Hi folks,
Not to burst your bubble. But I'm someone
who does the kind of graphics that SGI caters to. UCLA design senior.
The general feeling in Hollywood is that while SGI products are the best, they are way over priced. A complete set of wavefront software is $27,000, as opposed to Softimage $13,000. SGI has been taking advantage of their customers for years. There is true animosity towards them, possibly verging on hatred, so while production houses still buy them, Softimage and 3D Max ($4000) are coming on strong.
When B. Gates bought Softimage the handwriting was on the wall. One half the price of SGI/Wavefront system. Not as good, but sufficient. Pretty much all the highend 3D software packages are being ported to NT, including Wavefront, Maya etc. Anyone can afford to compete with a software package that costs $27,000. Droves of coders are working on 3D software for NT.
My feeling is that SGI should have merged with Apple years ago, but EGOs stopped them. At this point I would never buy a SGI system. I have an Apple 8500 and I will probably add a high end G3 system. It is possible I will buy a multiprossesor NT system if Rhapsody doesn't pan out, but never a SGI. If SGI ports Wavefront to Rhapsody, and I have the money I might consider it, but at $27,000 its pretty steep.
I can get a fine Electric Image package for $3000. Got to get a lot of big jobs to pay the overhead for SGI products.
Similar sentiments abound in LALA land.
At my design department, Intel has provided us with duel processor Intergraph computers and Softimage.
Apple has also contributed computers and will be giving us more + Rhapsody. Electric Image and form*Z have been donated. Adobe, and Macromedia have been most generous. If form*Z can afford to donate why can't SGI?
GREED.
SGI is scroogelike. They have donated nada. Not one machine! Silicon Studio in Santa Monica charges $1800 per week for classes, roughtly the same at other schools!!! Do you think they made a friend out of me?
My pocket book is not stupid and if SGI software will make me money, I'd buy it.
But we students appreciate help from all the companies. Were not stealing anything, all we want is a chance to learn. And we will remember who helped us. Who can afford to learn SGI stuff at those prices? And if it costs studios $120,000 per year to hire an SGI artist, added to 2X the hardware/software costs. Well you can see what will happen, and is happening.
If you were starting an imaging company would you buy SGI? If not, consider how much it would cost to switch over later.
New hardware, new talent...
Maybe one of you guys will send this to one of the suits at SGI, but if not who cares.
Doren |
