Solbourne Computer Corp is set to launch the first family of clones of Sun Microsystems Inc’s Sun-4 and using the Sun Sparc RISC processor, today. The Longmont, Colorado-based company, funded by Matsushita Electric (CI No 1,004), says its Series4 workstations and servers, already in volume production, provide an environment so close to the Sun 4 that you can’t tell the difference – they use the same version of the Sparc from Fujitsu. But Solbourne claims to have achieved better price performance than Sun, and also offers MS-DOS emulation and multi processing. There are four models, each available as a workstation or server: the servers come with up to 3.3Gb of high speed disk in a pair of cabinets. Workstations are designated 600 models, servers are called 800s: the 601 and 801 have one CPU rated at 9.5 MIPS and 1.6 MFLOPS; the two processor 602 and 802 do 17 MIPS and 2.9 MFLOPS; then come the three and four CPU 603, 803 and 604, 804, rated at 24 MIPS, 3.6 MFLOPS and 30 MIPS, 4.7 MFLOPS repectively – though the ratings are in so-called Sun MIPS and regarded by some as higher than the normal measure. The multiprocessors are built around a proprietary 64-bit, 128Mbyte-per-second Kbus, and each processor has its own cache memory, but shares a single operating system and main memory. Prices range from $45,000 for the single CPU 601 to $130,000 for the four CPU 804 server: the two processor 602 with 16Mb memory, 327Mb hard disk and 170Mb cartridge tape costs $51,400, giving, says Solbourne, a 70% performance increase over the Sun-4 2/60 with a 14% cost saving. On the software side, Solbourne has licensed Sun’s SunOS Unix implementation, as well as SunView, News/X11, Network File System and Open Network Computing software from Sun, but implemented its own version of X-Window. It has also entered into a joint marketing agreement with Phoenix Technology Ltd, Norwood, Massachusetts, for a software co processor that supports standard MS-DOS programs under Unix on the Sparc. And the company has a $750,000 distribution deal with National Peripherals Inc, Lombard, Illinois, which plans to add more memory options and sell into the CAD/CAM market. Solbourne also plans a Series5 family later this year, using the Cypress Semiconductor version of Sparc to give a two-to-one price performance boost. It is also working with parent Matsushita on a highly integrated SPARC chip, with on-board floating point unit and memory management unit: it will surface in the Series6, due fourth quarter of 1989 – the chip will be rated at 25MIPS and 5MFLOPS. Solbourne also says it will be introducing a desktop model – taking on a similar product expected from Sun.
