Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/77744
HP Delivers More Zs, Mobiles Growth Expected for the CG Market Through 2015 T HP rolled out the new, affordable Z220 workstations, featuring next-generation Intel Core and Intel Xeon processors, the latest integrated and discrete professional graph- ics from Intel, Nvidia, and AMD, and four integrated USB 3.0 high-speed ports. The Z220 entry-level workstation is available in a Convertible Mini-Tower (CMT) or a compact Small Form Factor (SFF). The company also delivered new EliteBook mobile workstations. EliteBook w-series combines high-performance features and graphics with next-generation Intel Core i7 quad-core or i7 or i5 dual-core processors and up to 32GB of system memory. The HP EliteBook 8770w offers the highest-performing professional graphics and extreme processing power, and is confi gurable with a 17.3-inch diagonal display. The EliteBook 8570w comes with a 15.6-inch diagonal display, while the EliteBook 8470w sports a 14-inch diagonal HD display. The 8570w and 8770w are available with HP Dream- Color Technology as an option. Quad-core confi gurations of the Z220 start at $699 and the EliteBook 8770w, 8570w, and 8470w mobile workstations start at $1,699, $1,449, and $1,329, respectively. he fi rst SIGGRAPH conference was held in 1974, with 600 attend- ees. At that time, the fl edgling and poorly defi ned industry was estimated to be worth $540 million dollars (the equivalent in today's dollars would be $2.3 billion). Over the years, the market has seen its share of ups and downs—with far more ups than downs. More recently, growth through the recession was slow, but there was still growth. Look- ing forward, the industry is expected to enjoy even greater growth than some of the component industries have experienced. Computer graphics as realized in special effects in the movies and TV, computer games, advertising, and product design are achieved through a combination of advanced hardware and software. Advanced development software has successfully exploited recent advances in multi-core proces- sors, in the form of traditional x86 CPUs and massively parallel proces- sor GPUs. From the development of 3D CAD models, to special effects like smoke and hair, and physically accurate images generated by raytracing, computer graphics has come to permeate all aspect of our lives and entertainment. However, at the same time, it is New Wacom Cintiqs Paint a Picture-Perfect Family W acom has delivered two new offerings in the Cintiq family of interac- tive pen displays: the Cintiq 24HD touch and Cintiq 22HD. The new Cintiq 24HD touch combines Wacom's multi-touch with its pen technology. The Cintiq 24HD touch closely replicates the experience of working with two hands when using traditional materials such as paints, markers, and clay. The Cintiq 22HD offers a pen-on-screen experience that delivers the same natu- ral feel derived from working with traditional brushes, pencils, and pens. The Cintiq 22HD ($1999) is available now, and the Cintiq 24HD touch ($3699) is expected to ship this month. 6 June/July 2012 diffi cult to explain computer graphics in simple terms—CG isn't a thing like a nut or bolt; rather, it's a tool kit, and it's also the end result of the use of the tools. Computer graphics is an industry, and at the same time, it is a major component to dozens of other industries. In addition to the basic elements of CG (such as the associated hardware and software), there are adjacent indus- tries, such as schools that teach CG, and visualization and design laboratories where everything from airplanes and automobiles to toothbrushes and mobile phones are developed.