From: oehler@yar.cs.wisc.edu (Wonko the Sane)
Subject: 48-bit graphics...
Keywords: 48-bit alpha channel IMAGE
Organization: University of Wisconsin, Madison -- Computer Sciences Dept.
Lines: 15


	I was recently talking to a possible employer ( mine! :-) ) and he made a reference to a
48-bit graphics computer/image processing system.  I seem to remember it being called IMAGE or
something akin to that.  Anyway, he claimed it had 48-bit color + a 12-bit alpha channel.  That's
60 bits of info--what could that possibly be for?  Specifically the 48-bit color?  That's 280
trillion colors, many more than the human eye can resolve.  Is this an anti-aliasing thing?  Or
is this just some magic number to make it work better with a certain processor.

	Also, to settle a bet with my roommate, what are SGI's flagship products?  I know of
Iris, Indigo, and Crimson, but what are the other ones, and which is their top-of-the-line?
(sadly, I have access to none of them.  Just a DEC 5000/25.  Sigh.)

Eric Oehler
oehler@picard.cs.wisc.edu
 
