---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Florida SunFlash SunGKS 4.1 SunFLASH Vol 35 #25 November 1991 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- **************************************************************************** * New SunGKS Release for OpenWindows Version 3 and SPARC... * * * * Support for the GXplus, GS and GT Arrives * * * * + Ada and C++ Bindings - Free! * * * * + Faster Raster Manipulations * * * * + Performance Improvements * * * * + Dynamic Linking * * * * + Higher Quality * * * **************************************************************************** On October 18, 1991, Release 4.1 of SunGKS will begin shipping to customers. This release is SPARC only and provides: OpenWindows Version 3 Support SunGKS applications can now be developed for OWV3 environments. This allows the migration of GKS applications from both SunView and OpenWindows Version 2 into the 24-bit color, double buffered, and higher-resolution environments support by OWV3. Support for the GXplus, GS and GT With SunGKS 4.1, applications can now run across the full family of accelerators offered by Sun. This includes the new GXplus accelerator with hardware double buffered 8 bit graphics and higher resolution 1280 by 1024 framebuffer, and the GS and GT accelerators where 8 bit GKS graphics are supported in a 24 bit window system. Now your customer's GKS applications can also benefit from windowing/hardware support for double buffering, as well as support for higher-resolution monitors and 24 bit framebuffers. New: Ada and C++ Bindings These new bindings supported by SunGKS, are important in emerging markets where Ada and C++ are increasing in usage. Government and research organizations are increasingly asking for access to SunGKS from these programming environments. Performance Improvements Improvements have been made in SunGKS' internal primitive batching to accelerate application rendering. This has resulted in GX performance 15% faster in immediate mode and 25% faster in segment (retained) mode. Dynamic Linking SunGKS adds support for dynamic linking of SunGKS libraries. Higher Quality A lot of effort was spent to insure that this is the highest quality release of SunGKS we have ever made! SunGKS 4.1 is the best solution for customers who require an ANSI/ISO standard, high-level 2-D graphics library to support their graphics requirements in the X11R4/OpenWindows environment. The markets best targeted with SunGKS 4.1 include government, earth resources, utility management, and transportation/routing. All SunGKS customers should order SunGKS 4.1 unless they require OpenWindows Version 2 support, in which case they should order SunGKS 4.0. SunGKS 4.1 is source code compatible with SunGKS 4.0, so application code does not need to be modified to move to SunGKS 4.1. Since binary compatibility was not possible in the transition of applications from OWV2 to OWV3, SunGKS customers will have to recompile their SunGKS 4.0 applications in the new SunGKS 4.1 environment. SunGKS 4.1 also provides a new feature: the Pixmap GDP (General Drawing Primitive). By using the Pixmap GDP, it is now possible to render raster images on the screen in an accelerated manner -- often 10 to 20 times faster than it was possible before. SunGKS 4.1 is only available on CD. Customers will need access to a CD-ROM drive somewhere on the network in order to install SunGKS 4.1. SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE CONSIDERATIONS ------------------------------------ o Supports SPARC (Sun4 and Sun4c) *ONLY* - order SunGKS 3.0 for Sun3 and 386i support o SunGKS 4.1 supports OpenWindows Version 3 *ONLY* - order SunGKS 4.0 for OpenWindows Version 2 support o Supports SunOS4.1.1 *ONLY* - GXplus, GS, and GT customers need SunOS 4.1.1-GFX Rev.2 to run SunGKS 4.1 applications on these systems o Supports cg3 (dumb color), GX, GXplus, GS and GT frame-buffer configurations. o SunGKS 4.0 will remain orderable for those customers who require SunGKS support under OpenWindows Version 2. o SunGKS 4.0 customers will only need to recompile their existing SunGKS application to run using SunGKS 4.1. o SunGKS 4.0 does *NOT* support the VX/MVX, CXP, GXP and TAAC accelerators o SunGKS 4.1 supports SunFORTRAN Version 1.4 - customers using the SunGKS Fortran bindings should upgrade to SunFORTRAN Version 1.4 U.S. PRICING AND ORDERING INFORMATION ------------------------------------- THE FOLLOWING APPEARS ON BOTH THE END USER AND RESELLER PRICE LISTS. New order numbers for SunGKS 4.1 are: Order List Discount Same Day Description Number Price Category Service Price ===================================================================== Media, Docs, RTU GKS-4.1-4-4-21 $2000 A $10 Documentation only GKS-4.1-X-X-9 $ 350 A N/A RTU only GKS-X-X-X-0 $1700 A $10 RTL* GKS-X-X-X-RT $ 150 N/D $ 5 Current SunGKS customers which are not under maintenance contract can purchase an upgrade to SunGKS 4.1 using the following order numbers: Order List Discount Same Day Description Number Price Category Service Price ========================================================================= Upgrade manuals GKS-4.1-4-4-21U $ 810 A N/A Upgrade RTU only GKS-X-X-X-0U $ 510 A N/A *=A Run Time License (RTL) *MUST* be purchased for each workstation running applications using SunGKS. A single RTL is included as part of a Right-To-Use (RTU) License, which allows developers the right to run applications developed with SunGKS on one Sun platform *ONLY*. OUTSTANDING SUNGKS4.0 ORDERS ---------------------------- SunGKS 4.1 does *NOT* obsolete SunGKS 4.0 -- although in the future SunGKS 4.0 will be listed on the internal price list only. Change orders should be issued for those customers which wish to convert their order from SunGKS 4.0 to SunGKS 4.1. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ For information send mail to info-sunflash@sunvice.East.Sun.COM. Subscription requests should be sent to sunflash-request@sunvice.East.Sun.COM. Archives are on solar.nova.edu and paris.cs.miami.edu. All prices, availability, and other statements relating to Sun or third party products are valid in the U.S. only. Please contact your local Sales Representative for details of pricing and product availability in your region. Descriptions of, or references to products or publications within SunFlash does not imply an endorsement of that product or publication by Sun Microsystems. John McLaughlin, SunFlash editor, flash@sunvice.East.Sun.COM. (305) 776-7770.