From: Linda Jacobson <lindaj@VRGURU.ENGR.SGI.COM>
Subject: Re: MISC: VR thoughts
Date:         Tue, 13 Jan 1998 18:14:05 -0800
Message-ID:  <9801131814.ZM4561@vrguru.engr.sgi.com>


 On Jan 13, 12:02pm, Jerry Isdale wrote:
> Subject: MISC: job change - VR thoughts
> Sometime last year I briefly got involved in a discussion here about the
> best VR platform.  I still contend that a PC/3dfx system is much more cost
> effective for a commercial system than the current SGI offerings.  I dont
> believe in Face Suckers (HMDs) or body trackers for anything but showcase
> VR projects.  They arent practical for wider application.  If you are a
> research group and just want to explore these things, fine. But if you are
> trying to build a commercial product, or train people who will build these
> things, look instead at the desktop or partial cave type systems.  And for
> these, a PC platform is much more cost effective. A big plus for the PC is
> that you can use it for things other than VR.  You dont need to buy a
> second computer to do your MS Office work, or spend an order of magnatude
> more for Office type software that runs on a UNIX box.  The VR apps can tie
> nicely to those Office applications and thus you can gain a bigger
> potential market/audience.


With all due respect for your credits and opinions, Jerry, your
statement above is nonsense, and Silicon Graphics, Fakespace, Virtual
Research, N-Vision, Division, Prosolvia and Multigen have the
customers with the quantified return-on-investment success to prove
it. "Wearable" VR--the hardware implementation based on headmounted
and BOOM-mounted displays--is used internationally in a daily
production/commercial settings to accomplish design reviews of
vehicles and heavy equipment, ranging from cars to planes to
tractors. And also to train factory workers and maintenance workers in
motor-skill assembly and construction tasks. And to develop surgical
telerobotic and training procedures. And to visualize conceptual
designs of process plants and other factories. Among other apps.

The commercial organizations using these systems don't show or promote
their usage because they don't want to lose what they view as major
competitive advantage. The fact is, Silicon Graphics and SGI's VR
partners sell significant numbers of UNIX-based and -driven products
to companies using them to drive significant numbers of stereoscopic
displays, which most definitely are being used for "wider
application."

I work for SGI today, but you (and others) know that I'm coming to
this after writing such books as *Garage Virtual Reality: The
Affordable Way to Explore Virtual Worlds.* The fact of the matter is
that a VR developer chooses the best tools for the job and the
customer, and certainly many jobs don't need any more sophistication
than that which a PC can provide. Especially in the world of coin-op
game systems and desktop VR apps. But just because you don't know
what's taking place in other parts of the VR development community
doesn't mean that it's not going on.

To help you and others keep up to date, I'm about to launch a
comprehensive resource for VR developers on the Silicon Graphics web
site. I'll post details here later.

Happy new year, and hey, Jerry, good luck in your new gig,

Linda Jacobson
<lindaj@VRGURU.ENGR.SGI.COM>