Convex Computer Corp, Richardson, Texas yesterday announced its next-generation line of minisupercomputers, the C4/XA series, claiming it includes the fastest single-processor air-cooled computer built, with the Gallium Arsenide uniprocessor claimed to deliver over 1 GFLOPS, at a $750,000 base price, with a four-processor combination costing up to $2.7m. The uniprocessor is about half the price of the C3 model it succeeds and can run up to six times faster, and the company hopes to upgrade most of its 1,300 C2 and C3 user sites to it; it says three are out already with users.
