Anaheim, California-based General Automation Inc has introduced the upper-end GA8000 Series to its line of Motorola 68000 family-based Pick systems, which extends the design-it-yourself configuration versatility first made available in the GA3000 Series (CI No 1,194). The GA8000 Series uses the company’s new 3.8 release of the Pick operating system, which includes 512 byte or 2,048 byte variable data frame size feature, leaving the user to make the choice either to extend the operating system to maximise system performance or to leave the thing as it as it is to make most efficient use of memory and disk resources. Static The GA8000 Series offers options in processor type and speed either an MC68020 with 256Kb of static RAM operating at 20MHz, or an MC68030 with 64Kb of caching dynamic RAM operating at 20MHz, 25MHz or 30MHz; other features include 4Mb memory expandable to 32Mb; support for from 16 to 256 terminals; up to eight disk drives of 340Mb, 510Mb, 720Mb or 1.1Gb unformatted capacities; magnetic tape drives – 60Mb and/or 150Mb; and parallel printer support – in addition to the two parallel printer ports included in the base system, two additional ports can be added. The GA8000 Series also offers a 5.25 floppy disk for media and data interchange with personal computers, extensive data communications, including X25, 3270 SNA and bisync, 3780 bisync and the company’s own local area network. A representative GA8000 Series with all base system features including the standard uninteruptible power supply, a 25MHz MC68030 with 16Mb memory, two intelligent disk controllers, four 510Mb disk drives, two MC68010-based input-output processors, 128 serial ports, half inch drawer-mounted 1600/3200 BPI magnetic tape drive, 2.2Gb DataStor 8mm cassette tape subsystem and a licence for the General’s new 3.8 version of Pick, plus word processing, business graphics and spread sheet applications sells end user for a suggested $236,800 in the US.
