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From: tucker@ccvaxa.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.works
Subject: Re: 32032 UNIX
Message-ID: <16000001@ccvaxa.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 26-Jan-85 18:28:00 EST
Article-I.D.: ccvaxa.16000001
Posted: Sat Jan 26 18:28:00 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 28-Jan-85 04:49:37 EST
References: <355@stcvax.UUCP>
Lines: 38
Nf-ID: #R:stcvax:-35500:ccvaxa:16000001:000:1997
Nf-From: ccvaxa!tucker    Jan 26 17:28:00 1985


    Whitechapel in the UK makes a real nice 32K UNIX single user workstation
from the sounds of it (See the Fe issue of BYTE magazine).  Claims to use
some very advanced hardware ideas like: 
    1.) A wide data bus (64bits) with 200Mhz bandwidth (bit bandwidth).
        512K standard, 8Meg max.
    2.) Two coprocessors for the bit mapped display, one for BLT's and
        one the keyboard/mouse and mouse icon.  I.e. main processor time
        is used only when something happens at the user interface.  Just
        running the mouse around doesn't take up any main processor time.
        Also, the display processor uses virtual memory mapping with its
        own page table handler.  I.e. display memory can be non-contig and
        and as many displays as the uses wants can be used at once.
    3.) Hard-disk has a direct connection to the memory that doesn't 
        take time away from the main CPU because of high memory bandwidth.
        Hard-disk DMA allows multisector unloading to noncontig locations
        without CPU time being wasted.
        10/22/45 Meg, also one 800K floppy.

    Other nice hardware things:
    a.) Ethernet interface standard.
    b.) Full 8Mhz 32000 processor set standard.
    c.) Nice landscape display with keyboard and hemisphere mouse standard.
    d.) Soft on/off switch like that on the Apple LISA standard.

    They also have some nice software things:
    1.) BSD 4.1 Genix optimized for workstation use. (i.e single user)
    2.) Comes GKS software and windowing built in.
    3.) Full C, PASCAL, and FORTRAN optimizing compilers available. (??)
    4.) Smalltalk maybe (vaperware) available in the near future.

    The nicest thing of all was the price.  5000lbs for the base configuration.
    Thats about $6000 dallors at current exchange rates I think.  Sounds too
    good to be true.

    Note that I'm not affiliated with this company, and do not know details
    about the system.  Look at BYTE if you want to see the reveiw.