🚀 go-pugleaf

>weigner@rcs.de (weigner) writes:
>
>>600 MIPS??? Get wise! At peak perhaps running some stupid benchmarks 
>>that add two numbers. Also call NewTek and ask them what they charge for 
>>a system they would recommend i.e. a system with RAM!!! Then you 
>>immediately end up at $23000. That is not particulary cheap anymore.
>Your starting to get into methodology here.  SPEED is not everything.
>Most 3d software people are starting to wake up.  If you want more
>rendering speed all you get is CHEAP 486DX66, network them and run
>a network renderer.  This is how its going to go in the future.
>Buying 486, is the cheapest MIPperDOLLAR that is not vaporware.
>AND IT WORKS well NOW.
>

Well, I'll have to speak from personal experience, then, not from conjecture as
you are here.

As a Toaster Dealer, I have been to NewTek, touched it, smelled it, felt it,
looked at it, even had my picture taken standing next to the Screamer. :-) It
exists, it's real. The prototype I used was only using the R4000 chips instead
of the R4400, yet it still rendered 20 times faster than any of our '040
equipped machines back in our shop. I can't speak for NewTek as to the release
date of this jewel, but a wise company would usually try to make something of a
"splash" at the up-coming N.A.B. convention, end of March.....

I personally know one of the animators working at Amblin Entertainment making
SeaQuest DSV, and he described their setup as two 20-Amiga render farms. He
describes their BETA Screamer which they received several months ago as "equal
to one of the 20-Amiga render farms, so we effectively have three render farms
now."


>Buying 486, is the cheapest MIPperDOLLAR that is not vaporware.

You better re-calculate your dollars, because although the basic machine is
cheaper, the software and networking costs will perhaps triple the total
package price. What, you think Spielberg is an Amiga Geek? He set up Amblin
Entertainment with Toasters because they offered the quality he demanded at a
cheaper price than any other platform. Simply a cold, hard, cash, business
decision. 

  -  John Crookshank  -  johnc@amiganet.xnet.com