Under the guise of meeting some of its obligations due to the Australian government under its partnership for development programme – where foreign multi-nationals must reinvest some of their profits back into Australian industry – Sun Microsystems Inc has all but embraced its two technology pariahs, X-terminals and the Motif graphical user interface. Sun Australia Pty Ltd, Sydney, has signed with Labtam Australia Pty Ltd, Melbourne to do a version of its Open Windows 3.0 environment for a new generation of Labtam X-terminals, called Open Terminals. Sun is paying an undisclosed amount towards the cost of the project, thereby fulfilling some of its operating obligations Down Under. Although Sun will not sell the Open Terminals directly, it will co-operate with Labtam, as its preferred partner, on contracts that stipulate the supply of X-terminals to be used in conjunction with Sun equipment, and has sanctioned Labtam to use its worldwide distribution network as an outlet for the things. The Open Terminals will use Intel Corp’s 80960CA RISC and perform at 100,000 Xstones in colour configurations – 130,000 Xstones in monochrome. As well as Open Windows 3’s Open Look graphical window manager, they’ll be able to run the Open Software Foundation’s Motif interface, and will also be configured with ISDN software to take advantage of Sun’s moves in that direction. Labtam says 100% of Sun software will run on its boxes, which will be around in beta test versions by September – with volume shipments 90 days thereafter. Users of Labtam’s existing 80960-based 300 series can upgrade to Open Terminals. Cardiff, Wales-based Metaglyphix Systems Ltd resells the Labtam product line in the UK.
