Everex Systems UK, the London-based division of the US company Everex Systems Inc, hitherto known as a peripherals company in the UK, is to launch its proprietary range of MS-DOS micros in this country under the brand name Everex Step. Everex began manufacturing its own computer systems in the US in 1986 selling them OEM to large companies. Last February, however, marketing of the machines began under the company’s own name. The Everex Step range features the company’s cache technology on all its 80386 machines, as well as on its 286/20. Everex’s Advanced Memory Management Architecture, which enables the amount of cache to be expanded to 256Kb according to the size of the main memory, is developed in-house, and enables the company to offer what it claims is 6 MIPS performance on its top-end 25MHz 80386-based machine. This architecture is implemented in discrete logic components, rendering it fully portable; and Everex claims that it will achieve a double-digit MIPS rating when it gets hold of 33MHz versions of the 80386 by the end of the year. Indeed, the company appears to be banking on its cache technology for future expansion, hoping that it will be able to corner the OS/2 user, as well as annexing the engineering workstation marketplace to run Unix. At present, however, Everex is content to rest on its research and development laurels and gently push its range in to the UK market, as it did in the US 11 months ago, by claiming a price-performance advantage over comparable IBM and Compaq systems. Preliminary prices, for the machines featuring the Advanced Memory Management Architecture, range from UKP7,900 for an 8Mb 386/25, through to UKP2,200 for a 1Mb 286/20. The range will be distributed in the UK by Softsel, and Everex claims it is compatible with all MS-DOS and OS/2 software, and, apart from the Everex input-output card, does not require proprietary peripherals. A one year warranty is offered on all machines, and a one-year on-site maintenance deal is being negotiated. The range will have its first public showing in the UK at the Which Computer? Show in February.
