sunflash-Distributed to mailing list sunflash@suntri sunflash-Send requests and problem reports to owner-sunflash@suntri.east.sun.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Florida SunFlash HIGH-END SPARCSTATION 10 IS NOW INDUSTRY'S FASTEST MP DESKTOP SunFLASH Vol 52 #27 April 1993 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Org: Sun Microsystems Computer Corp. Contact: Robert Manetta +1 (415) 336-0979 Org: Hi-Tech Communications Contact: Vicki Ferrando +1 (415) 904-7030 x259 Inquiries: (800)-821-4643 SMCC Cuts Prices, Boosts Performance on Desktop Line MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- April 21, 1993 -- Sun Microsystems Computer Corporation (SMCC) today unveiled significant advancements to its highly regarded SPARCstation(TM) 10 line. As a result of these enhancements and new products, this family of desktop workstations now includes the industry's fastest desktop which will be shipping in volume this quarter, the high-end Model 512MP (formerly known as the Model 52). The company also introduced the lowest-cost multiprocessor (MP) system on the market, the new Model 402MP. In addition, SMCC has cut prices on SPARCstation 10 models by up to 21 percent and offers a full one-year warranty on all SPARCstation 10 and SPARCserver(TM) 10 products. The SPARCstation 10 family has received "product of the year" awards and the improvements unveiled today further boost the industry-leading price/performance of these computers. Fastest Workstations; Price Cuts The performance boost of the high-end Model 512MP comes from a new processor. The Model 512MP is equipped with 50 MHz SuperSPARC+(TM) CPUs rather than the 45 MHz CPUs that were previously specified for the original Model 52. With the change, the Model 512MP will become the fastest volume workstation on the market, based on SPEC-rate benchmarks. In addition, SMCC reduced prices of the SPARCstation 10 Model 41, Model 512MP, and Model 54 by up to 21 percent. The Model 41 is now priced at $22,745, the Model 512MP costs $33,745, and the Model 54 costs $45,745. As a result, the price/performance of these workstations is among the best in the industry. Four New SPARCstation 10 Models The SPARCstation 10 line now includes the lowest-cost MP system on the market (priced below $25,000) as well as the lowest-cost system that can accommodate MP. These computers are among four new SPARCstation 10 models unveiled today. They are: o The Model 30LC -- a new entry-level desktop configuration that is the lowest-cost MP-capable system. It includes a 36 MHz CPU and an upgraded, 16-inch mid-range color monitor. Price: $15,995. o The Model 40 -- single 40MHz CPU, 36 kilobytes of on-chip cache per CPU, 32 megabytes of main memory and 1 gigabyte of storage. Price: $20,745. o The Model 402MP -- the industry's least expensive MP system. It features dual 40MHz CPUs, 36 kilobytes of on-chip cache per CPU, 32 megabytes of main memory and 1 gigabyte of storage. Price: $24,745. o The Model 51 -- single 50MHz CPU, 36 kilobytes of on-chip cache, 1 megabyte external cache, 64 megabytes of main memory and 1 gigabyte of storage. Price: $27,745. SPARCserver 10 Changes Concurrent with workstation price cuts, prices of SPARCserver 10 models are being reduced by up to 25 percent. Prices range from $13,995 for the SPARCserver 10 Model 30 to $47,095 for the Model 54. New SPARCserver 10 systems are the Model 40, costing $16,245, the Model 51, costing $23,245 and the Model 402MP, costing $22,245. Volume MP "Over the past decade, we have helped popularize important technologies such as UNIX(R) and RISC," said Bob Pearson, SMCC's director of advanced desktop systems marketing. "Now, we are doing the same thing with multiprocessing. We expect MP workstations to be especially beneficial for power users in such fields as EDA, MCAD, software development, econometric analysis and color publishing." To date, more than 70,000 SPARCstation 10 MP-capable systems and CPU's have been shipped and more than 3,000 of these are running as MP systems. SMCC is the only vendor delivering the power and flexibility of desktop multiprocessing with a price so low that a volume MP application market will emerge. A multiprocessor workstation gives users immediate productivity gains by running multiple applications faster on multiple CPUs and by running some single applications faster. In addition, user-level threads -- now available on the Solaris(R) 2.2 operating environment -- allow application developers to optimize programs for multiple processors. As developers take advantage of this, customers will see even more significant gains in application performance. The Solaris 2.2 environment also includes the XGL(TM) and XIL(TM) graphics and imaging runtime libraries and ease-of-use enhancements. The SPARCstation 10 is the most expandable workstation on the market. Users can configure their systems with faster -- and up to four -- CPUs, up to 512 megabytes of ECC memory, up to four SBus cards and as much as 41 gigabytes of storage capacity. In addition, SMCC offers an attractive upgrade program through which customers can swap existing CPU modules for faster modules at minimal cost. Shipments of all workstations announced today begin this quarter. Sun Microsystems Computer Corporation (SMCC) is the world's leading supplier of open client-server computing solutions. With headquarters in Mountain View, Calif., SMCC is an operating company of Sun Microsystems, Inc. # # # Sun, the Sun logo, Sun Microsystems, Sun Microsystems Computer Corporation, the Sun Microsystems Computer Corporation logo, XIL, Solaris and XGL are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. All SPARC trademarks, including the SCD Compliant logo and SuperSPARC, are trademarks or registered trademarks of SPARC International, Inc. SPARCstation and SPARCserver are licensed exclusively to Sun Microsystems, Inc. Products bearing SPARC trademarks are based on an architecture developed by Sun Microsystems, Inc. All other products or service names mentioned herein are trademarks of their respective owners. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ For information send mail to info-sunflash@Sun.COM. Subscription requests should be sent to sunflash-request@Sun.COM. Archives are on solar.nova.edu, ftp.uu.net, sunsite.unc.edu, src.doc.ic.ac.uk and ftp.adelaide.edu.au All prices, availability, and other statements relating to Sun or third party products are valid in the U.S. only. Please contact your local Sales Representative for details of pricing and product availability in your region. Descriptions of, or references to products or publications within SunFlash does not imply an endorsement of that product or publication by Sun Microsystems. Send brief articles (e.g. third party announcements) and include contact information (non-800#, fax #, email, etc) to: John McLaughlin, SunFlash editor, flash@Sun.COM. +1 305 351 4909