UK sources this week confirmed the word from the US that IBM’s launch of a new range of systems to replace the RT, or 6150 AIX range would be launched in early October – but availability is unlikely to be before mid-1990. The Project RIOS machines will use a Micro Channel Architecture bus and will be able to use PS/2 cards and adaptors (although PS/2s will apparently not take RIOS adaptors). It will run AIX 3, which will not have IBM’s Virtual Resource Manager, and will be closer to the functionality and modularity of AIX for the PS/2, but with added features, said the source. There is likely to be a rack-mounted model at the top-end, two upright systems for the mid-range and a desktop diskless system for under $10,000, likely to pitched as a development system for use with AIX/370 systems. Memory options should be more than doubled, but there was no word on perform ance, (put as high as the 25 MIPS range by other sources) or on whether the chip is IBM proprietary or from Intel Corp. Intro duction is likely to be gradual, with mid-range systems first, and a buy- back scheme for RTs bought after the product launch.
