riordanmr@clvax1.cl.msu.edu (Mark Riordan) (07/26/90)
I just talked to my Sun salespern about the very recently-announced 4/40
("color baby SPARC", we call it). Here are some details:
The machine is a 25MHz, 16 MIPS SPARCstation with a separate CPU box (like
SPARCstation 1+ and unlike SLC). Initially, the only monitor available is
a 16-inch color monitor. The CPU box has 2 SBUS slots and has room for a
floppy and a hard disk. The box has a smaller footprint than the CPU box
on a SPARCstation 1 or 1+.
A configuration with 16-inch color monitor, 208MB hard disk, and floppy
drive lists for $9995. A setup like this would have roughly the same
capabilities as a similarly-configured SPARCstation 1+ at 1/3 less cost.
Mark Riordan riordanmr@clvax1.cl.msu.edu Michigan State Univ.khaw@parcplace.com (Mike Khaw) (07/27/90)
Does the IPC have a graphics accelerator (like the GX)? If not, how does its performance compare to an SS1+ with, and w/o GX?
ballen@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Bruce Allen) (08/01/90)
My understanding is that the IPC without a GX is functionally identical to the SS1+. I have heard that you can use a GX board in the IPC, and that it will work, but that it is not an "officially supported" configuration. Apparently this is for marketing reasons. In SunTech journal, July/August 90, page 6, column 1, the product manager of the IPC is quoted as saying that the lack of GX is based on "cost conciousness" rather than "design limitations." Perhaps someone who has tried a GX board in an IPC (4/40) can comment. Bruce Allen
de5@stc06.ctd.ornl.gov (SILL D E) (08/02/90)
In article <1990Aug2.002942.17476@rice.edu> ballen@csd4.csd.uwm.edu writes: > >I have heard that you can use a GX board in the IPC, and that >it will work, but that it is not an "officially supported" configuration. I thought the reason you couldn't use a GX board in an IPC was because the GX takes two S-bus slots, and at least one of the IPC's two slots was used for something else. Are both of the IPC's slots available? I also seem to remember somebody saying that a 1-slot GX board was in the works. >Apparently this is for marketing reasons. I cannot believe that Sun would say the IPC doesn't support GX graphics simply to position it at the low end of the price spectrum. Dave Sill (de5@ornl.gov) These are my opinions. Martin Marietta Energy Systems Workstation Support
ballen@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Bruce Allen) (08/03/90)
My salescritter says that one of the two slots is taken by the framebuffer. If you removed that, it would leave two slots for use with a GX. However I really would rather hear from someone who has tried it. Bruce Allen