peter@ARCHIE.WHOI.EDU (Peter R. Shaw) (08/12/89)
I was thumbing through the June issue of Computer Graphics World when I noticed a big glossy ad that HP has out for its *new* color 3D graphics workstation. (sorta reminiscent of a DN4000 or something, although definitely an HP, NOT Apollo). I guess an obvious couple of questions is: (1) seeing as how HP just bought a leader in 3D graphics workstations, wouldn't you expect that the A-word would have been used somewhere in the new advertising campaign? -- conversely, -- (2) If HP has decided to go into the business of manufacturing its own Apollo-style workstations (apparently without actually involving Apollo), why did they feel compelled to buy them out in the first place? Oh, and I suppose: (3) Should present and potential future Apollo owners be concerned? Peter Shaw pshaw@aqua.whoi.edu
tomg@hpcvlx.HP.COM (Thomas J. Gilg) (08/18/89)
> I was thumbing through the June issue of Computer Graphics World > when I noticed a big glossy ad that HP has out for its > *new* color 3D graphics workstation. (sorta reminiscent of > a DN4000 or something, although definitely an HP, NOT Apollo). > I guess an obvious couple of questions is: > (1) seeing as how HP just bought a leader in 3D graphics > workstations, wouldn't you expect that the A-word would have been > used somewhere in the new advertising campaign? While Apollo is indeed a leader in 3D graphics, HP's also been a leader in 3D graphics for quite some time. Remember, before the merger, Apollo and HP sales were nearly equal in the workstation market. During college ( 81-88 ), I was raised on Apollo and HP workstations. The HP I used even way back when was a 350 ( 68020 based ) workstation with a S_olid R_endering X_celerator attached ( 3D solid rendering subsystem that also handled lighting models, shading, etc ). As for the ad, I suspect the workstation you saw was just the next in the pure HP series. It would be a little hard to have jointly developed machines at this time ( too fast ). In the future, its hard to say if the A-word or H-word will be placed on the front panel. What goes in the box ( the important part ) I think will represent the best of _both_ worlds. > (2) If HP has decided to go into the business of manufacturing > its own Apollo-style workstations (apparently without actually > involving Apollo), why did they feel compelled to buy them out > in the first place? Again, HP's been in the business for quite some time. Why the buyout ? I won't pretend to have an answer. I will say that HP-ites and Apollo-ites are busy, very busy, discussing future ideas/products. From my little world, I see a smooth merger, and a tremendous exchange of ideas and technology. Can you say synergy ? > Peter Shaw > pshaw@aqua.whoi.edu > ---------- Thomas "Hpollo" Gilg tomg@cv.hp.com