IBM is scheduled formally to launch the last of the RS/6000 models announced back in February anytime now: the Model 730 Powerstation was slated for a fourth-quarter introduction at the announcement. The three-dimensional graphics workstation incorporates a Supergraphics Processor Subsystem performing at 990,000 three-dimensional vectors per second, and includes technology licensed from Silicon Graphics Inc. It comes from the graphics workstation firm’s MIPS Computer Systems RISC-based 4D three-dimensional Iris system, which has a proprietary graphics processor. The Model 730 is aimed at the low end of the three-dimensional graphics workstation market and uses the Model 530 engine which clocks at 25MHz delivering 34.5 MIPS and 10.9 MFLOPS. With from 16Mb to 128Mb memory, 355Mb disk and a floppy drive it will start at $73,000.
