Sun Microsystems has expanded its server range with the launch of two new products, a low-end Sparcserver 1 and a new top-end system – the Sparcserver 490 – which is Sun’s first server system to be purpose-designed rather than derived from its mainstream workstation line. The Sparcserver 490 uses the 33MHz Cypress implementation of Sun’s Sparc processor, rated at 22 MIPS, 3.8 MFLOPS double precision, and includes a more powerful input-output subsystem with a 64-bit memory bus capable of sustained throughput of 120Mbytes-per-second, a new Sun-patented input-output cache, and higher speed VMEbus that supports input-output transfer rates of 22 Mbytes-per-second. The box is intended as a general purpose file, database and compute server, and the improved input-output enables the system to take advantage of Sun’s IPI Intelligent Peripheral Interface disk drives, first introduced with the Sparcserver 390 last April (CI No 1,156). A new memory management system increases context switching speed, enabling the server to be used as a multi-user system for up to 130 terminals as well – typically, the machine would support from 30 to 200 network users, depending on the mix of workstations, personal computers and terminals in use. A system including 32Mb of main memory (exp andable to 160Mb ECC memory) and IGb of IPI storage costs UKP89,400. The Sparcserver 1 is aimed at workgroups of between five and 15 users, and has the same 20MHz, 12.5 MIPS Sparc from LSI Logic used in the Sparcstat ion 1. With from from 8Mb to 16Mb memory, up to four external 327Mb external disks, three SBus expansion slots, support for the new SunCD ROM storage unit and 150Mb tape back-up, the system is claimed to be as fast as the DECsystem 3100 server but 40% cheaper and with 10 times the applications, according to Sun. The thing sells in the UK for UKP16,900 for a system with 8Mb main memory, 654Mb disk storage and 150Mb tape.