From: utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!C70:info-cpm Newsgroups: fa.info-cpm Title: DEC PC Article-I.D.: ucb.1068 Posted: Wed May 12 16:29:21 1982 Received: Thu May 13 03:44:11 1982 >From Gumby@Mit-Ai Wed May 12 16:29:13 1982 I called the DEC number and asked for info on their new small machines, and they promised to send me some info. I asked some questions which the girl on the other end seemed unable to answer (she didn't have any technical training, and claimed much of the info I wanted wasn't given to her. Knowing DEC,. that was probably true). Here is what I was able to get: The low-end machine is called the Rainbow 100. It is an 8/16-bit dual processor for small-business applications; comes with a spreadsheet package and word-processor. Typical price was given as "around $3500" (because options vary the price. She couldn't or wouldn't say what the 8-bit processor was. Next is the DECmate II for office mgmt (dibol,etc). Has a "muti-tasking 12-bit processor" (which she admitted was just a pdp8). Also comes with two floppies "improved to give double the storage." Optional winchester and bitmap video. The high-end is the 325 and the 350: "P/OS" is a muti-tasking OS with window interface. Toolkit for using with VAX software . Winchester standard. CPU is an 11/23. The difference between the 325 and the 350 are "accessories"-- the only one she told me about is a telephone management system, which seems to be a computerised answering machine (she claimed it would play back digitised voice). No prices were given for the last two systems because "the various options make it hard for them to set prices." What do I think? If the "Rainbow" is a z80/68000 or somesuch (z80/LSI-II?) then it could really win. She claimed it would "figure out which processor to run" whatever that means. But if it's performance is better or even comperable to that of S100 dual-processor cards, then it could be a formidable entry. I'll forward more when I get the brochures. Cheers! --david