Subject: Re: new animator hardware advice (was Re: E-mail problem)
From: [email-masked] (Mike Harlock)
To: Multiple recipients of list <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 13 Dec 1995 13:49:51 -0500

Hi Blake,

>    From a new A2K owner wanna be animator,
>    1-Are their any problems in using OS3.1 with a PAR ??
>    2-Re: PAR , for those who have installed the 2 IDE drives
>      outside their A2K, how long were you able to make your
>      cables ??
>    3-To any A2K owners with a PAR, any things good/bad that 
>      you'd like to comment on I would like to hear about.
>    4-I currently use LW 3.5SA on my 1200 and intend to 'Net to
>      my A2K for the PAR. I'd like to hear what you think is the
>      most cost efficient 'Net. I'm not too sure I can use the
>      SN.

Don't use ParNet (freeware Parallel port network) for tranporting video
frames.  It's DOG slow if you're moving LARGE amounts of video resolution
frames. (more than 30, or 1 seconds' worth!)  The only thing I can suggest
that's fast enough to efficiently transport frames is ethernet, but ethernet
cards for the 1200 (PCMCIA) and the 2000 can be a bit costly if you're on a
budget like you imply you are.   About $600 for both cards together, and one
or the other of them should come bundled with Enlan-DFS or similar.

>      I currently use MLink/Shell account for Inet
>    5-Re:A2K Video, What video card works with both LW, PAR
>      and Image F/X. I currently have a Micro Way Flicker Fixer
>      but I intend to sell it soon.

I had several lower-powered machines like this for quite a while, then
I decided to take the plunge, sell everything, and buy one ultra-buffed
A4000.   Having several machines just never worked out well in the end.
And I Never regretted the decision.  Since the thing multitasks like a
dream, I just set lightwave's processor priority to 0 and do whatever else
I want (modeming, mainly) while it's rendering.  Don't really need 2 machines.

You might say "but my 2k isn't low power, it has an '030!"  Well, my 40mhz
040 barely has enough speed to do medium-complexity logo animation (up to
12 seconds worth mebby) in a reasonable amount of rendering time. (2 days
tops)

Since I bought the machine, it's at least paid for it's loan payments every
month with animation jobs I've done.

the system description is as follows:
A4000/040 40mhz  20mb ram, 1gb system drive, PAR, 1 gig PAR drive, 512 meg PAR
drive, TBC IV, Picasso II 2mb, High-flyer chassis (absolutely nessesary)
CD-Rom, A2065 Ethernet, Kitchen Sync, and a few extras.   The system is
totally portable (extra set of cables in a backpack) so I can unplug it
and frame dump at post houses.

Also, some good advice a friend imparted to me:  Don't buy lots of equipment
expecting to get jobs for it, buy the equipment because the demand is there
and you need it to fill the demand.   So many people have utterly failed by
taking a backwards approach.  If you're really serious about doing this,
be wise.  :)

>    Thanks for any info,
>    
> Blake Scruggs A(Nice)1200 '030x50x32M : A2K '030 : [email-masked]
>     "No longer a member of the Zorro Challenged Club"

:) --Mike

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