More PC Vendor Suggestions 2004-07-27 - By Dave Angelini
Back
What a weird twist of fate that the downfall of SGI was at the hands of
computer animation software!!!
Microsoft wanted to grow their NT operating system into the high-end
application business. But that space was owned by SGI and Irix. To get into
that space, they had to convert some well known app from IRIX to NT to prove
to the marketplace that NT was an acceptable platform. So MS decided to
purchase a high-end computer animation software company....none other than
Softimage....and port it to NT. When the market saw that the software could
run acceptably on a low end machine, then the inexorable slide from Irix to
NT occurred within animation houses everywhere.
So why did they pick Softimage....well, it was because of the success of
Jurassic Park!!!! This movie put the animation software in the public
conscience! It became a "star" so-to-speak of the movie. Microsoft could
not have gotten a better vehicle than Softimage to prove to the world that
NT would be an acceptable platform.
This then showed other companies that NT could be an acceptable platform for
their high-end applications, and the trend continued. Everyone traded in
their expensive SGI machines for the lower cost Intel based machines.
Now what is not known is that ILM did use Alias/Wavefront for Jurassic Park,
but only for the modeling. The animation was done in Softimage as they felt
it had the better character animation tools (the rendering was done with
Pixar's renderman). But most people don't look at Jurassic Park and think
"What great modeling!". Rather, they think "What great animation!". Thus
Softimage started to get visibility it normally would not have had.
So if Alias/Wavefront (oddly enough, owned by SGI at the time), had just
grown their animation toolset a bit more, then ILM may not have used
Softimage at all for this ground breaking movie. MS would have had to
purchase some other less publicly known high-end software company to prove
the viability of the NT operating system. It is for certain that SGI would
NOT have sold them Alias nor could MS buy Renderman...which was owned by
Apple. Following this logic, without this highly visible application
porting to NT, then the potential of NT would not have been as successfully
noticed in the marketplace, and the demise of SGI's market share would not
have been as rapid!!!
All because Alias/Wavefront's character animation toolset was not as good as
Softimage's.
So (to put this back on topic)....the moral of the story is this: If you
want to exceed in the computer industry, be it with hardware of operating
systems....then you MUST have good CHARACTER ANIMATION tools!!
Let this be a warning to everyone in Mountain View, CA (also the home of
SGI....the parallels are astounding!!! ;-)
Thanks,
Dave Angelini
-- -- Original Message -- --
From: "Matt Geier" <matt_g_geier@(protected)>
To: <truespace@(protected)>
Sent: Tuesday, July 27, 2004 1:58 PM
Subject: Re: [TSML] More PC Vendor Suggestions
> First things First,
>
> You wont find publicly published prices, other then a
> few things on the weekly special. www.sgi.com >
> Products Tab > Remarketed Tab > Weekly specials link
> (on the left side) Or just click here ---->
> http://www.sgi.com/products/remarketed/weekly_specials.html
>
> Those are very low end machines, but still out perform
> PC systems today, also have lower power consumption
> then a PC, and faster processing power overall because
> of the shared memory and MIPS Processors, not to
> mention stable (I think the longest one of these has
> lived without being rebooted is 4 years (give or take
> a few months) )
>
> The only way you will be able to use an SGI machine
> for your application is, IF your application is
> compatible with Irix, Irix is to SGI what Windows is
> to PC, it's the O/S. Secondly, SGI machines use MIPS
> processors, for instance and R10000 Mips processor,
> 10000 instructions per second. These things are fast,
> NASA uses some of our Larger systems to pilot the Mars
> Rover in real time, THERE IS NO LAG here people! :).
> Disney, Pixar, DreamWorks use some of our workstations
> like the Octane and Tezro, and Fuel's to do a lot of
> their 3d rendering for movies like Finding Nemo, Toy
> Story, Jurrasic Park... get the idea...
>
> I know at one point, there was a government facility
> called "Blue Mountain" I beleive it was in Wyoming,
> they had a giant warehouse full of about 300-400
> Compaq computers (No exageration), SGI came into the
> picture with a prosal and we replaced the entire set
> up with 4 of our Origin class boxes which at the time
> I think we were some place in the 500 MHZ area...
>
> Get the idea ?
>
> Since I work for SGI I can give you this information
> as a "potential prospect"... I am simply copying TSML
> for "Informational Purposes". And there is obviously
> no competition when it comes to the PC world and SGI,
> so I don't feel unsafe. :)
>
>
> Hope this helps...
>
>
>
> --- RorrKonn <rorrkonn@(protected)> wrote:
> > SGI need Prices on there web site.
> > Did see $89,000 for a storage tower.
> > and $3000 off of a workstation.
> > There a SGI price list any where on the Web ?
> >
> > I am not very knowledgeable about PC hardware.
> > I can muddle my way threw building a PC with Ricks
> > help.
> > Rick runs our local PC repair shop.
> >
> > My PC Specks
> > Celeron Pent 4, 1.7ghz, Hard drive 80 GB, 1.00 GB
> > RAM.
> > GeForce 2 MX 400, 64 RAM windowsXP
> > built for about $600 a few years back.
> >
> > http://www.sgi.com/workstations/fuel/
> > <http://www.sgi.com/workstations/fuel/>
> > Single 800 MHz or 700MHz MIPS R16000A processor with
> > 4MB L2 cache; 200
> > MHz front-side bus.
> >
> > Now since it seems MY PC has a bigger Processor and
> > more RAM.
> > Apparently I am not understanding the SCI Specks
> > correctly.
> > I need to get better educated about hardware huh.
> > Recommended high-end Hardware for dummies web site ?
> >
> > about October we our going to build a new PC.
> > would like to build a homegrown PC as close to a
> > SCI,BOXX if we can
> > affordably.
> > Since the PC is only good for a couple of years do
> > not want to spend
> > alot on the PC.
> > About a $1000 is our mark.
> >
> > I am guessing the SCI,BOXX mother boards start with
> > there speed.
> > Can we buy Motherboards = to SCI,BOXX on the Web
> > somewhere ?
> >
> >
> > RorrKonn
> > http://www.Atomic-3 (See http://mic-3.ora-code.com)D.com <http://www.Atomic-3 (See http://mic-3.ora-code.com)D.com>
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>
>
>
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