Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!portal!atari!good
From: good@atari.UUCP (Roy Good)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: 68030 Un*x Workstation
Message-ID: <1036@atari.UUCP>
Date: 6 Apr 88 18:18:10 GMT
References: <8803300934.AA11609@ucbvax.berkeley.edu> <1033@atari.UUCP> <5504@uwmcsd1.UUCP>
Organization: Atari Corp., Sunnyvale CA
Lines: 32
Summary: 030 v Abaq

In article <5504@uwmcsd1.UUCP>, john1233@csd4.milw.wisc.edu (Thomas M Johnson) writes:
> Ok, I guess my question is:
> Why is Atari producing a 68030 machine that runs UNIX (or a clone)
> when the ABAQ will also run UNIX (or a clone)?
> 
The "ABAQ" (a temporary name, due to a Belgian trademark conflict - I kind
of like "ATAQ"), is a high-performance graphics beast, using the Mega as
an I/O channel. It has the Helios OS, which is a UN*X-clone but not SVID
compatible, having several extensions for the multiprocessing Transputers.
Thus it will not conform to federal/government requirements which blandly
state SVID or X/OPEN compliance, to simplify their qualification procedures
amongst other reasons. My personal opinion is that the "ABAQ" will find its
niche in markets totally different to the '030.

The '030 is specified for X/OPEN and SVID compliance, and follows standards
all the way, including X Windows and VME. Thus it is a somewhat generic
platform at a very low cost considering its performance, and can be used
to address federal, EEC and similar tenders, as well as being attractive to
VARs and major accounts.

The '030 will make use of a lot of the technology for high-performance video
which is found in the "ABAQ", and I suppose it is quite possible that the
two might converge at a later date. But in order to bring clean products to
market, the two will continue their development paths independently, and 
will, I suspect, be marketed as outlined above.

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Roy J. Good
Product Development, Atari Corporation

Views expressed are my own. Atari may agree or disagree; they have the right.
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