When Nokia Data took over the much-handled Ericsson Information Systems at the beginning of the year, it became the proud owner of two jewels along with the dross, the banking terminal product line, and the Alfaskop family of display terminal systems inherited by what was once Datasaab from the old Stansaab AB company. And Nokia has been quick to keep the terminal line up to date since it acquired it. Claiming to undercut IBM’s 3191D and 3192W offerings by up to 20%, Nokia’s Workstation Systems Division has announced the first two members of a new family of plug compatible 3270 terminals. Both the VDU 191E and the VDU 192E are 15 terminals, providing black-on-white document-style presentation. In addition, the VDU 192E offers on-screen host programming capabilities via a 132-column facility. The Coventry-based UK subsidiary of the Finnish company claims a number of speed and efficiency advantages over the IBM models, including an improved TCM configuration capability, record/play/delay, and a screen dim facility. Both models also feature a selectable screen saver, a 122-key keyboard, a tilt and swivel capability, 3178 and 3180 emulation, and support for a number of different lay-outs. UK list prices are UKP795 for the 191E, UKP1095 for the 192E, and both models are available here immediately. Second wave And in a second move to attack IBM’s share of the market, Nokia has announced a 16MHz 80386-based network server within its Alfaskop System 61 range. Nokia says that its Full Server 6105 runs applications 50% faster than rival offerings, can support up to 100 concurrent users, and provides higher workload throughput without any corresponding loss in productivity. Claims are based upon a series of benchmark tests using Innovative Software Inc’s Smart LAN, where the Nokia server ran three standard app lications up to 50% faster than an IBM PS/2 model 80 installed with 3+Share. The product includes 150Mb of hard disk memory, and a tape streamer, and is listed in the UK at UKP13,995; delivery should be achieved three weeks after the placing of an order. Other products that make up Nokia’s Alfaskop System 61 range include workstations, printers, application and operating system software, and cabling. And the Nokia workstation division has come out compatible terminals with paper-white displays that refresh at 75Hz, and which are said to be among the first to limit electromagnetic radiation and eliminate electrostatic field on the screen. The Nokia VDU 220 text and VDU 220G graphics terminals can be used as stations attached to DEC PDP-11 and VAX computers and to Unix machines, and include non-volatile set-up menus. Displays provide 24 lines by 80 or 132 characters, and offer down-loadable character sets and attributes including underline, bold, reverse video, blinking or invisible. ANSI X3.64, DEC VT220, VT100, VT52 and full duplex communications are supported in addition to serial asynchronous, RS232C and RS422 interfaces, and Nokia claims exceptionally fast data transmission speeds of up to 19,200bps over line channels.
