Re: Visual Workstation
Alejandro Saez (cano++at++krusty.engr.sgi.com)
Fri, 8 Jan 1999 15:52:48 -0600
On Jan 8, 9:02am, Tom Flynn wrote:
> Subject: Re: Visual Workstation
> Dwight Meglan wrote:
> Hmmm, sounds like if we had vis-sim development tools like Performer or
> FSG on Linux it would fill a definate hole. And if Linux was ported to
> the SGI PC (if people can port Linux to run on a Palm-Pilot and iMacs
> and so forth, SGI's PC would probably only be a matter of time), then
> SGI could sell PCs with killer graphics that run a stable Unix OS with
> real-time capability without having to port IRIX to a 32-bit Intel
> chip. Perhaps even take some features of IRIX and incorporate them into
> Linux (as open-source) to enhance IRIX-like graphics performace in
> Linux. And if such workstations existed, that would fill a definate need
> in the vis-sim industry.
>
> Imagine....the hardware cost would decrease by an order of magnitude
> (the SGI PC costs a lot less than an ONYX); the SOFTWARE port would
> decrease by at least an order of magnitude (IRIX to Linux is Unix -to-
> Unix, so the basic IPC and runtime philosophies stay the same)...as new
> hardware becomes available in the PC market, it can be incorporated
> into the systems. From the perspective of a vis-sim developer being
> pushed to port our software to cheaper hardware, this lets us move our
> vis-sim into the PC arena gracefully. And best of all, it's still SGI
> hardware. With NT, the SGI box is just a real fast word processor.
>
> Perhaps this is all just a pfPipeDream(), but it's worth a thought.
>
> tom
> =======================================================================
> List Archives, FAQ, FTP: http://www.sgi.com/software/performer/
> Submissions: info-performer++at++sgi.com
> Admin. requests: info-performer-request++at++sgi.com
>-- End of excerpt from Tom Flynn
I couldn't agree more. Well... let's hope and wait for an SGI statement on
this.. although I doubt SGI has enough resources to engage into a Linux port
besides FSG & Performer, its not that it can't... maybe it could just open some
source and do it the Linux way.
--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alejandro Saez
Software Engineer
Silicon Chile S.A.
Avda. Santa Maria 2560
E-mail: asaez++at++silicon.cl Providencia
Phone: +56 (2) 203 3371 Ext. 107 Santiago
Fax: +56 (2) 203 3370 Chile
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