---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Florida SunFlash Third Party Product Announcements SunFLASH Vol 31 #11 July 1991 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- I am happy to post a small volume of third party product announcements such as the ones in this article. Products usually solve problems or improve productivity - those are the criteria that I use in selecting announcements. If you see or have a product announcement that would be of value to a large number of Sun users, please forward them to me. Forwarding third party product announcements does not imply an endorsement by Sun. -johnj ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- INTRODUCING LOW COST SCANNING FOR SPARC STATIONS INTRODUCING SYNCHRONOUS SOFTWARE PROTOCOLS SPARC WORKSTATIONS NOW CONNECT TO TOKEN RING NETWORKS MULTIPLEXER AND EXPANSION PRODUCTS Tektronix announces a new color printer -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AURORA TECHNOLOGIES PRESENTS NEW PRODUCTS AT SUN OPEN SYSTEMS EXPO Cambridge, MA -- July 15, 1991 -- At the Sun Open Systems Expo in San Jose, California next week, Aurora Technologies will introduce their newest SBus add-on products for the SPARC workstation market. Beginning in 1988 with their Multiport and Expansion Product lines and now with their newest products FirstScan and the SBus Token Ring Card, Aurora has steadily built a reputation for sophisticated products in both the technical and commercial segments of the SPARC workstation market. Aurora also announces that they are now distributing five synchronous software protocol products developed by Brixton Systems, Inc. These product introductions and announcements reinforce Aurora's strong position as the leading vendor of SPARC workstation add-on products. INTRODUCING LOW COST SCANNING FOR SPARC STATIONS The FirstScan product, designed to interface with the HP ScanJet(tm) scanner, is the first low cost scanning solution for SPARC workstations; a technology previously available only on PCs. FirstScan provides CAD users and Desktop Publishers with the tools to create sophisticated printed output and also creates TIFF format files that can be used by OCR software packages to create ASCII text from scanned documents. The FirstScan product will be released in August. Members of the press and show attendees are invited to view FirstScan product demonstrations at the Aurora booth, #807. INTRODUCING SYNCHRONOUS SOFTWARE PROTOCOLS Aurora offers several hardware products that can support multiple software protocols. The most recent support for these products comes from five new synchronous software protocols, developed by Brixton Systems, that work with Aurora's SBus synchronous multiplexer products, Multiport Model 400S+(tm) and 800S+(tm). These software products enable high-speed connections to various remote systems. - The SNA3270 facilitates UNIX-to-IBM connectivity by emulating the full functionality of a 3270 SNA controller and its associated terminals. - The full 1984 CCITT X.25 is a powerful communications package that links SPARC workstations to public and private data networks. - The Internet Router complies with the standard Point to Point Protocol which not only enables you to interconnect your SPARC workstations using wide area leased phone lines, but also to connect your SPARC workstations to remote routers supporting the Point to Point Protocol. - The SunNet Manager to NetView Interface facilitates co-management between IBM and Sun network management tools, allowing IBM network operators to monitor local area networks (LANs) managed by Sun's SunNet manager. - The 3770/RJE connectivity software allows SPARC workstation users to perform RJE batch file transfer over SNA networks. SPARC WORKSTATIONS NOW CONNECT TO TOKEN RING NETWORKS Aurora announces the first SBus Token Ring card that enables Sun workstations to be easily integrated into Token Ring networks. The SBus Token Ring Card conforms to the IEEE 802.5 Token Ring standard. In conjunction with the Token Ring Card, Aurora announces TCP/IP Interface software, the first protocol option available for the Token Ring Card. This software product allows SPARC workstations to connect to other SPARC workstations, PCs, AS400s and various other systems running TCP/IP network protocols over Token Ring networks. The TCP/IP Interface software provides additional functionality including routing between nodes on Ethernet and Token Ring networks when they are using TCP/IP. Future protocol options will be available including NetBIOS, Netware, SNA LU6.2, LU6.0 and LAN Manager. The SBus Token Ring Card is a major advance toward universal communications between PC and workstation networks. MULTIPLEXER AND EXPANSION PRODUCTS Aurora will also be showing products from two of the lines that built their reputation; the SBus multiplexer cards and expansion product lines. The Multiport products are a set of seven multiplexer cards from a single parallel port to 16 serial lines. Representing the Expansion product line will be the SBox(tm) expansion chassis and the FD350 and FD525 SCSI floppy drives. The SBox chassis provides four new SBus slots and room for two SCSI devices. The two SCSI floppy drives, the FD350 (3.5") and the FD525 (5.25") are compatible with SPARC workstations. VISIT BOOTH #807 Aurora Technologies will be located at the show in booth #807 where representatives will be available to demonstrate products and answer questions. PRICE AND AVAILABILITY FirstScan will be available in August and is priced at $995.00. The SBus Token Ring Card will be available in September and is priced at $1495.00. The TCP/IP Interface software will be available upon the release of the Token Ring Card and it is priced at $500.00. The Multiport and Expansion products are available now. The SBus Multiport cards and are priced from $395.00 for a single parallel port to $1995.00 for 16 serial lines. The SBox is priced at $2195.00 and the FD350 and FD525 SCSI floppy drives are $995.00 each. ### For press information contact: Brian Skidmore, Marketing Director Aurora Technologies, Inc. 38 Sidney Street, Cambridge, MA 02139 (617)577-1288(voice) (617)621-0265(fax) Based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Aurora Technologies, Inc. develops, markets and supports add-on products for SPARC workstations. The company offers a complete range of solutions, from SBus multiplexer cards, communications products, and SBus expansion products, to software and accessories, each specifically designed to meet the needs of SPARC workstation users. Aurora was founded in 1988 by Dennis Daudelin and Daniel Kozin, former members of Sun's engineering and marketing teams. Aurora is a member of SPARC International and an Advantage member of Sun's Catalyst Program. