Subject: Re: Is SUN a viable market?
From: Brian Dady <[email-masked]>
To: Multiple recipients of list <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 17 Apr 1996 22:46:18 -0700

On Wed, 17 Apr 1996, Andrew Weiler wrote:

> Am I the only one who thinks Newtek is spreading itself out too thin trying
> to support all these different platforms? Alpha, Windows, SGI -I can
> understand. I can also swallow the Mac port. But now Sun?? Does anyone here
> know of anyone that animates (CAD doesn't count) on a Sun? Is it just a
> rumour that LW is being ported to Sun, or did I hear correctly? It just
> doesn't make sense, please help me see the light!
> 
> Andrew Weiler
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>                            Active Images
>           3D Graphic Design and Animation
>         http://www.mindspring.com/~aweiler/
>                  [email-masked]
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> 

Perhaps, but I'm not sure I would do it differently.  In a limited market 
like 3D Animation, it probably makes good business sense to cover as many 
platforms as you can (effectively).  Being an Amiga owner with 2 machines 
still running 3.5 (one SA, the other VT) waiting for 4.1  and 5.0 (both 
versions now on order), I tend to agree with you, however.  It certainly 
is up for debate as to how "too thin" or "effective" would be defined, 
but it is in the best interest of all of us for Newtek to thrive.  If that
means waiting my turn for a long-awaited upgrade while they try to reach a
larger market, I guess I can live with that (after all, I have).  What
really bugs me is having to settle for a significantly reduced functionality 
compared with the other platforms.  I hope certain events on the horizon 
cause this situation to change.  I am lucky to be in a transition from hobby 
use of LW/Toaster to launching a business, rather than struggling to survive 
in business with this loved but nearly antiquated equipment.  I'm starting 
to think the addition of another platform is in my future.

As far as LW on a Sun:  I work at a company with several hundred 
Sparc 20's, 10's, and 5's on a LAN.  I have access to that network from 
home via the Net or local dialup modem.  I would estimate 95% of those 
machines are idle 18 hours a day and all weekend long.  Now, if I could 
convince our training department there is a need for them to provide 
lightwave training, would we qualify for the multi-seat educational 
discount?  Probably not.  Interesting possibilities with the Sun network,
however.

=====================================================///=======================
 Brian Dady --* Video Magic / modeller, animator    /// info is not knowledge
 Santa Clara, California   / S/W developer      \\\/// knowledge is not wisdom
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