Beaverton, Oregon-based Sequent Computer Systems Inc is expected to launch faster versions of its Intel 80486-based multi-processors this week, according to sources close to the company. The new machines are the Symmetry 2000 Models 250, 450 and 750, should be priced from $50,000 to $2.5m (UKP45,000 to UKP1.5m in the UK), with a top-end, 30-processor 750 supposedly capable of supporting up to 3,500 users. The machines also have improved memory and disk capacity, better throughput and communications input-output and have performance in the 200 TPC-A transactions per second region. And, following up its closer links recently with the Open Software Foundation, Sequent Symmetry is expected to be revealed as the primary multi-processing development and reference computer system for OSF/1. The company has completed its portion of the work on Unix System Labs’ ESMP project for Unix System V.4, and is waiting for Unix Labs to combine it with its own development. It is thought Sequent will eventually offer both products as options and see what the customer demand is.
