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From: karlton@sgi.com (Phil Karlton)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sgi
Subject: Statement of Direction - IRIX 4.0
Message-ID: <1990Dec8.160035.12417@odin.corp.sgi.com>
Date: 8 Dec 90 16:00:35 GMT
Sender: news@odin.corp.sgi.com (Net News)
Reply-To: karlton@sgi.com
Organization: Silicon Graphics, System Software Division
Lines: 32
Originator: karlton@fudge.wpd.sgi.com


		Statement of Direction - IRIX 4.0

With release 4.0 of IRIX, SGI will be providing a native implementation
of X11 Release 4, Motif 1.1 with an enhanced Motif window manager,
Display PostScript, and the IRIS Graphics Library in an integrated
presentation system. This integration will supersede and replace the
NeWS based implementations of 4Sight found in IRIX releases 3.3 and
earlier; as of IRIX 4.0, application programs with NeWS specific
dependencies will no longer function. In particular, NeWS based
layout and customizations will not function.

SGI has been able to provide an outstanding graphical appearance to the
look-and-feel interface through significant engineering additions to
the basic licensed release (e.g., NeWS enhancements to create 4Sight).
SGI is continuing this value-added commitment through significant
restructuring of a number of the components of IRIX 4.0.  By placing
the X server in full control of window services on the IRIS, SGI will
be able to overcome the difficulties associated with running X as a
client to the NeWS server in 4Sight. Additionally, the integration of
X, Display PostScript and GL with Motif will enable the development of
state of the art graphics applications that utilize the best industry
standards and take full advantage of the IRIS graphics hardware.

The value-added features available through this integration include the
ability to have an arbitrary hierarchy of X and GL windows including
those windows associated with buttons, sliders and other widgets, to
see the full color capabilities of X11 R4, to use the Motif toolkit
with GL applications, to have full X application pixel accuracy and to
have access to PostScript screen rendering. Also, GL rendering will
become network transparent with 4.0 release due to the integration of
DGL with the GL.