One notable demo at CeBit involved Xi Graphics’ 3D Accelerated-X Display Server for Linux and OpenGL running on Evans & Sutherland graphics hardware. The demo is a controlled released aimed at developers now using OpenGL who might be persuaded to move to Linux on the PC platform.
Linux supports two standards for 3D graphics on X windows: X3D- PEX and OpenGL. The first is almost obsolete, but the second is an SGI tool, originally developed for Irix. Denver, Colorado- based Xi’s hardware could lure hardcore SGI users in CAD/CAM and other high-end applications away from SGI’s expensive hardware and onto the commodity hardware and free software of the Lintel environment.
We are pleased to be able to demonstrate workstation class professional 3D graphics on Linux and Intel hardware, said Xi chair and CEO Thomas Roell. He suggested that the server presages more business applications for Linux, not just more games: Having multiple high-resolution windows open simultaneously is necessary in the workstation environment, whereas a single window with low resolution is sufficient for gamers.
