Gene - Compaq rolls out New Workstaions - ALL XEON Based.
I wonder if Eckhard Pfeiffer let the DECUS crowd in on this announcement?
Paul
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techweb.com
Compaq Launches Xeon-Based Workstation Line
(10/06/98 3:13 p.m. ET)
By Alexander Wolfe, EE Times
Banking on the next-generation implementation
of its Highly Parallel System Architecture (HPSA)
to give it a boost in the increasingly crowded
engineering workstation field, Compaq has
unveiled a family of models dubbed the Scalable
Performance 700.
The SP700 is built around Intel's Xeon
microprocessor and Microsoft's Windows NT
operating system. Initial offerings include single-
or dual-processor configurations with either
400-MHz or 450-MHz Xeon CPUs. The 450-MHz
device is a higher-speed Xeon that Intel
introduced Tuesday.
Intel's Xeon, first unveiled in June, marks an
impressive updating of the basic Pentium II. The
processor is the first to use Intel's Slot 2
package. It also includes a beefed-up L2 cache,
a 100-MHz processor bus, and the ability to
address multiple gigabytes of memory.
However, Compaq (company profile) isn't relying
on the processor to differentiate its new
workstations from a competitive array of
Xeon-based models being released or planned
by Hewlett-Packard, Intergraph, Silicon
Graphics, Dell and other competitors in the
engineering-workstation ranks.
Rather, Compaq emphasizes its HPSA, which is
essentially an input/output architecture designed
to boost throughput to memory and peripherals.
"The second generation of our HPSA does a
tremendous amount to broaden the I/O pipes in
terms of memory bandwidth as well as the disk,"
said David Parsons, director of workstation
marketing at Compaq.
HPSA is intended to deliver a high degree of
parallelism in an effort to enhance the
performance of heavy-duty engineering
applications such as electronic design
automation and electronic computer-aided
design. In the case of Compaq's new
workstations, the SP700 is equipped with two
high-speed memory buses to process memory
requirements in parallel. This dual-controller
memory subsystem provides 1.6 gigabytes per
second of memory bandwidth.
The workstations, which start at around $3,600,
also boast dual-peer Peripheral Component
Interconnect buses that deliver a combined total
of 267 megabytes per second of input/output
bandwidth. The idea behind this configuration is
that a single PCI would have to be shared by
many key peripherals, such as the graphics
controller, hard drive, and network interface card.
But with dual-peer PCI buses, each bus can
provide peak bandwidth in parallel with the other.
Another benefit is the ability to balance system
resources across the two buses.
Also included are support for up to 4 GBs of
100-MHz ECC synchronous dynamic RAM,
dual-channel SCSI support, accelerated
graphics port 2X graphics, and multiprocessing
capabilities.
Compaq offers a range of graphics options.
These include the company's internally
developed PowerStorm 300, which is based on
the Realimage 2100 chip set from Evans &
Sutherland and features 15 MBs of 3-D RAM for
the frame- and z-buffers. Also available is Elsa's
Gloria Synergy+ accelerator, which is intended
as a low-cost 2-D/3-D solution.
Finally, Compaq said the dual-memory controller
and PCI capabilities of HPSA give it an edge
when it comes to multiprocessing. The SP700
will be offered in a dual-CPU configuration.
The new models come at an opportune time for
Compaq, which is looking to bounce back from a
recent drop-off in workstation market share,
according to rankings released by Dataquest in
San Jose, Calif.
Compaq fell from second place to fourth in
market share, with a 10.6 percent share of units
shipped. Compaq also placed fourth in revenue
with an 11.2 percent share. Sun Microsystems
led in terms of workstation revenue, while
Hewlett-Packard was first in number of systems
shipped.
Those rankings are misleading, according to
Compaq. "When you look at the numbers, they
really represent sales into the channel," said
Compaq's Parsons. "In terms of real units
shipped to real customers, we've had record
sales each quarter. Those numbers don't get
reported anywhere."
Parsons pointed to Compaq's recent acquisition
of Digital Equipment as one possible reason for
the recent rankings. Once Compaq took control
of Digital and all of its Alpha-based workstations,
"we found ourselves with a bit more inventory in
our channels, which we've spent the first half of
the year working through," Parsons said. |
