[comp.sys.hp] HP 9000/700 "Snake" workstations

irf@kuling.UUCP (Bo Thide') (01/30/91)

More and more is heard about the new HP9000/700 workstation series, also
known as "the Snakes" with model names "Cobra" and "Coral(?)".

Here is what I have gathered from various publications (mainly "Unix World"
and "unigram.x", a corporate gossip newsletter published in the UK):

The "Snake" series is based on a sub-micron CMOS HP PA ( Precision
Architecture RISC) processor run at a high clock speed (90 MHz has been
mentioned).  At least one of the models is a desktop machine, similar
to the 9000/425.  The "Snake" workstations come with 1MB of cache, and are
"lightning fast".

Initially the support is only for a single processor but multi processor
support will be added at a later stage.  In addition to HP-UX 8.0 and Domain OS
it seems that OSF/1 will be available.  The introduction of the "Snake"
series was planned for late 1990 but it has been delayed/postponed until
the Februaray-March, 1991, time frame.

The entry model is said to be a 50+ MIPS machine running at 52 Specmarks
at a list price of $10 000.  Floating point performance is very good,
numbers mentioned vary between 5 and 15 Linpack DP Mflops.

The top(?) model is claimed to be a 70 MIPS machine. But no Specmarks
or Linpack benchmarks are known.

Press reports say that the "Snake" series will give HP an 18 to 24 month
lead over the competition (DEC, IBM, Sun) and that it is a pain in the neck
for Sun, losing contracts to HP even before the "Snake" has been officially
announced.

I would appreciate any details on the design and performance of the
"Snake" boxes including expected date of announcement.

Bo

   ^   Bo Thide'--------------------------------------------------------------
  |I|       Swedish Institute of Space Physics, S-755 91 Uppsala, Sweden
  |R|  Phone: (+46) 18-303671.  Telex: 76036 (IRFUPP S).  Fax: (+46) 18-403100 
 /|F|\        INTERNET: bt@irfu.se       UUCP: ...!uunet!sunic!irfu!bt
 ~~U~~ -----------------------------------------------------------------sm5dfw

bfoley@flare.Sun.COM (Brian Foley - Sun SE - Detroit ) (01/31/91)

>In addition to HP-UX 8.0 and Domain OS it seems that OSF/1 will be 
>available.

The latest info I have is that Domain/OS will NOT be available on 
the next generation HP-PA machines. This forces the Apollo customer
base to move to HP-UX or OSF/1 to be able to use it.

Brian

====================================================
The opions expressed are my own and do not 
necessarily refeclt those of my employer.
====================================================

wayne@dsndata.uucp (Wayne Schlitt) (02/05/91)

In article <2532@texsun.Central.Sun.COM> bfoley@flare.Sun.COM (Brian Foley - Sun SE - Detroit ) writes:
> 
> >In addition to HP-UX 8.0 and Domain OS it seems that OSF/1 will be 
> >available.
> 
> The latest info I have is that Domain/OS will NOT be available on 
> the next generation HP-PA machines. This forces the Apollo customer
> base to move to HP-UX or OSF/1 to be able to use it.
> 
        
umm, pardon my ignorance, but i didnt think that domain/os has _ever_ run
on hp-pa machines.  hp-pa is hp's on risc boxes and they were out long
before hp and apollo merged.  hp-ux wont run on the DN10000's either,
but that's equally irrelevant...


i really dont know that much about how much hp has committed to
supporting domain/os 'cause i am an hp-ux user...  it is my
understanding though that the DN10000 has been upgraded since hp and
apollo merged and that hp is planning on supporting for a fair while.
they are also planning on merging hp-pa and the DN10000's, so future
versions will offer some compatibility.  i think hp has also committed
to supporting domain/os on the 68k line for a long time.  the new
series 400's run either domain/os, hp-ux or (in the future) osf/1.  



-wayne