zemon@felix.UUCP (04/10/84)
I found the following (thanks to Steve Brecher) on CompuServe.
Enjoy!
Art Zemon
FileNet Corp.
======================================================================
Sb: #WaferVAX
01-Apr-84 00:16:47
Fm: Steve Brecher 70001,1011
To: All
TechWire - April 1 - ZRF01GJ
Maynard, Mass -- Digital Equipment Corporation today announced a
new line of "pocket supermicrocomputers" called WaferVAX. A DEC
spokesman said the new systems are based on semiconductor wafer
technology developed by Trilogy, a California R&D company in
which DEC recently made a multi-million dollar investment. The
announcement caught industry observers by surprise, as Trilogy
said as recently as last month that several technical problems
remained unresolved in its development program.
The new line of systems is software-compatible with the VAX line
of 32-bit superminis, the spokesman said, but the new technology
provides size, price, and performance breakthroughs. The entire
system, including central processor, 4 MB of RAM, 2 MB of ROM,
semiconductor-based 160 MB disk-emulation, and 1200-baud modem is
contained on a single 400 square-centimeter wafer and is powered
by a nicad watch battery. Performance is about 90% of the firm's
VAX-11/780, the spokesman claimed.
The initial offering, WaferVAX I, is expected to start deliveries
in late August. It is packaged in a 4x5.75x0.5 inch plastic
enclosure which, the spokesman pointed out, fits into a shirt
pocket. The ROM in the WaferVAX I will contain a single-user
version of the VAX/VMS operating system. A version with
Ultrix/32 (DEC's version of Berkeley Unix) will be available in
November. A miniature 25-pin connector is provided to interface
an RS-232 device. There is no built-in display, and the only
integral keyboard is 16-key pad, designed to be used as a boot
and debugging console, so an external terminal is required for
actual use. The unit provides a modular phone jack which
connects to its internal modem.
The WaferVAX I will carry an end-user price of $29.95. A free
one-year service contract (not including battery replacement)
will be offered. Because the low price will open vast new
markets, the spokesman said, DEC is seeking to broaden its
traditional OEM distribution channels. Talks were said to be
underway with Safeway, K-Mart, and Southland Corp's 7-11 chain of
convenience stores, but no agreements have been finalized.BILLW@Sri-Kl.ARPA (04/22/84)
Sounds an awful lot like a description of the "walkman vax", a member of the 'useless products group', that was given at a recent decus as part of the `vax war stories, etc` session. BillW
mats@dual.UUCP (Mats Wichmann) (04/25/84)
It will NEVER sell - it doesn't seem to be PC-compatible!
Mats Wichmann