From: "Marcia J.Talkmitt" Subject: Re: PROD: Question about VR hardware and authoring kits Date: Wed, 14 May 1997 21:12:17 +0100 Message-ID: <337A1CA1.A7D7F46A@hub.ofthe.net> SGI O2 /VR Hardware and Software Development > In article > Joshua Swamidas writes: > > JS> We have a limited budget to buy a good machine and the > JS> software ($15-18,000 Cdn). There are so many options out there so Gary Lawrence Murphy wrote: > If you are lucky, you may > get an O2, all your software, a SpaceBall, CrystalEyes glasses and > still have change enough for pizza. > Jerry Isdale wrote: >An O2 plus spaceBall plus CrystalEyes plus software plus some pizza >(no beer or soda) for less than $18,000Cdn ??? Will that O2 include >memory, disks, monitors, keyboards, mice? Maybe a used and abused O2 I couldn't resist responding to this, but Jerry Isdale is one of my most quoted VR pioneers in all of my VR workshops for teachers...So please forgive me Jerry if I offend you in any thing that I say...: ) I also owe a tremedous debt to SGI for all of the help and encouragement that they have given to me. A little background (just brief)...Two years ago I was given a fellowship to study, develop, and implement a VR program for the sciences and math....A little too early to get the better prices on machines that are available now for a 1/3 of what I got them for two years ago. ...Any way I love my Pentium machines and the capabilities and software associated with them...but I also love my SGI O2 machine.... and I will give the reasons listed below... 1. I have a machine that operates on the same operating system a= s VR systems operating in VR labs throughout the world. 2. I have a machine that cycles textures and polygons more smoot= hly than does my Pentium. 3. I have a machine that has all of the basic 3D modeling packag= es including the capabilities of stereoscopic imaging with the monitor, Sound Editors, Media Editors, Teleconferencing Tools, HTML Editors, and more....These packages are already built into the WebForce deal. 4. I have a machine that has a wonderful monitor, excellent mult= imedia exporting, excellent device compatibility with all of the devices that I have used with it.... >For much less than that you can get a decently working VR system out of >either an NT or 95 box (and still be able to use the same system for >doing other work - what recent released office software is available for >SGI boxes for less than $500? that can read/write files from your >co-workers?) Although very slow with a 486 emulator...SGI O2 comes packaged with Windows 95...and it will read HTML files.... >Another nice thing about the PC architecture vs SGI is that is a lot >easier to add weird hardware. How much does a multi-channel >digital+d/a-a/d board run for an SGI box? How well does an O2 handle >sound generation inside while running graphics? Can you add a $200 sound >board and get decent 3d sound? You may have some points here...but I can get the 3D sound out of my SGI O2...I love the graphics and sound transmission... >Dont get me wrong. I wouldnt mind having an O2 or some other high end >SGI box around. However, I would rather the company/school be able to >pay salaries or buy some other "toys" to augment the system. I (along with 13 other Texas educators) was given an SGI O2 this past December to develop curriculum infusion projects for TENET (the Texas Education Network). Although I have struggled with the UNIX system, I am finding more and more that this machine is what I need for graphics development. We were told that for educators that O2 pricing differs. So....Why couldn't Joshua Swamidas have one or two Pentiums and one SGI O2 for graphics development....???? *************************************************************************= ***** Marcia J. Brass Talkmitt mtalkmit@hub.ofthe.net OR mtalkmit@tenet.edu http://users.hub.ofthe.net/~mtalkmit http://www-tenet.cc.utexas.edu/mcauliffe/talkmitt/ VESAMOTEX -- Virtual Education -Science and Math of TEXas Box 10 Wilson, TX 79381 "Great spirits have always meet violent opposition from mediocre minds." Albert Einstein