---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Florida SunFlash MAJOR MANUFACTURERS BACK SOLARIS 2.0 ON 80X86 SunFLASH Vol 42 #29 June 1992 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- SunSoft, the system software subsidiary of Sun Microsystems, Inc., today released new information about Solaris 2.0 on the 80X86 platform. The following two press releases are attached for your reference: 1. Major Manufacturers Back Solaris 2.0 on 80X86 NCR, Zenith, Olivetti, Everex Announce Support ICL To Port Solaris To 80X86 Line 2. Solaris for X86 Demonstrated for First Time Featured on CompuAdd, Dell, and Zenith Data Systems 486 Systems Hardware Reference Configuration Announced -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NCR, Zenith, Olivetti, Everex Announce Support ICL To Port Solaris To 80X86 Line PC EXPO, New York, June 23, 1992 -- Today, major system manufacturers announced plans to support SunSoft's Solaris 2.0 distributed computing solution on the 80X86 platform. They are NCR, Zenith Data Systems, Olivetti and Everex. In addition, ICL, the leading UK-based computer systems company, will port Solaris 2.0 to its 80X86 product line. These companies join a growing list of vendors that have announced support for the Solaris 2.0 software. They include some of the world's most powerful PC and server suppliers such as Dell Computer, Toshiba, AST Research, CompuAdd and NetFRAME. Solaris 2.0 is now backed by six of the top ten suppliers of PC compatible systems in the United States, and by three of the top five PC compatible suppliers in Europe. "Momentum for Solaris in the X86 market continues to accelerate," said Bill Larson, SunSoft vice president of marketing and sales. "The overwhelming support for Solaris 2.0 demonstrates user demand for powerful 32-bit computing solutions -- with built-in networking, multiprocessing and multithreading -- in the X86 market." "Solaris from SunSoft provides a robust feature set, 32-bit application base and shrink-wrapped packaging. The certification of Solaris on selected NCR client workstations extends our potential market coverage in the UNIX client environment,"said Alok Mohan, vice president, NCR's workstation products division. "The Solaris distributed computing solution will fit well into our high-end UNIX product strategy for 1993," commented Enrico Pesatori, president and chief executive officer for Zenith Data Systems. "Olivetti will include Solaris in its ISV program, which forsees certification and joint marketing of leading off-the-shelf software platforms, because of its technical strengths, particularly in the areas of multiprocessing and multithreading. Solaris will strengthen our position in the high-end desktop marketplace," said Luigi Bocchino, vice president of corporate marketing at Olivetti. "Solaris is an ideal platform for us to apply our strengths in fault-tolerant and multiprocessor design," added Steve Hui, chairman and cofounder of Everex. SunSoft's Solaris 2.0 unites the world's highest-volume RISC and CISC platforms -- SPARC and 80X86 -- with a single computing environment. Solaris 2.0 on the X86 was demonstrated for the first time here today running on systems from Dell, Zenith Data Systems and CompuAdd. It features a robust operating system, full-featured development environment and end user desktop. An early access version of Solaris 2.0 on the X86 will be available for softwaredevelopers in Q3 of calendar year 1992. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SOLARIS FOR X86 DEMONSTRATED FOR FIRST TIME Featured on CompuAdd, Dell, and Zenith Data Systems 486 Systems Hardware Reference Configuration Announced PC EXPO, New York, June 23, 1992-- SunSoft today unveiled its Solaris 2.0 distributed computing solution operating on 80X86-based computers, demonstrating for the first time the world's most popular 32-bit system software on the most widely used microprocessor architecture. The full Solaris 2.0 environment (SunOS 5.0, ONC+, OpenWindows and DeskSet) was shown on systems from leading personal computer manufacturers including Dell Computer, Zenith Data Systems