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Silicon Graphics was an American company that produced high-performance computing hardware and software, especially for 3D graphics. It was founded in 1981, but faced competition from PCs and Linux, and filed for bankruptcy in 2009.
- Early Days
- SGI RISC Era
- OpenGL Is Born
- A Short-Lived Supercomputer Venture
- Trouble in Graphics-Land, Demise
- GeneratedCaptionsTabForHeroSec
Silicon Graphics got its start in a day when most people did not even have a home computer. The year was 1982. James Clark left his job at Stanford University, where he was an associate professor of electrical engineering with the vision of creating powerful computers that could perform the complex computations required in 3D animation. On his depa...
In the early 1990s, SGI introduced its first RISC systems. In 1991, the company produced its first 64-bit Crimson workstations powered by MIPS R4000 microprocessors. In a bid to secure a steady supply of MIPS processors, SGI bought the company, renaming it MIPS Technologies, Inc. in 1992. The acquisition of MIPS opened the door to other business ve...
In 1992, SGI decided that IRIS GL had become too complex, but it did not want to abandon it and start from scratch. Instead, developers re-engineered the API and began licensing it at little cost to its competitors. And OpenGL was born. The move allowed programmers to write cross-platform 3D graphics programs that were just as fast and efficient as...
In February 1996, SGI decided to dabble in the supercomputer business with the purchase of Cray Research for $740 million. It renamed the company "Cray Business Systems Division," and began working to develop technology (branded CrayLink) that could be integrated into SGI's high-end server line. This venture turned out to be very short-lived. SGI t...
June 2001 also marked the beginning of the end of SGI. In 2003, the company vacated its headquarters in Mountain View, California and leased the building to Google. The following year, it sold off Alias/Wavefront, and by November 2005, SGI was delisted from the New York Stock Exchange after six consecutive years of declining sales. SGI filed for Ch...
Learn about the history and legacy of SGI, a pioneer in 3D graphics and visual computing. From its early IRIS systems to its RISC processors and Hollywood projects, SGI shaped the industry and influenced many movies and games.
- Cal Jeffrey
A former American company that manufactured computer hardware and software, including high-performance computing systems and visualization products. It was acquired by Hewlett Packard Enterprise in 2016 after changing its name from Rackable Systems in 2009.
Learn how Silicon Graphics (SGI) became a leading manufacturer of 3-D graphics computer systems, workstations, and supercomputers. Founded by a Stanford professor in 1982, SGI capitalized on pioneering technology and shrewd management to achieve explosive growth and enter the Fortune 500.
Learn about the history and products of SGI, a computing manufacturer that produced high-performance computer hardware and software from 1981 to 2009. See timeline, hardware, magazine articles and more about SGI's role in 3D graphics and visualization.
Watch a compilation of seven parts of a series that covers the rise and fall of Silicon Graphics Inc., a pioneer in computer graphics and supercomputing. Learn about their products, competitors, acquisitions, and challenges from 1982 to 2009.
- 39 min
- 203.8K
- Dodoid
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Apr 8, 2024 · Maybe best known as the company which brought a splash of color to corporate and scientific computing with its Indigo range of computer systems, Silicon Graphics Inc. (later SGI) burst onto the...
