Jarogate Ltd, of Surbiton, Surrey, has launched an attack on the minicomputer market with the announcement of a new Sprite multiuser supermicro at the Which Computer? Show last week. The Sprite 386 Powerstation is based on a 25MHz Intel 80386 processor, runs under Unix System V.3.2 and can support up to 64 users at once. One of its most important features is its security options: it includes a Datasafe dual disk drive facility, which has the ability to run identically, thus protecting one disk should the other be damaged, an uninterruptable power supply, and password protection. The system comes with from 4Mb to 16Mb of memory and disk storage capacities of over 2Gb and comes with from one to four 512Kb 80186 processors as front-ends, each providing up to four virtual consoles per workstation. Each subsystem supports up to 16 multi-drop, or eight individually connected local or remote workstations. Another 80186 is used as the disk controller. Communications with IBM, ICL mainframes and Unix machines is supported via bisync, 3780, 3270, SNA, CO3, X25, UUCP and BLAST protocols. Prices start at UKP15,000 for the processor with 80Mb disk to UKP30,000 for a 32-user model with a 360Mb disk and 12Mb of memory, rising to around UKP50,000 for the full 64-user system.
