From: George Koharchik (georgek++at++skopen.rsc.raytheon.com)
Date: 02/23/2000 07:53:02
Hi Allan,
I haven't been on this list long enough to be able to gauge people's
temperatures. I'm not trying to make anyone angry but there are some issues
I'd like to see addressed. I'll let you use your own discretion about whether
or not to post this to info-performer.
Thanks!
gpk
--------------------------------------
Hi Folks,
Since I'm one of the guilty newbies on asking linux and hardware questions
on this list, I'll throw in my two cents.
First, I don't expect SGI to support all combinations of graphics hardware
and software, especially not for free. (We've already sent inquiries about
pricing and distribution that have gone unanswered.) I'd be happy with a list
of "things we have tried and know to work or not work." Something similar to
the linux hardware compatibility list would be fine with me.
Second, there is a question of intent behind some of the questions which
makes it a grey area. Some people might want to use this group as a forum
to repeat marketing info for a competing product. I don't mind if that goes
somewhere else. When I ask a question about someone else's product it may be
because I'm trying to compete with it. For instance I'm on a project right now
advocating a Performer-based IG. One of my customers has their mind set on
a competing product. If someone in the audience has compared these two, or
knows how that other product does some of its tricks, that would be useful
for me to know. Linux has comp.os.linux.advocacy where posters can discuss
marketing as well as technical issues. A newsgroup like that for Mongoose
would be fine with me. (I recognise that Mongoose isn't a product yet, so
this suggestion might be premature.)
Third, I'm assuming that SGI wants Mongoose to succeed and spread. Right
now the information to do that is about 95% available. For instance the
Mongoose FAQ does a great job, but it's light on how to get hardware
acceleration working. I ran performer town at 0.2 frames per second. It wasn't
until another of the SGI employees helped answer questions about hardware
acceleration and we got to 15 frames per second that my boss took Mongoose as
anything more than a curiousity. If we can get our existing Performer IG to
work with Mongoose I'll be delighted. We'll have the advantage of being able
to leverage our existing code base, in-house expertise, and cross-platform
compatibility. We can use that to compete in the arena where the customer
doesn't need, doesn't want, won't accept, or can't afford a full SGI and
still use Performer. That gives us an advantage. What I still need is the
remaining 5% of that information. That includes:
* Answers to questions about the differences between Mongoose
and Performer (For example does the pfDBaseFunc database call-back
function work in this release of Mongoose? If it doesn't, that's
fine-- I just need to know so I can stop spending time working on
it.)
* Information about what hardware/software combinations it does
work on. (I'm not expecting an exhaustive list, just something I
can use to guide purchasing decisions.)
* Any product comparisons that people in this group (SGI or the
audience) have done. This helps me steer a customer to the best
solution. The expertise is here, just how do I get at it?
I don't know if info-performer is the means to that end. So far
mongoose-feedback isn't. I recognize that some of these issues probably go
beyond the original charter of info-performer mailing list. You have the
opportunity to provide the missing pieces and I believe it's in SGI's best
interests to do that. What's the best way to do it?
Regards,
George Koharchik
g-koharchik++at++raytheon.com
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