and CompuAdd. In related announcements, five new computer manufacturers announced their intention to support Solaris on their 80X86 systems. NCR Corp., Everex, Zenith, Olivetti, and ICL join a number of other hardware vendors planning to support Solaris for X86 including Dell, AST Research, CompuAdd, NetFRAME and Toshiba. "The momentum for Solaris on the X86 continues with our technology demonstration and with the addition of our new partners," said Janpieter Scheerder, vice president of engineering for Intel products at SunSoft. "It is clear that Solaris will be the first environment to unleash the full power of 386 and 486-based systems." Demonstrated on Solaris were three personal productivity applications from Island Graphics Corp.: Island Write, Island Paint and Island Draw. SunPro also showed software compilers. Numerous other products will be available soon as applications written for Solaris on SPARC need only to be recompiled to run on 80X86 platform. In fact, the port of the Island products to Solaris on X86 took only a few days. Solaris for X86 will be made available to key partners throughout the summer. An early access version for software developers is slated for Q3. SunSoft also announced the hardware that will be supported by Solaris for X86. See attachment for details. SOLARIS CLOSES THE GAP BETWEEN PC HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE Historically, the personal computer market has been based on the 80X86 family of processors running 8 or 16-bit system software, the "traffic cop" which directs a computer's basic functions. With the advent of 32-bit 386 and 486-based computers, traditional 16-bit system software has not delivered the benefits of these architectures to users. SunSoft announced Solaris for 80X86 computers in Sept., 1991 to close the "gap" between hardware and system software. Solaris 2.0 is a powerful 32-bit distracted computing solution originally developed for use on SPARC workstations. It combines high-performance computing features -- such as multitasking, multiprocessing, multithreading and network security -- with the ease of use of a personal computer bringing traditionally expensive computing processes to mainstream computers. With the introduction of Solaris for X86, SunSoft unites the world's most widely used RISC and CISC computers with a single environment, thereby greatly reducing system administration and user training costs while increasing individual and workgroup productivity. ATTACHMENT SUPPORTED HARDWARE FOR SOLARIS ON X86 CPU TYPES * 33 MHz 386 with 387 coprocessor * 25, 33 or 50 MHz 486 DX, 486DX2 or 486SX with 487SX coprocessor BUS ARCHITECTURES: ISA, EISA and MCA MEMORY: 8 MB minimum DISTRIBUTION MEDIA: CD-ROM DISK CONTROLLER: 200 MB hard disk required SCSI CARDS * Adpatec AHA-1540/42B, ISA 16-bit, and Adaptec AHA-1740/42B, EISA 32-bit * DPT PM2011/9X (90,95) ISA 16-bit, DPT PM20112A/9X (90,95) EISA, 32-bit and DPT PM 20112B/9X (90) EISA, 32-bit VIDEO DISPLAY ADAPTERS * Super VGA or 8514A-based * VESA SVPMI compliant * ATI Graphics Ultra and Orchid Prodesigner II (both 1024x768, 256 colors) SUPER VGA CHIPSETS *Tseng Labs ET 4000 and Western Digital WD90C30 (both 1024x768, 256 colors) GRAPHICAL INPUT DEVICES * Logitech C7/9 Serial/Bus 3 button and Logitech Mouseman Serial/Bus 3 button * Microsoft Serial/Bus 2/3 button and Microsoft IBM PS/2 mouse compatibles NETWORK ADAPTERS * WD80x3, Ethernet or 10BaseT, ISA, 8/16-bit * Installed base: 8003E/EB/W, 8013EP/W/EW/EBT * Currently shipping: 8003EP/WC, 8013EPC/WC/EWC TAPE * SCSI tape (1/24 inch, 4 mm or 8 mm) and CD-ROM SOUND * Soundblaster Pro OTHER * High and low density floppy drive (3.5", 5.25") * Up to four parallel ports and up to four serial ports Press Contacts: Shernaz Daver SunSoft, Inc. 415-336-0678 Claudia Carasso Hi Tech Communications 415-904-7000 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 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, paris.cs.miami.edu, uunet.uu.net, 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. John McLaughlin, SunFlash editor, flash@sunvice.East.Sun.COM. (305) 776-7770.