sunflash-Distributed to mailing list sun/NC/north-carolina sunflash-Send requests, problems to owner-sunflash@suntri.east.sun.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Florida SunFlash SMCC Announces New Imaging and Multimedia Workstations SunFLASH Vol 58 #19 October 1993 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 58.19 SMCC Announces New Imaging and Multimedia Workstations - SPARCstation 10SX - SPARCstation 10M - SPARCclassic M - "multimedia bundle" New workstations bringing fully configured, high-end image processing and multimedia capabilities down to a new low price range. These new systems feature revolutionary imaging capabilities and the industry's lowest-cost real-time video capture/compression technology, both developed by SMCC. The multimedia package includes the SunVideo capture/compression card, video camera and multimedia CD-ROM disc. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Contact: Sun Microsystems Computer Corporation Robert Manetta (415) 336-0979 SMCC UNVEILS INDUSTRY-LEADING IMAGING AND MULTIMEDIA WORKSTATIONS Eastman Kodak, Adobe Support New Systems MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- October 19, 1993 -- Sun Microsystems Computer Corp. (SMCC) today introduced new workstations bringing fully configured, high-end image processing and multimedia capabilities down to a new low price range. These new systems feature revolutionary imaging capabilities and the industry's lowest-cost real-time video capture/compression technology, both developed by SMCC. Eastman Kodak Company and Adobe Systems, Inc., industry leaders in color and imaging technology, are showing their support for the new workstations with major sales and product integration programs. The new Sun(R) workstations include: - SPARCstation(TM) 10SX -- providing industry-leading image processing performance, full 24-bit color, 3-D graphics and hardware-accelerated video playback. - SPARCstation 10M -- offering all of the capabilities of the SPARCstation 10SX, plus real-time video capture/compression and a video camera. - SPARCclassic(TM) M -- at $4,995, the industry's most inexpensive, fully configured multimedia workstation. It includes a camera, real-time video capture/compression card -- enabling multimedia conferencing over standard networks -- and a storage disk. These workstations give new visual computing capabilities to users in a variety of application areas, including color pre-press, medical imaging, satellite imaging, geographic information systems, oil and gas exploration, low-end MCAD, animation, multimedia authoring and video conferencing. SPARCstation 10SX In the area of imaging, the SPARCstation 10SX delivers unmatched performance and capabilities among workstation platforms. "Imaging" means the ability to manipulate and process such images as digitized photographs, X rays and satellite data. This new system fills a huge gap between high-end personal computer-class systems --- which are severely hampered by slow performance -- and costly proprietary imaging systems costing upward of $60,000. Priced within range of a Macintosh imaging system, the SPARCstation 10SX delivers a level of performance better than many proprietary imaging systems. The SPARCstation 10SX is the first system in its class with a graphics and imaging ASIC integrated right into its memory subsystem that can manipulate images as large as 300 megabytes in almost real time. Common imaging functions -- panning, zooming and rotating -- as well as advanced special effects -- sharpening, blurring and edge detection -- are carried out extremely quickly due to the speed of the SX chip. In addition, SX is the only imaging accelerator that doesn't force data to pass over a relatively low-speed bus. The SPARCstation 10SX is a versatile workstation that, in addition to superior imaging, provides full 24-bit, Gouraud-shaded, Z-buffered graphics for interactive 3-D. It also provides fast decompressed video playback in hardware. All of these capabilities are carried out by the revolutionary ASIC. The SPARCstation 10SX, which is available immediately, has introductory pricing beginning at $15,495. The price includes a 535 megabyte hard disk, 32 megabytes of memory and a 16-inch color monitor. Multimedia Demands Compressed Video SMCC also introduced two workstations providing new levels of video conferencing and multimedia authoring functionality. They feature video capture and compression at 30 frames per second, making possible high-quality, full-frame video conferencing over a network. These systems are the SPARCstation 10M and the SPARCclassic M computers. "Without compression, video is useless because the images can't be sent and received without using up all of a network's bandwidth," said Jay Puri, vice president of product marketing at SMCC. "Other vendors' systems don't adequately address the issue of video compression at a low cost." SMCC's video conferencing workstations come equipped with the new SunVideo(TM) capture/compression SBus card, the first real-time video card that supports multiple video compression standards such as MPEG, JPEG and CELL, SMCC's internally developed algorithm. The multimedia workstations also include a video camera and a CD-ROM disc containing licensable video and multimedia programs. In addition, users can take advantage of Solaris LIVE!, an extensive array of multimedia technologies that support workgroup collaboration, video conferencing and more. Solaris LIVE! is part of the Solaris 2.3 operating environment. "We're especially proud of the SPARCclassic M because it offers video capabilities and price/performance that no other vendor -- in either the PC or workstation space -- can match," said Puri. "To come close to the SPARCclassic M configuration in terms of disk, video compression and other features, you'd have to pay at least 50 percent more." The SPARCstation 10M has introductory prices starting at $17,095, and the SPARCclassic M costs $4,995 for quantities of 12 or more. Both will be available beginning December 15. Nearly One Million Multimedia-Capable Workstations Also available is a "multimedia bundle" that can be used to equip any of the existing installed base of SPARCstation systems for multimedia. Among workstation vendors, only SMCC allows customers to protect their investments and retrofit existing systems for multimedia. Other vendors compel customers to purchase entire new systems to obtain these capabilities. Priced at $1,895, the multimedia package includes the SunVideo capture/compression card, video camera and multimedia CD-ROM disc. The SunVideo card can also be purchased alone for $1,495. Sun Microsystems Computer Corporation (SMCC), the world's leading supplier of open client-server computing solutions, is an operating company of Sun Microsystems, Inc. Sun is the exclusive computer supplier to World Cup Soccer 1994. SMCC has its headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. # # # Sun, the Sun logo, Sun Microsystems, XIL, Solaris and SunVideo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. All SPARC trademarks, including the SCD Compliant logo, are trademarks or registered trademarks of SPARC International, Inc. SPARCstation and SPARCclassic are licensed exclusively to Sun Microsystems, Inc. Products bearing SPARC trademarks are based on an architecture developed by Sun Microsystems, Inc. All other products are referred to herein by the trademarks as designated by the companies who market those products. For reader inquiries, telephone 1-800-821-4643. ********************************************************************** For information about SunFlash send mail to info-sunflash@Sun.COM. Subscription requests should be sent to sunflash-request@Sun.COM. Archives are on draco.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. 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