---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Florida SunFlash Sun's Hottest, Volume 2, Number 1 August, 1991 SunFLASH Vol 33 #3 September 1991 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is the text of a newsletter, "Sun's Hottest", that is being mailed to Sun customers. It is an excellent summary of the products that have been announced over the last few months. -john ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Affordable, expandable, flexible desktop systems Sun documentation goes online Upgrade options SPARCstation ELC: entry-level powerhouse SPARCstation IPX: integrated accelerated graphics SPARCstation 2 enhancements: muscle-flexing flexibility SPARCserver 2 enhancements: a server for your workgroup SimplifySQL 1.1 IN SHORT ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Affordable, expandable, flexible desktop systems ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The only thing many of you have in common is your connection to Sun. Yet you all seem to want similar things in a desktop computer system. You want affordable speed and power configured to handle the specific work you do today. And you want plenty of room with a cost-effective view to the future. We hear what you're saying, and we've done something (a lot of things, actually) about it. Affordability Sun recently rolled out two new desktop workstations: the entry-level monochrome SPARCstation(TM) ELC, with twice the processing power and four times the memory capacity of its popular predecessor, the SPARCstation SLC, but at the same low price point; and the SPARCstation IPX, with accelerated color graphics and many of the features of Suns powerful SPARCstation 2 all in a smaller, less-expensive package. And while were talking affordability, the SPARCstation IPC still provides entry-level color in a fully configurable RISC system. We also offer economical paths for converting Sun-3(TM) and Sun386i(TM) systems to more powerful SPARC(R) systems. Expandability Sun ensures that you can add more memory or storage whenever you need to - in increments that give you just the right amount of muscle. For example, we've beefed up our SPARCstation 2 with some powerful enhancements. Now you can crank up both your SPARCstation 2 and SPARCserver(TM) 2 memory up to 128 MB or expand their disk storage capabilities to a very roomy 20.8 GB. Flexibility As we noted at the outset, you may not have much in common with other Sun customers. So weve given all of you the flexibility to get just what you need for your specific business or application. With our entry-level monochrome SPARCstation ELC, our entry-level color SPARCstation IPC, our midrange accelerated graphics SPARCstation IPX, and our high-end graphics SPARCstation 2, Sun offers a variety of desktops to suit your needs. In addition, new Sun Option Packs let you configure SPARCstation systems as affordable desktop SPARCserver systems. For the ultimate in flexibility, Suns continuing dominance in client-server computing gives you transparent access to the computing power you need - wherever and whenever you need it. Together, Suns clients and servers can give you a competitive advantage with diverse applications - from the most sophisticated engineering process to everyday desktop productivity. In fact, Suns entire SPARCsystem(TM) family can run more than 3600 SPARCware(TM) solutions to meet your specific requirements. For more details on our new desktop systems and enhancements, just open this newsletter all the way. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sun documentation goes online -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Looking for answers in all the wrong places? Just locating the correct manual can be time-consuming, to say nothing of paging through it to find the information you need. We've solved the problem with Sun's System Software AnswerBook(TM). AnswerBook puts Sun system software documentation online, right on your screen. Its powerful search capability finds the information you need for you - quickly and efficiently. On a single CD-ROM disc, AnswerBook contains more than 16,000 pages of Sun system software documentation, including introductory Sun manuals and guides to get new Sun users up to speed quickly. More advanced users, developers, and system administrators will appreciate having the SunOS(TM) Full Manual Set, the complete OpenWindows End User Manuals, full OpenWindows Developer Set, and all of the Desktop SPARC Owners Sets right at their fingertips. Everything is an exact page-by-page replica of Sun's printed documentation. Nothing is abridged or condensed. And its all quick and easy to find. That's because unlike other online documentation, AnswerBook is intuitive and simple to use. Just type a phrase or question in your own words, such as "How do I read my electronic mail?" or "How do I install a new printer?" AnswerBook retrieves the relevant information instantly. In addition to typing in your own words to locate information, you can use the mouse to click on a manuals table of contents and immediately view the appropriate page. Turn page by page or click on automatically highlighted hypertext to instantly jump to cross-referenced information across manuals. Use bookmarks to mark sections you refer to often and record personal comments. Print a page or an entire section anytime. The System Software AnswerBook is not only incredibly convenient, its also very cost-effective and environmentally sound, saving you money while saving a lot of trees. To further underscore our commitment to preserving the environment, Sun made a financial contribution for each System Software AnswerBook sold in the first 90 days, to The Nature Conservancy, an international conservation organization. