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From: al...@OCF.Berkeley.EDU (Alan Coopersmith)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.powerpc
Subject: IBM PR: New PowerPC based RS/6000's & PowerParallels
Date: 5 Oct 1994 00:08:24 GMT
Organization: U.C. Berkeley Open Computing Facility
Lines: 219
Message-ID: <36sqpo$1fh@agate.berkeley.edu>
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[Note: I don't work for or speak for IBM. I don't know anything, so
don't ask me. -alan-]
IBM ANNOUNCES INNOVATIVE NEW RS/6000 BUSINESS SERVERS,
ENTRY RS/6000 WORKSTATION, LOWER-COST POWERPARALLEL SYSTEMS
October 4, 1994
New RS/6000 Products Use PowerPC Technology,
Support New Storage, Software Offerings Also Introduced
NEW YORK, Oct. 4, 1994 . . . IBM today introduced a sweeping
set of enhancements to its popular RISC System/6000* (RS/6000*)
computer line. The announcements were highlighted by three new
PowerPC* symmetric multiprocessor (SMP) servers that give
business customers highly reliable, upgradable, and affordable
systems for their most demanding client/server applications.
The company also introduced a new desktop RS/6000 PowerPC
workstation, priced at $3,995. This system delivers the best
value in the industry for an entry RISC workstation with superior
configuration pricing, performance, expansion and processor
upgrade capability.
IBM is also significantly lowering the entry price of
parallel computing by introducing an entry-level, two-node
POWERparallel Systems SP2*. At $145,000, it is priced more
than 60 percent lower than previous entry models. Other new
hardware and software products greatly enhance the capabilities
of the POWERparallel Systems family for mission-critical
applications.
Several new RS/6000 storage products announced today deliver
flexible options for expanding businesses. In addition, new
software products for AIX* -- IBM's advanced version of the
UNIX** operating system for RS/6000 and SP2 products -- allow
greater productivity gains for users who rely on client/server
networks to run their enterprises.
"We are clearly focused on providing outstanding value for
our customers," said Bill Filip, general manager of the IBM RISC
System/6000 Division. "Today's announcements draw on the
expertise of many IBM divisions to deliver the broadest set of
capabilities for UNIX-based client/server environments. The use
of common core technologies such as the PowerPC chip and AIX
software allows us to offer our customers attractively priced,
reliable, high-performance systems that meet their needs today
and will grow with them in the future."
PowerPC SMP Servers -- A Better Way of Doing Business
IBM's new business systems are the RS/6000 Model G30, J30
and R30 PowerPC servers. They feature an SMP design, which
allows two or more processors to be used in the same system.
Prices for entry two-processor models begin at $40,900 for the
Model G30, $70,500 for the Model J30 and $83,900 for the
Model R30. The systems will be available to customers on a
limited basis beginning in the fourth quarter of 1994, with
volume availability in first quarter 1995.
SMP servers are often a preferred solution for large
business customers such as banks, insurance firms and others who
need to quickly process large amounts of critical data. They
tend to be very reliable, have a relatively low cost of ownership
over time, and allow customers to extend the life of their
systems investment through the addition of more processors to
increase performance.
According to industry consultant Andrew Allison, "The cost
effectiveness and scalability of RISC-based symmetric
multiprocessor systems are causing them to sweep the server
market. Combined into cluster configurations, SMP systems
provide extraordinary power and flexibility."
While other companies offer RISC-based SMP solutions,
IBM's RS/6000 SMP systems stand out:
- they are made and sold by the most experienced
computing company in the industry;
- they use the PowerPC technology for high performance
and easy upgrades -- including upgrades from
existing single-processor RS/6000 models;
- and they feature an innovative design that
contributes to greater efficiency and higher
reliability, availability and serviceability.
Included is IBM SystemGuard*, a dedicated service
processor which can automatically diagnose and
correct many systems problems on its own. If more
help is needed, it calls IBM service by itself.
PowerPC 601* processors are at the heart of the new RS/6000
SMP systems, which are available in mini-tower, deskside and
rack-mounted versions and initially support from two to four
processors. Next year, customers can easily obtain more
performance in two ways -- faster PowerPC chips and/or more
processors.
A free upgrade to the more powerful PowerPC 604* chip will
be available to PowerPC 601 SMP users in 1995#, with even faster
PowerPC chips such as the PowerPC 620* planned to be supported in
the future. Users of the PowerPC 601 or PowerPC 604 deskside and
rack-mounted SMP systems will be able to take advantage of
six-and-eight-way SMP processor upgrades in 1995 as well.
