Review - O computer "Silicon Graphics".

All you

  Wanted to know about "silicone"

        but were afraid to ask.


             Paul youngster.

   "Computer Review."
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 Hurricane-force winds howl over
Silicon Valley, earth trembles under the heavy tread
mastodons: SILICON GRAPHICS
(SGI) acquires CRAY.
Two well-known manufacturers
Software
three-dimensional modeling and visualization - ALIAS and 
WaveFront - cease to compete,

to combine their destructive power in a joint project MAYA. 
Created hardware - software package predostovlyayuschy 
simultaneous access to the some area vertualny

space of an unlimited number of designers, architects, 
designers, artists and Composers ... All those coming from 
overseas telegraphic echoes of the landmark achievements

disturb the imagination is not less
than "Jurassic Park." That
same for the Giants will be made
to light as a result of all these
mergers and acquisitions? Capable
Does anyone to submit their own, not
deprived of reason? Meanwhile
Some sources of information
curtly told that the number of
"Silicones" in Ukraine is about to
exceeded one hundred. Enthusiasts
also willing to fiercely argue for days about them, and we have 
not count. The latter fact, since

almost complete absence of sensible information about these 
legendary machines, can be explained except psychoanalytic 
symbolism of a certain kind of sublimation (silicone implants, 
spermicides and all that etc.). During the debate, supporters 
of universal siliconizing assert the following:  * The SGI to 
make films, "Gas    nokosilschik "and" Terminator 2 "

 * They are on the table at each

   Designer of NASA and FORD

   MOTORS.
 * Id Software has used SGI

   the development of DOOM 3.
 * Mean does not pay twice, but

   three times and seven times seven.

  Opponents object to something
like:
 * And here I read that "the term
   Thor has been on SUN, and "Gas
   nokosilschik "- on MACINTOSH'e.
 * So let it be on my razo
   Gnann Pentium hacked

   3D STUDIO operates ten

   times slower, but it obho
   reduces me to 100 times cheaper!
 * Maybe this is beautiful, but about
   tivoestestvenno. Personally, I'm talking about
   TIV any substitutes!
 * In the end, every

   TSEVM with cybernetic point

   view, the equivalent machine

   Turing.

  It is easy to see that some of these
arguments purely subjective, and
others are agitpropovsky character. And if you have configured
objectively, readily acknowledge
that in such a dispute the truth can not be born. What is truth?

  And the truth is that, based on the
historical circumstances, the details of which
in this article is inexpedient to go, SGI during
nearly ten years of monopoly
leader as a hardware platform at the forefront of applied and 
theoretical research in the field of computer graphics and

image processing. Challenge is meaningless - Scroll scientific 
publications in such an impartial and academic publications as 
COMPUTER GRAPHICS AND APPLICATIONS, IMAGE

ANALYSIS AND PATTERN RECOGNITION
or any other. Add to
that the most lasting and
fabulously expensive projects, subsidized by the military,
aerospace and medical
agencies, and industry
entertainment and show business, and you
understand why the Western consumer puts so much money
for SGI and its software. Even INDY - the youngest in
noble family - it is
real access to literally invaluable arsenal of tools created by 
the best minds of modern times, the treasury knowledge, which 
reached critical mass and, according

the laws of a chain reaction does not stop an avalanche-like 
increase. Considerations of prestige have

to expensive workstations
SGI tertiary ratio -
Designers do not accidentally make out
their appearance emphasized
functionally, with deliberate and
even a few rough rigor - no gold plating with chromium, no 
colored lights and other "pop." Housing system unit is as 
simple as sand-lime brick. Aesthetics "Silicone" - this is a 
quiet confidence, which emanates from the car FORD-T: "You can 
buy our car any color for

provided that the color - black. "
The high cost of "silicone" is justified in the first place it
functionality.

    To be continued ...
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