As hinted back in May, Copenhagen, Denmark-based Unix supermicromaker Dansk Data Elektronik AS is launching a MIPS Computer Systems RISC option for its innovative multiprocessor Supermax Unix series that was launched in 1982 with Motorola 68000 processors and first hit the UK way back in 1984 (CI No 61). From April next year, the top-end Supermax model will take up to eight processors, which can be any combination of 20MHz or 25MHz MIPS R3000, 25MHz or 33MHz Motorola 68030, and 20MHz Motorola 68020 processors. A fully configured system is claimed to deliver 150 MIPS performance – or around three times the processing power of the previous top-end configuration. Memory goes from 4Mb up to a total of 256Mb per CPU with the addition of 16Mb expansion boards. As well as running Unix System V.3 System V.4 is expected during the course of next year software, like the hardware, is interchangeable – the Supermax will run applications written for both the MIPS and Motorola 680X0 processors, as well as the transaction processing version 6.0 of Oracle’s relational database. Across the four models in the series disk capacity runs from 85Mb up to 15Gb, and the top-end Rack and Vertical options will support up to 256 users. Prices start at around UKP70,000 and go up to UKP1m.
