From: alvoeiro@mail.esoterica.pt (Jorge Heitor C. Silva Alvoeiro)
Subject: INDUSTRY: Superscape & VRML Tutor
Date: Fri, 17 Oct 1997 14:02:27 GMT


Hi all,

Has anybody read the latest issue of VR News (this is not a plug for
Mike Bevan's Mag) about Superscape problems with turnover?

It seems that they need to double their turnover over the next couple
of years in order to go on otherwise they just go under. This brings
me back to the high price of software that some companies, like
Superscape, charge where one needs to spend over $1,000+ (the VRT
system) in order to get some reasonable VR/E structures.  I did like
the passage where it says that Superscape 'prosperity - or survival -
will depend on how they position themselves against proliferating
competition from the new VRML/Java3D authoring systems now starting to
appear'. This is a rather interesting because the 'new guys on the
block', like ThemeKit, can produce software/kits as good as very
expensive ones (ie Superscape or Sense8) and for a fraction of the
price. Not only that, but these new kits can be used with a wider
variety of interfaces and are being updated in a constant way in order
to take into consideration the new VR/E technology that is coming out
almost every month.  Could it be that nowadays VR/E needs these 'guys'
which are small, slim and attentive rather than big, fat and
friendless 'fat cats' companies? ):O~ (<- a fat cat)

I would also like to point out a new VRML2 tutoring system in the Net
produced by a Portuguese University (from that little country between
Spain and the Atlantic Ocean where I come from) in English and quite
easy to use. They are at: http://tom.di.uminho.pt/vrmltut/ The site is
called: 'The Light House VRML Tutorial'.

Bye for now.
Jorge.


alvoeiro@mail.esoterica.pt (Jorge Heitor C. Silva Alvoeiro)