NEC UK has finally launched into the multi-user computer market with its Unix-based personal computer, aimed at the local area network server and multi-user host markets. It has opted for Santa Cruz Operation Unix indicating that the server market is perhaps the most important to it. Called the BusinessMate the product comes in 80386 and 80486 models, running at 33MHz and 25MHz respectively. Both are floor standing and use the EISA bus, with five 8-bit, 16-bit and 32-bit expansion slots and two full length AT slots. The BusinessMate 386/33E supports 32 ANSI terminals, comes with up to 32Mb of memory, and has 64Kb static RAM cache as standard. With 300Mb hard disk it costs UKP11,000, with the 100Mb version selling at UKP7,500. The BusinessMate 486/25E can support 64 terminals, has up to 64Mb of memory and can have up to 128Kb cache. It costs UKP20,000 with 16Mb of memory and a 1.2Gb hard disk. Meanwhile, NEC Corp reports that its UX/V (4.0) version of Unix System V.4 has become the first implementation from a Japanese company to conform to the X/Open Portability Guide Version 3 – it will start shipping next month.
