Article Abstract:
HP's and Convex Computer Corp's Meta Series supercomputers are low-cost combinations of supercomputers and workstations that are the first products to be introduced under a cooperative agreement between the two companies. A low-end Meta system, which would include two HP Apollo 9000 Series 700 workstations, a Convex C3410 supercomputer and software, will be priced at $500,000. HP claims that this system will have the power of a $5 million system. Users may also buy separate workstation clusters starting at $70,000 and add more hardware later. Convex is responsible for the software, which is developed by government laboratories such as Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The Meta Series represents the first time that two companies have cooperatively developed a product that includes separate machines from each company. The companies also expect to introduce a massively parallel supercomputer in 1994.
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Article Abstract:
Cray Research Inc introduces the Cray Y-MP C-90, which is four times faster than Cray's previous machines. The new computer is also very expensive, costing $30.5 million. Some industry observers wonder whether Cray will be able to successfully market so expensive a product in a time of budget cutbacks. The Y-MP C-90 uses a central processing unit (CPU) that can do one billion floating-point operations in a second (one gigaflop). There are 16 CPUs in a Y-MP C-90, so that the machine's theoretical performance is 16 gigaflops. Barry F. Willman, an industry analyst with Sanford C. Bernstein & Co, calls the Y-MP C-90 very competitive with Japanese machines 'because of Cray's software and networking abilities.'
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Article Abstract:
Cray Research Inc's Y-MP2E is an entry-level supercomputer that sells for $2.2 million. The new product contains the same processing and memory technology and runs at the same six nanosecond cycle speed as other members of the Y family, but these smaller machines do not need cumbersome cooling 'plumbing' that earlier versions required. The new supercomputers can be either air-cooled or water-cooled, and they will fit into current computer-room environments. Shipments are expected to begin in Aug or Sep 1990.
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