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Upgrade options -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To protect your investment in Sun systems, we're offering cost-effective upgrades to our latest and greatest desktops - SPARCstation ELC, SPARCstation IPX, and SPARCstation 2. (See inside for more detailed stories on these models.) From SPARCstation SLC to SPARCstation ELC. When we designed the ELC, we kept our current SPARCstation SLC customers in mind, working hard to ensure that you could retain the maximum amount of your current investment possible - you even retain your current SIMMs. The result is a simple, customer-installable (in just 10 minutes) CPU board swap that doubles the SPECmark performance of the SLC. SunOS 4.1.1 is included if required. And the upgrade fully supports all peripherals and options. From SPARCstation IPC to SPARCstation IPX. Great care was also taken to create a simple board-only swap to IPX. Also customer-installable in just minutes, this upgrade nearly doubles compute performance while supporting all peripherals and options. Most of you will also experience a tremendous boost in graphics performance. Monochrome users will now have accelerated grayscale capabilities. Color users will now have full-performance GX functionality. The upgrade comes standard with 16 MB of memory. From Sun-3 and Sun386i to SPARCstation IPX. We haven't forgotten our installed base of Sun-3 and Sun386i customers. Cost-effective upgrade paths from color Sun-3/60, Sun-3/80, and Sun386i systems to the SPARCstation IPX enable you to reap the benefits of SPARC technology at an affordable price. These quick and easy customer-installable chassis swaps deliver tremendous improvements in both compute power and graphics performance. The upgrades are diskfull, preloaded with the latest SunOS version. Deskside to SPARCstation 2 Deskside users needing enhanced graphics capabilities, additional storage capacities, access to SunCD(TM), and the latest operating system can gain up to 15 times the performance by upgrading to SPARCstation 2. Upgrade paths to SPARCstation 2 monochrome or GX color configurations are offered for Sun-3/110, 140, 150, 160, and 260; Sun-4/110, 150, and 260; and SPARCstation 330 models. Positioning you to take advantage of future SPARCstation performance enhancements, these upgrades include 32-MB memory, 424-MB internal SCSI drive, 1.44-MB, 3.5-inch floppy drive, and either an ECL monochrome or GX frame buffer. Get what you want, keep what you have. This pragmatic bit of Sun philosophy means you can bring new Sun products, such as the SPARCstation ELC and SPARCstation IPX, into your current computing environment knowing they'll work with your multivendor resources while taking advantage of important technology innovations and price/performance advances. And it also means you can continue to work with your existing Sun products and keep them very cutting-edge, merely by adding some powerful, yet cost-effective enhancements. Check it out below. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SPARCstation ELC: entry-level powerhouse -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For the price of a PC, but with more power than the fastest 33-MHz 486 system, the SPARCstation ELC gives you multiple windows, high-resolution display, very fast response times, built-in networking, and access to Sun's rich client-server environment. In fact, it's the highest performance, entry-level RISC workstation in the industry. The SPARCstation ELC replaces the SPARCstation SLC as the low end of Sun's popular desktop RISC family. (See the upgrade story earlier in this issue.) At the same price point as its predecessor, the more powerful ELC is geared to entry-level computing needs in database management, document image processing, and software development. For example, in document image processing environments, the SPARCstation ELC's increased CPU performance, fast networking, and crisp resolution offer fast image decompression and sharp, accurate display across the network. The ELC can even be configured as an efficient, low-cost file or mail server for small workgroups. The SPARCstation ELC features the powerful SPARC single-chip integer and floating-point processor, up to 64 MB of memory, and a SCSI port for disk, tape, and CD-ROM peripherals. It also includes an Ethernet port for client-server connectivity, an audio port and speaker for multimedia applications, and two serial ports. All these features are integrated into a small system board that fits neatly inside a high-resolution monochrome monitor, reducing desktop footprint. With no bothersome fan, the convection-cooled system eliminates noise and lowers cost. Plus, the pop-top CPU access door lets you remove the system board easily for memory upgrades or service. