Research Machines Ltd, Oxford, has announced its Nimbus X Series of IBM-compatible minicomputers based on Intel’s 80286 or 80386 processors. The 12MHz Nimbus AX-286 running MS-DOS 3.2 has 1Mb RAM with five expansion slots and is upgradable to the Nimbus VX-386, with a 16MHz processor, with 2Mb RAM and Intel’s 80387 floating point maths co-processor. Both models offer a Research Machine version of Microsoft’s Windows, with Xenix as an option. Support for Enhanced Graphics Adaptor and IBM’s CGA graphics packages are standard, with a 19 screen in colour or mono optional. Ethernet and Token Ring are supported. The price for the AX-286 with a 20Mb Winchester and EGA is UKP2,695; a VX-386 40Mb Winchester is UKP4,995 and a top-end VX-386 with the 19 monitor ic UKP11,995. Pre-production models are out in April, with full production starting June.
