mikeh@lupine.ncd.com (Mike Harrigan) (11/03/90)
NEW 15-INCH X TERMINAL FROM NETWORK COMPUTING DEVICES PROVIDES FULL X WINDOW FUNCTIONALITY FOR UNDER $1500 NEW YORK, Oct. 31, 1990 -- A 15-inch monochrome X terminal that provides full X Window System functionality and advanced ergonomics has been introduced by Network Computing Devices, Inc. (NCD), at a list price of $1,495. The new NCD15b is the second member of NCD's line of entry-level X terminals, inaugurated in July with a 19-inch model, the $2,295 NCD19b. Both monochrome units offer resolution of 1024 x 800 pixels on easy-to-read non-interlaced screens. "Its low price and 15-inch-diagonal screen size will make the NCD15b an ideal terminal replacement in applications such as transaction processing and office automation," said Judy Estrin, NCD executive vice president. Cost-Effective ASCII Terminal Upgrade "Costing over $1,000 less than Digital Equipment Corporation's 15-inch VT1200 X terminal yet offering twice the performance, the NCD15b will be especially appealing to terminal users wanting to upgrade to graphics and windowing capability in a cost-effective way," Estrin added. Like all NCD X terminals, the NCD15b can simultaneously access multiple host computers running the UNIX, VMS or ULTRIX operating systems, communicating the data for each session to the user through a separate display window. The NCD15b features the same base electronics as the recently introduced NCD19b. A 16-MHz MC68000 16-bit processor is used to drive text, windowing and two-dimensional graphics; a single highly integrated gate-array chip combines the functions of some 40 discrete circuits on the firm's other monochrome X terminal products, including graphics engines, memory and display controllers. The unit's standard 2 MB of dynamic RAM memory is field-upgradable to 5 MB using single in-line memory modules (SIMMs). Real X Terminals Run the X Server Estrin said that "some so-called X terminals, being marketed at seemingly rock-bottom prices, are actually only slightly better than dumb terminals because their design dictates that the X Server software run on the host computer, using up a significant portion of host CPU resources. Unlike these products, the NCD15b and all NCD units are true X terminals, running a full implementation of the X server locally and thus off-loading hosts of all display and communication functions." Supporting an optimized version of the X.11 R4 server, the NCD15b delivers full software functionality, including xdmcp (the X display manager control protocol); the shape extension feature for creating non-rectangular windows; multiple local Telnet or LAT clients, both with VT220 emulation; and industry-standard SNMP-based network management. Multiple communication protocols -- TCP/IP, SLIP, Digital's DECnet and LAT, and NCD's XRemote -- are supported. XRemote, designed with unique data compression algorithms for optimized serial connectivity, is 10 times the speed of SLIP, making the NCD15b ideal for remote applications in which a compact, low-cost X terminal is likely to be used, Estrin said. The NCD15b operates with any X graphical user interface, including OSF/Motif, OPENLOOK or Xview. In addition to X applications, the unit support DECwindows and terminal-oriented applications. Advanced Ergonomics Retaining the ergonomic orientation of all NCD X terminals, the NCD15b has a tilt-and-swivel screen and a space-conserving 13-inch-square base. A 70-Hz non-interlaced refresh rate and 100-dot-per-inch resolution product flicker-free images, while an internal convection cooling system eliminates the need for a noisy fan. The NCD15b is fully compatible with other NCD X terminals and with the firm's growing line of peripheral devices, including mouse, keyboards (PS/2, UNIX, VT220 and Japanese Kana styles) and Ethernet controllers (thick, thin, and twisted pair). Software is available as a PROM set or downloadable over the network for fast and easy distribution of new features and upgrades. Pricing/Availability Available 30 days after receipt of order, the NCD15b is priced starting at $1,495 (U.S. List) and includes monitor, base (with 2 MB RAM), choice of keyboard styles, mouse, one serial port and choice of Ethernet cards (standard thick and thin, or twisted pair). A 1 MB XRemote configuration for use with serial lines or modems is available for the same price. A software license is an additional $50 per unit. Network Computing Devices, Inc., formed in February 1988, is a leading supplier of network display stations providing users simultaneous access to multi-vendor computers on a network via the industry-standard X Window System. The NCD16, NCD16e, NCD19, NCD19b, and NCD15b monochrome units, and the NCD17c color unit, offer workstation-style multi-user interfaces for users in UNIX, VMS and ULTRIX operating system environments. NCD is privately held. Company contact: Judy Estrin Network Computing Devices, Inc. 415/694-0650 email: info@ncd.com Agency contacts: William Orrange Janis Ulevich Ulevich & Orrange, Inc. 415/329-1590 UNIX EXPO -- Booth #123