Subject: Symbolics color system speed

[Marc Le Brun <MLB%white.sww.symbolics.com@RELAY.CS.NET>]

    Date: Fri, 3 Feb 89 11:05 PST
    From: dlk@bas-seatac.dialnet.symbolics.com (Donald Leo Kaiser)

	  We are in the midst of making machine (Symbolics) purchase decisions
	for the new year, and we're having a tough time with the issue of color
	graphics.  We like the Symbolics color software, especially the ability
	to have color dynamic-windows, but we just can't live with the speed.
	The software systems we work with need to update several hundred
	ellipses, filled areas, and icons each second, and our current
	cad-buffer doesn't make it.  What we need is a configuration that
	gives us Symbolics color software driving something as fast as a
	Silicon Graphics machine.  So anyway, we could sure use some advice
	about what direction to take in our new purchases.  Among the possible
	strategies are:
    
	 1. get 3650's with cad-buffer-II and hope Symbolics somehow upgrades
	    the buffer to get more drawing speed.
	 2. get XL400's and hope Symbolics will support its color software on
	    some 3rd party VMEbus color hardware.
	 3. get Ivory board embedded in some fast color Sun.
	 4. get Ivory board embedded in Silicon Graphics?
	 5. keep a Silicon Graphics next to the Symbolics and use X-Windows.
    
    
	thanks for any guidance,
    
	Henry Mendenhall
	GE Advanced Technology Labs
	609-866-6648
	HMENDENHALL@ATL.GE.COM

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------
    I've been complaining to Symbolics for four years about the speed
    of their graphics.  We usually network our Symbolics machines
    to a Silicon Graphics machine which then does the graphically intensive
    portion of our demonstrations.  If I were you, I would have a non-disclosure
    meeting with Symbolics and discuss with them about embedding an Ivory board into 
    a Silicon Graphics machine.


    Don Kaiser
    Boeing Advance Systems
    (206) 241-3415
    dlk@faraday.Bas-Seatac.dialnet.symbolics.com

Good advice.  In fact, since you are in the decision cycle it would probably be
beneficial to discuss all of the above topics under non-disclosure, rather than
relying on speculation on the network.  Unfortunately of course Symbolics can't
always time public release of information about products and plans in synch with
the needs of every customer, but addressing those needs is always of interest.
I'd urge you to contact your account rep. to explore that avenue.