Hewlett-Packard Co has added new models to its HP 9000 Unix and proprietary MPE/iX-based HP 3000 server lines at the high end, which, it claims, offer mainframe performance at between 10% and 20% of the cost. The new machines are based on the group’s first 90MHz implementation of its Precision Architecture RISC chip, the PA7100, and incorporate an enhanced system board, which sports up to two processors. Customers can upgrade their existing kit simply by swapping boards. The HP 9000 Model T500 comes in two configurations: a one- to eight-way symmetric multiprocessing version, which is available now; and a nine- to 12-processor version, which will be released in the first quarter of 1994. Prices range from $165,000 to $660,000, including a two-user licence for HP-UX. But Hewlett-Packard hasn’t forgotten about HP 9000 Series 800 users. They get a fast-wide differential SCSI-2 interface, which provides a 20M-byte per second burst synchronous transfer rate and supports 15 devices per channel; and a new family of disk arrays supporting SCSI-2. These store up to 10Gb per array and support independent mode and RAID levels 3 and 5. The HP 3000 servers are planned to ship in the first quarter of 1994, at prices ranging from $219,300 for a single processor entry-level Series 991 system to $679,300 for an eight-way Series 995/800.
