A large number of visitors flocked to London’s newly-refurbished Alexandra Palace, London N yesterday, for the start of the three day European Unix User Show. So – in the shape of an impressive range of stands – do most of the big company names, with first prize for demo originality going – appropriately enough – to First Software, which is conducting demonstrations from the bowels of a huge leather briefcase. AT&T is showing off an early version of its Open Look user interface, complete with push pins, and also brought along the Unix-Xenix 5.3.2 merge, which the company now says it will start shipping on August 15. For its part, Motorola finally agreed to prize the lid off a box on its stand, to prove that the 88000 RISC chip is alive, and well. Prime Computer is making an uncharacteristic pitch at the commercial market, with the announcement of a distributorship deal for its EXL supermicros with Brighton-based ABS Computers, which acts as UK distributor for both Pyramid and Zilog machines. Meanwhile, TIS announced that it will supply the estate agents, Hamptons, with UKP1.5m worth of Convergent Technologies’ 68020 based F-80 microcomputers, to be installed in 130 branches nation-wide. The show also provides Reno, Nevada-based Microsage Computer Systems with an opportunity to proclaim that its Stride 600 offers full binary software compatibility with NCR’s range of Tower products, with considerable speed and price advantages. Arix saved up an OEM pact with Mannesmann Information Systems Ltd, Slough, for the show. Future attractions include DEC’s chief Ken Olson, scheduled to make an address to assembled crowds tomorrow, Thursday. The show, which is sponsored by the UK Unix User Group will run today, and tomorrow: Wednesday opening hours are 10.00am to 6pm, while Thursday’s events are scheduled to take place from 10.00 am to 16.30pm. In the form of a post-script, visitors’ and exhibitors’ comments seem to suggest that Alexandra Palace is well on the way to establishing itself as London’s most desirable exhibition location.
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