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SPARCstation IPX: integrated accelerated graphics -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The SPARCstation IPX offers accelerated graphics as a standard feature, speeding window response time and letting you instantly manipulate everything from multiple windows to complex objects. The systems combination of outstanding compute and graphics performance at a competitive price makes it an ideal solution for multitasking needs, such as mechanical design, financial analysis, and software development. For example, in an electronic design automation environment, the IPX lets engineers create complex integrated circuit designs using processing power to simulate the design and detect any irregularities early, before they are implemented in hardware. In a client-server environment, several users can design projects concurrently, sharing data and images. The result? Faster time to market and a better return on investment. In addition to its high-performance workstation capabilities, the IPX can also be configured as an efficient, low-cost file or print server for small workgroups. Featuring the powerful new SPARC integrated integer and floating-point unit and up to 64 MB of memory, the SPARCstation IPX has a built-in GX accelerator. It comes standard with 16 MB of memory and a 207-MB disk drive. Also included are an Ethernet port for client-server connectivity, an audio port and speaker for multimedia applications, two serial ports, and an internal disk preloaded with SunOS, including 14 OpenWindows DeskSet application tools that provide an easy-to-use desktop environment. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SPARCstation 2 enhancements: muscle-flexing flexibility -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A range of configuration and expansion options lets you use Sun's power user desktop system, the SPARCstation 2, to meet your specific needs. Then there's the GXplus, a new SBus graphics product that gives the SPARCstation 2 even greater performance and flexibility. It provides higher resolution (useful for financial and government applications that require a large screen area) and double buffering features (helpful for technical applications such as high-end MCAD and EDA), in addition to all the capabilities of the GX accelerator, such as 8-bit color, accelerated 2-D/3-D wireframe graphics, and text and window acceleration. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SPARCserver 2 enhancements: a server for your workgroup -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Desktop SPARCservers can be configured as database and file servers with Server Option Packs. To turn your SPARCserver 2 into an economical database server, choose one of two Database Server Option Packs, offering either 2.6 GB or 5.2 GB of disk storage. Each includes a 2.3-GB 8-mm tape drive, a SunCD drive, and host interface board and cables, all contained in a SCSI Expansion Pedestal. The Pedestal provides maximum storage for desktop systems in a compact space. It has room for up to 10.4 GB of disk storage as well as for either two 2.3-GB 8-mm tape drives or one tape drive and one SunCD drive. To turn your SPARCserver 2 or any other desktop server into an economical file server, just choose the File Server Option Pack. (See the "In Short" story on this page for more details.) Theres even a new SPARCserver 2 configuration option that comes without a monitor, frame buffer, or mouse that you can use in a variety of ways: as a small group timesharing system; as a series of timesharing front-ends you simply stack to construct high-performance systems serving hundreds of terminals; as an inexpensive file server for workstations or PCs (with Suns PC-NFS); or as a communications gateway, mail server, or print server. Another enhancement for the SPARCserver 2, SBus Prestoserve, speeds NFS throughput up to 140% and improves NFS write performance up to 85%, allowing heavily loaded SPARCserver 2 file servers to support many more clients. You can install it yourself in about twenty minutes. SPARCstation 2/SPARCserver 2 Now standard: 32-MB memory 424-MB internal disk storage Expandable to: 128-MB memory 20.8--GB disk storage (848-MB internal disk storage) Great for: Large file and memory requirements -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SimplifySQL 1.1 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The new SimplifySQL 1.1 release now supports INFORMIX database applications, bringing ease of use and consistent, graphical, point-and-click database access to users of DBMS applications from the four major vendors - Informix, Ingres, Oracle, and Sybase. With SimplifySQL you can retrieve data, generate reports, and create databases with the intuitive, simple-to-use OPEN LOOK graphical user interface rather than having to memorize and type in complicated Structured Query Language (SQL) commands. And since the graphical interface is consistent across all supported database management systems, training time is reduced for organizations using databases from more than one vendor. SimplifySQL 1.1 supports queries and reports that extract data from multiple databases running under the same DBMS and lets you share your database query results with other applications, such as spreadsheets or word processors. