Mitsubishi Electric Corp has now announced the mainframes for which it is buying the processors OEM from IBM Japan (CI No 1,662) as the Melcom EX series EX900/190, 900/210, 900/260, 900/320, 900/440, 900/480, billed as the successor to the proprietary EX800 series, which was already more or less IBM-compatible. The machines, which mark the end of Mitsubishi’s career as a mainframer, will be offered with both IBM’s MVS/ESA and Mitsubishi’s proprietary GOS/EA, and Mitsubishi is also offering IBM’s DB/DC and CICS/ESA. The new hardware features four single processor models and two duals – and retains IBM’s model numbers, 190, 210, 260, and 320, and the 440 and 480 duals. The machines represent IBM’s entire 9121 line – the air-cooled 4381 replacements previously dubbed 4391. The addition of the 480 provides a 35-fold processing power range while the low-end EX830 remains in the catalogue. Mitsubishi is taking the works, including PR/SM hardware partitioning and Escon fibre-optic channels. Links with GOS/EA databases and Mitsubishi micros such as the AX-standard Maxy and the client-server Apricot configurations are supported. Shipwill ments start in October and prices will go from the equivalent of $937,040 to $5m.