"From a technical perspective, the RS/6000 SMP systems
featuring PowerPC processors have been designed to easily
accommodate future growth, not only through the addition of the
604 and 620 chips but through their high bandwidth memory
switching and advanced cache technologies," said Phil Hester,
general manager, IBM Systems Technology and Architecture Division.
"The enhanced scalability, reliability, and availability of these
new UNIX systems reflect IBM's extensive experience in delivering
multiprocessor solutions for our mainframe and AS/400* customers."
The 601, 604 and 620 chips are members of the IBM PowerPC
family of high-performance, low-cost RISC microprocessors,
developed with Apple Computer and Motorola, Inc. RISC -- or
reduced instruction set computing -- is a technology invented by
IBM to provide very high levels of computing performance.
IBM was the first company to announce PowerPC-based
computers, introducing new RS/6000 servers and workstations with
this technology in September 1993. Today's announcement marks
the fourth time that IBM has introduced PowerPC-based products in
its RS/6000 line.
Best Workstation Value in the Industry
IBM's new RS/6000 Model 40P workstation offers the best
value in the industry for customers looking for a low-cost,
expandable entry graphics computer, local-area-network
(LAN)-attached client, or office productivity system that
supports a UNIX-based operating system.
The Model 40P uses the PowerPC 601 chip to deliver all the
power that's needed for applications such as entry computer-aided
design and desktop publishing. As a LAN-attached client system,
it provides easy access to enterprise data for applications such
as retail and finance where low cost per user is a primary buying
criteria. An optional "Level 2 cache" capability allows greater
performance for advanced technical and commercial applications.
Even more performance will be available to Model 40P users in
1995, when IBM will make a PowerPC 604 upgrade available.
Along with the networking flexibility, performance and
multi-tasking capability of a UNIX-based system, the Model 40P
also supports popular PC-class standards such as the Peripheral
Component Interconnect (PCI) interface and the Industry Standard
Architecture (ISA) bus standards. This blending of the best
attributes of RISC workstations and PC systems makes for a very
full-featured yet affordable system.
Planned availability for the Model 40P is October 28.
Lower Cost, More Capabilities for POWERparallel Systems
IBM announced significant new capabilities for its
POWERparallel Systems family today. In addition to the
introduction of new two-node SP2 systems, customers can now
purchase up to 512-node SP2 models as well by special order.
Other new features contribute to improved reliability,
security, availability, systems management, greater ease of use
and higher levels of interoperability with System/390* systems.
New disk drive technology doubles the rate at which information
is transferred, and allows up to 18 gigabytes of storage per
node.
The SP2 can now attach to storage devices such as tape
libraries, CD-ROM, storage subsystems and optical devices at very
high speeds. A new low-cost High Performance Switch for the
entry-level systems provides superb communication among nodes,
a key factor to the parallelism and scalability of the SP2.
The POWERparallel Systems family, based on the RS/6000
architecture and AIX, provides commercial and technical customers
with a platform for highly available applications. The systems
can address a wide range of requirements, from retail stores that
track thousands of items in hundreds of locations every day, to
investment houses that analyze vast amounts of data and create
new investment offerings for their customers, to the exploration
and production department of an oil company doing seismic data
research to find new deposits.
Sales and Information Support
The IBM products highlighted in this release are available
from IBM and authorized IBM Business Partners in the U.S. and
other countries around the world.
In the U.S., IBM Credit Corporation offers flexible
financing rates as low as 6.5 percent and a technology upgrade
option for selected RS/6000 products. Several special leasing
options are available for the new SMP systems.
Additional IBM product and marketing information is
available on the Internet through the WorldWide Web. General IBM
information can be accessed at address www.ibm.com. RS/6000
specific information is also available at www.austin.ibm.com. A
self-service fax system in the U.S., 800-IBM-4FAX, also provides
marketing and other literature. The RS/6000 documents code is 2.
* Indicates trademark or registered trademark of
International Business Machines Corporation
** UNIX is a registered trademark licensed exclusively by
X/Open Company Ltd. Other trademarks are owned by
their respective companies.
# Applies to Model G30, J30 and R30 systems installed
prior to general availability of comparable PowerPC 604
SMP models.
Please Note:
Questions about the content or currency of this press release
should be directed to your local IBM representative.