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Tektronix announces a new color printer. From: davidh8@pogo.wv Tektronix Introduces First Tabloid-Sized Plain-Paper Color Printer Under $10,000 Supports Adobe PostScript Level 2 Wilsonville, Ore., June 17, 1991 Tektronix Inc. today announced the PhaserJet PXi, the first tabloid-sized color printer capable of producing brilliant color on virtually any paper. The PhaserJet PXi will be available in July at a suggested price of $9,995. The PhaserJet PXi uses Tektronix proprietary phase change ink-jet technology to solve a long-standing color printing problem -- producing brilliant, high-resolution color output on nearly any kind of paper, from thin vellum to cover stock, in sizes up to 12 by 18 inches. Using ordinary paper with other desktop color printing technologies results in poor-quality color. The 300 dots-per-inch (dpi) PhaserJet PXi color printer incorporates a 24MHz RISC-based controller with Adobe Systems' PostScript Level 2, which consolidates extensions to the current industry-standard PostScript language and adds new features. These features include device-independent color matching, data compression, arbitrary fill pattern definition, enhanced font rendering, extended screen functions, improved memory management and forms caching. Adobe's PostScript Level 2 device-independent color support and Tektronix' TekColor technology provide users with unequaled color output accuracy. Tektronix' PhaserJet PXi controller uses AMD's Am29000 RISC processor running at 24MHz for exceptionally fast PostScript file processing. Full-color pages are printed in as little as two minutes, while monochrome pages print in 40 to 60 seconds, depending on text density. The cost of consumables is comparable to laser printers -- nominally 5 cents per page for monochrome text and 25 cents for an average color page. "Because the PhaserJet PXi prints on virtually any size and type of paper, graphic artists can produce comprehensive layouts that closely match the finished product," said A.J. Rogers, Tektronix strategic marketing manager. "Popular applications such as PageMaker and Quark XPress can be used to create documents in color for better readability," Rogers added. "Newsletters, brochures, reports, pamphlets and other desktop publishing projects can now include color without having to use special paper." The PhaserJet PXi can be shared among many users. Its intelligent multitasking interface provides parallel, serial and AppleTalk ports that are automatically switched as needed, making the PhaserJet PXi ideal for multiple-platform environments. Built-in HP-GL emulation can be selected for engineering applications that do not support PostScript. Tektronix' phase change ink-jet technology involves melting solid, wax-based inks and jetting them onto paper. Upon contacting the surface, the melted inks return to a solid state to form a permanent image. The image is then smoothed with a Tektronix-patented cold-pressure fusing process that improves ink adhesion and enhances projectability of overhead transparencies. Several Tektronix innovations are incorporated in the PhaserJet PXi's phase change ink-jet technology. These innovations include proprietary ink formulas, the patented cold-pressure fusing process plus a print head positioning and media-handling system that produces extremely accurate dot placement on a broad range of media types and sizes. Accurate dot placement provides crisp text and line quality and dependable color registration. The base memory configuration of the PhaserJet PXi is 10MB, expandable up to 18MB with two 4MB upgrades for $995 each. The first 4MB upgrade gives the user sufficient memory to print a full 11 by 17 inch bleed on 12 by 18 inch paper. The second 4MB upgrade provides additional memory for input buffers, fonts and pipelined image processing while printing, allowing for faster throughput in shared environments. The PhaserJet PXi color printer is covered by a one-year warranty. For further customer or dealer information, write to Tektronix Inc., P.O. Box 1000, MS 63-583, Wilsonville, Ore. 97070, call (800) 835-6100, or send email to color_printers@tektronix.tek.com. Tek's Graphics Printing & Imaging Division is part of the Computer Graphics Group, which markets a complete line of graphics products including color printers, X-terminals and software. Tektronix is a leading manufacturer of electronic products and systems in the areas of computer graphics, test and measurement and communications. Sales in fiscal 1990 totaled $1.4 billion. Tektronix and Tek are registered trademarks of Tektronix Inc. Phaser is a trademark of Tektronix Inc. Adobe and PostScript are trademarks of Adobe Systems Inc. registered in the U.S. and other countries. Other marks used in this document are trademarks or registered trademarks of the manufacturers or marketers of the products with which the marks are associated. Contacts: Charles Humble (503) 221-1063 Hastings, Humble, Giardini & Freeman Inc. Kathy Melcher (503) 685-3150 Tektronix Graphics Printing & Imaging Division ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ For information send mail to info-sunflash@sunvice.East.Sun.COM. Subscription requests should be sent to sunflash-request@sunvice.East.Sun.COM. Archives are on solar.nova.edu and paris.cs.miami.edu. All prices, availability, and other statements relating to Sun or third party products are valid in the U.S. only. Please contact your local Sales Representative for details of pricing and product availability in your region. Descriptions of, or references to products or publications within SunFlash does not imply an endorsement of that product or publication by Sun Microsystems. John McLaughlin, SunFlash editor, flash@sunvice.East.Sun.COM. (305) 776-7770.