SGI Tezro: The coolest looking computer in the world?

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Take a look:









Starts at over $20K US and hence is not a direct competitor to the Powermac G5 but it sure looks awesome. Then again, I've always had a soft spot for SGI Hardware running on Irix.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 20
    eugeneeugene Posts: 8,254member
    It reminds me a of a sex toy/pleasure ring or something from Fisher-Price...



    Good to see the old logo making a comeback though...
  • Reply 2 of 20
    pscatespscates Posts: 5,847member
    Well so did the original iMacs and iBooks
  • Reply 3 of 20
    eugeneeugene Posts: 8,254member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by pscates

    Well so did the original iMacs and iBooks



    The original iMacs, iBooks and Smurf towers didn't turn me on.
  • Reply 4 of 20
    pscatespscates Posts: 5,847member
    And that goofy purple blob above does? Freak.



    I remember when I first saw the Bondi iMac (late summer 1998, on a magazine cover). I was like "WHAT in the hell is this crap?!?!"







    Needless to say, it grew on me rather quickly after that, once I learned about it (and got my head around the idea of "no floppy drive").
  • Reply 5 of 20
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Kompressor

    Then again, I've always had a soft spot for SGI Hardware running on Irix.



    You mean, "I've always had a soft spot for IRIX running on SGI hardware."



    Get your hierarchies straight
  • Reply 6 of 20
    Sorry. I can't see it. Somehow it is not "growing on me." Oh well.
  • Reply 7 of 20
    eugeneeugene Posts: 8,254member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by LoCash

    You mean, "I've always had a soft spot for IRIX running on SGI hardware."



    Get your hierarchies straight




    How could ANYBODY have a soft spot for Irix though? That's like having a soft spot for cutting off your nipples with a deli slicer.
  • Reply 8 of 20
    foadfoad Posts: 717member
    The case doesn't do anything for me, but the insides do.



    I know plenty of discreet systems guys that are going to get pissed about their recent inferno purchases.
  • Reply 9 of 20
    curiousuburbcuriousuburb Posts: 3,325member
    well the pizzabox with mesh looks smaller than a G5, and smaller than the Indys I remember,

    but SGI's purple subwoofer is clearly bigger



    and isn't Tezro an iteration of "fourness",

    if so, the G5 goes one higher in its Tufnel rating



    the shape of the purple unit reminds me of an opium pillow, but given the apparent material choices,

    it looks like some of those sturdy outdoor plastic toys and wagons for kids



    could also be a beer cooler



    SGI used to make great tools, back when i sold Indigos and Indys, the price/performance was higher than Apple. Apple seems to have made up most of that gap with the G5. (GPU chasm notwithstanding)



    visually, this machine doesn't spark that vibe for me. maybe its p/p will.
  • Reply 10 of 20
    ionyzionyz Posts: 491member
    Most radical design I've seen come out of SGI for a workstation since the O2. Sadly their is no radical price slashing campaign to accompany the product. Not that they are into that sorta thing. Like everyone telling Apple to slash its prices to the bone in order to gain market share.



    The more things change, the more they stay the same.
  • Reply 11 of 20
    Quote:

    Originally posted by IonYz





    The more things change, the more they stay the same.




    Sounds like a cinderella track to me.



    Are you sure that aint a nintendo with SGI stamped on it?



    i can just imagine powering it up to be greeted by a voice in a broad texan accent saying

    " hi, im barney, shall we start learning the alphabet? A B C D E F G...."
  • Reply 12 of 20
    scottscott Posts: 7,431member
    Check out the clock speed on those CPUs.
  • Reply 13 of 20
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Scott

    Check out the clock speed on those CPUs.



    check out these faster
  • Reply 14 of 20
    gizzmonicgizzmonic Posts: 511member
    Looks like someone stepped on a die.
  • Reply 15 of 20
    curiousuburbcuriousuburb Posts: 3,325member
    for those who are whining about the G5, check the Tezro specs
    • 600 or 700Mhz processors (admittedly with 4Mb of L2)

    • max internal storage 146Gb on two UltraSCSI HDD

    • no USB (1 or 2)... no IEEE 1394 (FireWire) built-in. Ethernet and Serial, baby.

    • rackmount version maxes at 8Gb RAM with a 3.2Gb/Sec transfer rate

    • PCI-X slots (some at slower speed) limited in rackmount unit, more in purple tower

    with the exception of superior Graphics and digital media subsystems (bring your wallet again),

    $20,000 for the baseline (single processor, minimum ram) Tezro probably sees the G5 biting its price/performance heels before Xmas.

    (two "Ultimate" or BTO Dual G5s are still cheaper than one entry Tezro, so we almost get to compare Quads)



    Discreet guys will stay put for a while, (Shake is close, but the gap exists)

    but if Maya moves to 64bit, direct Bake-offs will soon sell more G5s



    if anything, Apple should buy SGI's PCI-X card graphics developers
  • Reply 16 of 20
    placeboplacebo Posts: 5,767member
    Mmmm...I always thought the graphite base stations were the most sensuous apple products...but the Creature speakers even more so.
  • Reply 17 of 20
    Quote:

    Originally posted by curiousuburb

    for those who are whining about the G5, check the Tezro specs600 or 700Mhz processors (admittedly with 4Mb of L2)
    max internal storage 146Gb on two UltraSCSI HDD
    no USB (1 or 2)... no IEEE 1394 (FireWire) built-in. Ethernet and Serial, baby.
    rackmount version maxes at 8Gb RAM with a 3.2Gb/Sec transfer rate
    PCI-X slots (some at slower speed) limited in rackmount unit, more in purple tower
    with the exception of superior Graphics and digital media subsystems (bring your wallet again),

    $20,000 for the baseline (single processor, minimum ram) Tezro probably sees the G5 biting its price/performance heels before Xmas.

    (two "Ultimate" or BTO Dual G5s are still cheaper than one entry Tezro, so we almost get to compare Quads)



    Discreet guys will stay put for a while, (Shake is close, but the gap exists)

    but if Maya moves to 64bit, direct Bake-offs will soon sell more G5s



    if anything, Apple should buy SGI's PCI-X card graphics developers




    I think you hit the nail on the head yourself. The people that buy SGI systems don't or can't buy a Mac. Discreet's compositors are like the Avid of the post world. Sure, I could use Final Cut Pro, and it is a decent editor... but I just use an Avid whenever possible. Just like compositing, I run discreet software whenever possible.



    I can operate all of Discreet's compositors, and while shake is getting there, it's never going to be an Inferno. Furthermore, Apple is never going to be able to compete with the I/O on SGI iron which makes it possible for people working with 2k film in Inferno to do what they do.



    It's like two different playing fields in my opinion. I don't see Apple giving SGI a run for their money, nor SGI giving Apple a run for theirs.
  • Reply 18 of 20
    The Tezro does fall behind the G5 in terms of processor speed but that graphics subsystem rocks! If SGI is putting this thing out knowing full well what the competition (such as Apple) is offering, then it definitely knows this thing WILL sell to its intended target.



    I wonder if Apple would be willing to pick up SGI (and more importantly, Alias Wavefront) that comes along with it. I'd say this purchase would be reasonable for under a 100 mil.
  • Reply 19 of 20
    wmfwmf Posts: 1,164member
    I bet that thing pumps out a lot of bass... wait, you say it's a computer? Never mind.



    If VPro graphics are so great, why is SGI using ATI chips in the Onyx4?
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