Tadpole Technology Plc duly launched the Alphabook 1, claiming it to be the world’s most powerful notebook computer – it is of course the first notebook driven by a Digital Equipment Corp Alpha 21066 microprocessor, which is speed-variable up to 233MHz. The Alphabook 1 runs the OpenVMS operating system rather than Digital Unix, although the latter is planned for next year, and comes in a highly rugged 7.5 lbs notebook form factor. Aimed at software development, defence, communications, engineering and performance-critical commercial markets, the box is powered by an Alpha 21066-A with 512Kb level 2 write-back cache, integrated PCI system bus interface for high-speed access to graphics, PCMCIA and SCSI interfaces. Removable 2.5 SCSI-2 hard disks storing 520Mb, 810Mb or 1.2Gb are available, and system memory is user-upgradable using SIMMs from 32Mb to 128Mb; it includes a 3COM Corp Ethernet board and supports an optional 28.8Kbps PC Card facsimile modem. Software includes DECwindows/Motif, TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS and OpenVMS Cluster Client. It has 1Mb video RAM and a 10.4 active matrix screen for 256 colours from 262,144 at 800 by 600. It has built-in graphics accelerator and supports external resolutions up to 1024 by 768. It has 16-bit stereo audio for CD-quality sound, internal microphone and speaker, and in-out audio ports. It will ship early next month through Tadpole and DEC, at from $13,950.
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