay tuned for
details.
Interestingly, the best application for the memory under Windows is turning out
to be multi-media! Since the images are generally "static" (read NOT
INTERACTIVELY MODIFIED), they can use standard Windows call to load the DDBs
and DIBs to the board and playback the effects, again using standard Windows
calls, straight from the DRAM to the VRAM. Powerpoint 3.0, hardly the
technology leader, easily doubles its playback speed using Chrome. We're
talking to the rest of the "big boys" about it right now.
No plans to sell software at this time, though it is always a possibility.
Jim Carlton Hercules Computer Technology
Jim,
>> talking to the Big Boys (P.C. translation –> "Non-stature Challenged
People")
Be sure to talk to Corel … Corel Show was pretty painful at 1150x900x24b.
>> other stuff
It would be interesting to see what your demographics are for the Chrome
purchaser. My inclination would be that they are pretty serious graphics
users. With that in mind, you might also find that they would be willing to
pay a little more for a Chrome optimized version of a package. It seems to me,
in the "high-end" graphics market, that many mfgr's (read manufactures <g>) of
graphics software price the software differently based on whether its for
Targa+, a Vista, a VGA …. . I guess I'm still harking on "the blades thing".
Men (P.C. –> "Facially Folically Challenged People") are buying the blades
that provide the smoothest shave. If you had a few, top notch programs that
fit the right nitches and functionally did what people wanted (blades), then
the boards (handles) would be taken along for the ride.
Ang
<<I'm not privy to your near term plans, but if they include something along
those lines, then it may be worth the lost margin up front in order to get the
installed base to the point that there is enough market to justify the
development of customized software that takes advantage of the board and REALLY
takes the card into a class all its own.>>
Now this guy's thinking. Use the hardware upgrade (and take the initial margin
hit) as a loss leader… then blast the users with software to make the card
what it really should be. Sounds like SCSI… $50 per device driver.
Really, though, I think Angelo is on to something here.
DannO
>>Sounds like SCSI… $50 per device driver<<
Dan,
It wouldn't be quite that bad. Unlike SCSI, the Chrome is a fast card on its
own merits with good drivers for Windows and such. This is unlike the SCSI
driver crime where you don't have basic functionality without the special
drivers.
But, I think I would be "fair" to charge more money for software which is
customized for a particular board (much smaller market … special development
costs). If the performance was "magnitutes" better, I think the pro's (which
would be a high percentage of the Chrome users I'd guess) would be willing to
pay for the preformance. Especially with an image generation, editing software
like HiRes QFX. If they had a special verision which took advantage of the
onboard RAM, the performance for airbrushing and such should be able to rival
propriatary dedicated paint systems $10k's more expensive. In that case, a few
hundred extra bucks for the software wouldn't be a problem.
Ang
Angelo,
What's your impression about the TARGA 64 board,
does is it really broadcast quality, does it come with drivers for 3ds, autocad
and windows, is it fast.
THANKS
>> is Targa+64 REALLY broadcast quality
Antonio,
You may not realize it, but you've just opened a can of worms. The "executive
summary" of that question is that there are differing opinions on that issue.
The difference in the answer has nothing to do with the quality of the video
signal comming out of the board though, but on the resolution that the board
produces. Some on the forum take the stance that if it is not 720×486
resolution, then it is not "by definition" broadcast quality. Others take the
stance that "the proof is in the pudding" and "poo-poo" that arguement as being
"too picky"
My opinion is that the board will produce a nice S-video signal (considered
industrial level … not broadcast) and going out RGB the signal is good enough
probably for most cable etc. If you have a contract with a broadcast facility
(CBS, etc..) then you should be able to afford an ATVista or Illuminator Pro
and not worry about it.
Another point, you are not gaining any "quality" by getting the Targa+64 over
the +32. What you are gaining is an additional "frame buffer". This can be
handy if you are running software which requires or takes advantage of it (some
titling software, VTR control software, etc…)
If you are just starting out, and plan to get a Hi-8 or S-VHS VTR, I would get
a Targa+32 for now and START MAKING MONEY <g>.
Ang