Re: OpenPerformer & Vis/Sim outside SGI

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Luke Hoffman (lhoffman++at++colsa.com)
Tue, 16 Apr 1996 19:29:06 -0500

> ....... Performer remains a
> closed product tied to the SGI platform, and other vendor's customers
> must invent all their visual simulation applications from scratch.
[snip]
>2. OpenGL-style: SGI takes the high road and places its hardware and support
> into direct, level, fair, head-to-head competition with HP, Sun, E&S and
> anyone else who feels that they have the "grambaugh" to tangle with the
> inventors of visual simulation, and the leaders in commercial hardware
> rendering! OpenPerformer. This has the added advantage that the sales
> force can compete to "convert" customers from other platforms to SGI.
>
> The market for visual simulation on platforms other than SGI is not
>growing, it is *HERE* ***NOW***!!! The market is *not* standing still
>waiting to see if SGI will open up performer. Both HP and Sun have
>competent graphics products available NOW. You can bet that they have
>announcements of excellent products on the way.

Here's another question to add to the list. How do we compare offerings
from other vendors with SG equipment. Another vendor offering a Vis/Sim
solution will almost certainly use OpenGL. OpenGL is fine, but it ain't
Performer. Which means two things. First, the Performer based code were
using will have to be rewritten using the OpenGL API. Second (and this is
my opinion here), OpenGL based applications are not going to be as fast as
Performer based applications. Please, correct me on the second if I'm
wrong, but I have yet to see an API as sophisticated as Performer for
Vis/Sim applications. What then would be the best way to compare a non SGI
platform with an SGI platform? I'd like to have two versions of one
application, one based in Performer the other in OpenGL.
                                                    Luke
_____________________________________________________
Luke Hoffman Voice: (205)922-1512x1157
COLSA Corporation FAX: (205)971-0002
6726 Odyssey Dr.
Huntsville, AL 35806

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