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IN SHORT -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- At 424 MB, our new 3.5-inch drive doubles the storage capacity and I/O performance of the old 207-MB drive for desktop systems. It is available in a Desktop Disk Pack for all desktop systems. You can also use two drives for up to 848 MB of internal storage in the SPARCstation 2. The 1.3-GB 5.25-inch drive doubles the storage capacity and I/O performance of the old 669-MB drive for desktop systems. This is the industry's highest-performance SCSI disk. You can purchase it in a Desktop Storage Module or as part of the new SCSI Expansion Pedestal for the SPARCserver 2. (For more details, see the SPARCserver 2 enhancements story on this page.) The Desktop Storage Module offers increased flexibility in external storage expansion for desktop systems. Each module contains a full-height 5.25-inch device: either a 1.3-GB SCSI disk or a 2.3-GB 8-mm tape drive. Sun Database Excelerator 1.1 dramatically increases performance of SPARCserver systems running SunOS 4.1.1 or SunOS 4.1.1 Rev B with database applications from the leading DBMS vendors - Informix, Ingres, Oracle, and Sybase. Sun Database Excelerator 1.1 improves response times and boosts maximum throughput by as much as 50% while supporting up to four times as many concurrent users as Sun Database Excelerator 1.0. SunPHIGS 1.4 delivers improved performance in data storage and faster rendering speeds of particular primitives on the GX. Added functionality includes user-definable polymarkers, more views, improved quality of hidden line and hidden surface removal, expanded quick update method capabilities, and more. Upward API compatibility means that releases 1.2 and 1.3 applications do not require any coding changes in order to take advantage of the performance and quality enhancements offered in release 1.4. SunPHIGS 1.4 is available only on CD-ROM. To receive added value for your money, choose one of our two new server option packs. The File Server Option Pack contains everything you need for installation, backup, and distribution. It includes two Desktop Storage Modules - one with a 1.3-GB disk and the other with a 2.3-GB 8-mm backup tape drive - plus a SunCD drive, all of which stack for compact and clean-looking configurations. For details on the Database Server Option Pack, please read the SPARCserver 2 enhancements story on this page. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (US only) For top performance and top security, the new Tempest SPARCstation 2GX delivers 16 MB of memory and accelerated 2-D graphics in a compact desktop enclosure that shields electromagnetic emissions and conforms to the governments NACSIM 5100A requirements. A key-lockable front door allows controlled access to the power switch, floppy disk drive, and the removable hard disk drives. Your direct line to more than 400 Sun products: 1 800 USA-4SUN Now it's fast and easy to order - and receive - whatever Sun products you need. SunExpress telemarketing, launched in July, can handle it all - computer add-ons, software, accessories, supplies, and peripherals - right over the phone. SunExpress is staffed by knowledgeable Sun professionals who can answer your questions and help you decide exactly which Sun products you need Call toll-free any weekday between 9:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. (EST). Just give us your P.O. number, or your VISA, MasterCard, or American Express number, and we'll deliver your Sun products to you in less than five days. SunExpress will even honor any pre-established corporate discounts you have with Sun. To place an order or receive additional information on products mentioned in this newsletter, just call SunExpress: 1 800 USA-4SUN. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - Affordable, expandable, flexible desktops - Sun documentation goes online - Upgrade options - 2 new SPARCstations: ELC and IPX - SPARCstation 2 and SPARCserver 2 enhancements - Plus: increased storage and memory options, new releases, and more We welcome your comments and suggestions. Please send electronic mail to: comments@joes.Eng.Sun.COM (C) 1991, Sun Microsystems, Inc. Sun Microsystems, the Sun logo, PC-NFS, and NFS are registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. OpenWindows, SunOS, ONC, AnswerBook, SunPHIGS, DeskSet, SunCD, Sun-3, and Sun386i are trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. SPARC is a registered trademark of SPARC International, Inc. SPARCstation, SPARCserver, and SPARCware are trademarks of SPARC International, Inc., licensed exclusively to Sun Microsystems, Inc. SPARCsystem is a trademark of SPARC International, Inc. Products bearing the SPARC trademark are based on an architecture developed by Sun Microsystems, Inc. UNIX and OPEN LOOK are registered trademarks of UNIX System Laboratories, Inc. All other products or services mentioned herein are identified by the trademarks, service marks, or product names as designated by the companies who market those products. Inquiries concerning such trademarks should be made directly to those companies. This product is protected by one or more of the following U.S. patents: 4,777,485; 4,668,190; 4,527,232; 4,745,407; 4,679,041; 4,435,792; 4,719,569; 4,550,368 in addition to foreign patents and applications pending. We welcome your comments and suggestions. Please send electronic mail to: comments@joes.Eng.Sun.COM ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ For information send mail to info-sunflash@sunvice.East.Sun.COM. Subscription requests should be sent to sunflash-request@sunvice.East.Sun.COM. Archives are on solar.nova.edu and paris.cs.miami.edu. 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. John McLaughlin, SunFlash editor, flash@sunvice.East.Sun.COM. (305) 776-7770.