From: bm@cs.columbia.edu (Blair MacIntyre) Subject: Re: PROD: ULTRA Sparc Creator 3D Date: 04 Apr 1996 16:41:39 -0500 Message-ID: Organization: Columbia University >>>>> On Fri, 29 Mar 1996 21:31:34 -0800, Bob Jacobson >>>>> said: Bob> Hubert LE VAN GONG wrote: >> We're about buying computers to develop >> virtual environment and we would like to >> know if someone experienced the new Sun's workstation >> called Ultra Sparc Creator 3D and to which >> SGI it could be compared in term of graphical performance >> (Indigo2 High IMPACT ?). Bob> Worldesign used three Ultra 1's to power our most recent version of Bob> the Virtual Environment Theater. We did not have access to Ultra 2's Bob> and it was our understanding that Ultra 2's, which are due out in Bob> April, were necessary to support the Creator 3D hardware. No, this is wrong. We have an Ultra 170E Creator/3D. It compares favourably to our Indigo2 High Impact. EXCEPT that it doesn't do texture mapping, and the High/Maximum Impact don't slow down with texturing. It's polygon performance is quite good, better than the High Impact, actually. And we have the Indigo upgraded to the fastest processor. We expect our Maximum Impact (sitting on the floor of our lab, as we speak) to be slightly better than the Creator. I like the machine a lot. Not counting graphics, I find it a better overall machine than any others I have access to (HP 735, Indigo2, an old Kubota Alpha machine, a pile of Pentia running various OSs, and other Sparcs). Bob> The Ultra 1's were very impressive on a cost/performance basis. Bob> I think comparing workstations is fruitless, as each has its own Bob> characteristics that make for more or less satisfaction on the Bob> part of the user, depending on the application at hand. Learn to Bob> work with them all and you'll never be disappointed with what you Bob> have. I agree. It has it's pluses and minuses. -- Blair MacIntyre (bm@cs.columbia.edu), Graduate Student (Graphics and UI Lab) smail: Dept. of Computer Science, 450 Computer Science Building, 500 W 120 St. Columbia University, New York, NY 10027