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Aucbvax.2935 fa.works utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!works Fri Sep 4 09:05:58 1981 WorkS Digest V1 #13 >From DUFFEY@MIT-AI Fri Sep 4 08:58:22 1981

WorkS Digest Fri, 4 Sep 1981 Volume 1 : Issue 13

Today's Topics: What is a Workstation?, Workstations - Xerox 1100 ----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 3 Sep 1981 1703-PDT From: Mike Leavitt <LEAVITT USC-ISI AT> Subject: Works Book

One of the issues that has weaved in and out of the discussion here is why certain small machines are *not* workstations. It would seem interesting for the definitive (for this year) workstation book to discuss this issue, as well, and perhaps to indicate just what would need to be done to the more common small machines for them to qualify as workstations. I'm cc'ing the list on this because I want to hear the flames about how an Apple can NEVER become a REAL workstation, before I give specifics!

Mike <LEAVITT USC-ISI AT>

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Date: 3 Sep 1981 0959-PDT From: Richard R. Cower <COWER SRI-KL AT> Subject: Xerox

NO. 509 August 27, 1981

XEROX ANNOUNCES INTERLISP PROCESSOR FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE RESEARCH

A compact computer system for use by research scientists in artificial intelligence has been announced by Xerox Corporation.

The Xerox 1100 Scientific Information Processor includes a wide- format, bit-map display, keyboard, and "mouse" pointing device. It makes available the Interlisp-D software, an upward-compatible extension of Interlisp, formerly available only on large, time- shared computers.

The 1100 Interlisp system provides scientists with a computing environment for conducting artificial intelligence research. This research discipline has applications in engineering, medicine, genetics, geophysics, robotics, and other fields.

Both the hardware and software were developed at the company's Palo Alto Research Center in California. The system will be marketed by Xerox Electro-Optical Systems in Pasadena, California.

Louis G. Karagianis, Vice-President of Marketing for Xerox Electro-Optical Systems said, "The 1100 processor is intended for use by research scientists in universities and large industrial research laboratories, which are centers of activity for the development of artificial intelligence techniques."

The system has 1.15 megabytes of memory and virtual address space of 4 million 16-bit words. It also includes a 23-megabyte Shugart disk drive and interfaces for the original Xerox 3-megabit-per- second Ethernet, and for RS232 communications lines. All of this equipment is housed in a 2.5-foot-high cabinet that fits under a desk.

The display is a high-resolution unit with a 13" x 11" viewing area (1024 x 808 pixels). The text portion of two pages can be displayed side-by-side.

The Xerox 1100 includes a complete implementation of the Interlisp virtual machine specification. In addition to the standard Inter- lisp features, it offers new personal computer facilities, such as a complete set of raster scan graphics operations and Xerox Ethernet software.

Purchase price of the Xerox 1100 Scientific Information Processor in the United States is $59,719; this includes a license for use of the Interlisp-D software. Deliveries will begin in the first-quarter of 1982.

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End of WorkS Digest *******************

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