🚀 go-pugleaf

I am doing a VR game.  My original hardware choice
was to use transputers for the graphics pipeline.

I don't have ANY experience with transputers.  I've
been doing as much reading on parallel graphics and
transputer archs as possible and will probably hire
someone to do part of the work.

If you have experience with transputers and graphics,
could you please answer one or more of these questions?
I'm funding this project myself, the more info I have
the better chance of the investment being worth while.
thanks in advance.....cliff

note: i am looking at an intel 486 system and adding
      cards on for co-processing.

1.  on a price per performance basis, is the i860 better
    than the transputer?  i see the very low mips of 
    a T800 and wonder how many i would need in parallel
    to make up one i860.

2.  transputers seem to be a lot more expensive than
    i originally thought.  if i want to put 3-4 on
    my machine and give them each a couple of meg
    i am talking about serious bucks (pricing from
    my local inmos dist in sunnyvale ca).  has anyone
    seen good pricing?  is there an alternative to
    using inmos transputers?  what are some prices 
    you have seen for: transputer boards for pc's,
    trams, memory for trams.  

3.  i am currently developing my own 3d routines that
    will be ported over to the transputer env.  the i860
    has quite a lot of 3d hardware/software support.  has
    anyone see graphics libraries and/or specialize graphics
    hardware for the transputer?  my catalog only shows a 
    simple (vga like) display chip.  i would like something
    a little more performance oriented tward 2d and 3d 
    graphics.

4.  last question:

    if i am going to all the trouble of making a graphics
    pipeline with transputers that are around 1-2 mips,
    am i kidding myself when compared to:

    specialized 3d hardware designed for high performance
    polygon throughput, coupled with a risc based motherboard
    giving me 15 mips.  

  thanks again?  i can accept the answers/comments/questions on
  the net or to cliff@netcom.com .  if you want me to post the
  results i will. thanks again.

  ps.  i may make some of the results of my project public domain.
-- 

-- 
Cliff Rodriguez 
C&R Software Solutions
voice 408-252-1429
fax 408-252-5909
cliff@netcom.com or apple!netcom!cliff
P.O Box 95015-0658 Cupertino Ca. 95015 USA