FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Brian Fawkes, Michele Moore Dell Computer Corporation 512/338-4400 Alison O'Brien The Waggener Group 503/245-0905 DELL COMPUTER ANNOUNCES FAMILY OF MULTI-FUNCTION UNIX/DOS WORKSTATIONS AUSTIN, TEXAS, MARCH 19, 1990 -- Expanding its commitment to support the Unix marketplace, Dell Computer Corporation announced today the DELL(R) Station 325 and DELL Station 425E, two Unix/DOS workstations based on Dell's high -performance 80386- and 80486-based personal computers. The company also announced the DELL Station Partner Software kit which converts a personal computer into a low-cost, color X terminal. The DELL Station, targeted for general business use, combines a Dell System 325 or 425E with a pre-loaded suite of software packages that includes Dell Unix System V, Version 3.2 and Uniplex office automation software. Dell Unix System V, Version 3.2, an enhanced version of the Unix operating system, includes bundled software to concurrently access MS-DOS applications and provides support for the X Window System. The X Window System is the evolving industry standard for graphical interfaces in the Unix environment. DELL Station hardware and software options are factory installed and custom-configured at the time of order. The DELL Station is ready to plug in and use when the system arrives, eliminating the time consuming process of installing hardware and software. "The growth in commercial Unix applications is creating a demand for standard, easy-to-use personal workstations," said G. Glenn Henry, senior vice president of Dell's Product Group. "Our customers put a high value on ease -of-use and personal productivity. The X Window System allows users to have multiple views of one or more applications." Dell has added IXI's X.desktop, that provides the user with a Macintosh-like screen with icons that represent applications or functions. Also included with the X Window System is the Open Software Foundation's (OSF) Motif window-manager system which gives the X Window System applications the familiar look and feel of Microsoft Windows or IBM Presentation Manager. "The DELL Station is the perfect solution for the DOS PC user, who wants the power of a Unix workstation for office applications but knows nothing about Unix," said Joel J. Kocher, senior vice president of Dell's USA sales and support. "The DELL Station combines the ease-of-use of a Macintosh computer, the power of a Unix workstation, popular office applications and DOS compatibility all for the price of a PC." A comparable Unix-based PC or workstation is priced several thousand dollars higher than the DELL Station. The desktop environment makes the DELL Station easy to use X.desktop provides a visual working environment for the non-technical user. Users manage their work with an icon-based desktop and an easy-to-unders tand "drag-and-drop" concept. Files and programs are represented by icons and can be selected with a mouse. The icons can be visually dragged across the screen and dropped onto a desktop or action icon which initiates a function such as print, delete, mail or write to disk. X.desktop shields the user from the Unix command line and provides a graphical representation of the files and applications on the DELL Station. File and program icons can be arranged in any way on the user's personal desktop. Users can easily run applications and carry out file management operations such as copying, deleting, printing, renaming or creating new files by using a mouse. Each file in the system can be automatically associated with a specific program or behavior. For example, clicking on a document can open a window for a word processor application. The document, represented by the icon, is ready to edit. X.desktop allows the user to create custom i cons or modify the behavior of existing icons, tailoring the operation to most effectively serve individual needs. Bundled Office Automation applications The DELL Station includes a comprehensive suite of integrated office applications from Uniplex. Uniplex X Windows applications include word processing, a spreadsheet, the Informix SQL (structured query language) relational database, advanced business graphics, electronic mail and more. The applications are highly integrated, consistent and run within the easy-to-learn X.desktop environment. Uniplex provides dynamic links between the spreadsheet, database and graphics packages. Uniplex supports multiple overlapping windows, moving and resizing of windows, cut-and-paste between windows, scroll bars, pull-down menus, soft keys and context-sensitive "help." A versatile network environment Designed to serve a variety of roles in a multiuser computer network, the DELL Station can function as a PC, a powerful single-user workstation, an X Window host computer, a multiuser microcomputer or a PC network server. The DELL Station can be configured with up to 32 serial port connections for low-cost asynchronous terminals. Regardless of terminal type, all users can share the same applications, files and peripherals. Multiple Unix and DOS application programs can be run simultaneously within the X Windows environment. The PC DOS operation is enhanced by the inherent multiuser, multitasking and security features of Unix. The DELL Station Partner concept As a complement to DELL Stations, the company offers the DELL Station Partner kit. It includes PC Xsight, from Locus Computing Corporation, which provides a full implementation of the X Window System server specification a nd can control multiple processes running concurrently on one or more X Window hosts using multiple windows. The Partner kit supports VGA (640 x 480) or Super VGA (800 x 600) color graphics display options. It also support s X.desktop, OSF Motif, multiple fonts and X Window applications. PC Interface, also from Locus Computing Corporation, allows DOS files to be transparently stored on a DELL Station host under the secure Unix file system. PC files may be shared by all PC and VP/ix users on the network who have been given the appropriate access. PC print jobs can also be automatically spooled to a centralized DELL Station printer. Basic configurations of the DELL Station are attached. Dell Computer Corporation designs, develops, manufactures, markets, services and supports a complete line of personal computers compatible with industry standards. The company is recognized in independent surveys as having the highest customer satisfaction level in the industry for its line of personal computers. # # # Dell System is a registered trademark and Dell, 425E and Dell Station are trademarks of Dell Computer Corporation UNIX is a registered trademark of American Telephone and Telegraph Company Intel is a registered trademark and 386 and i486 are trademarks of Intel Corporation MS-DOS and MS are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation # # # DELL STATION BASIC CONFIGURATIONS DELL Station 325 Intel 80386 microprocessor running at 25 MHz ISA Bus 8 MB memory 5.25" 1.2MB or 3.5" 1.44MB diskette drive 100 MB IDE hard drive, 25 ms Super VGA color graphics adapter and monitor (800 x 600) 1 parallel, 2 serial ports Enhanced 101-key keyboard DELL serial mouse DELL Unix System V, Version 3.2 X Windows, OSF/Motif, X.desktop VP/ix PC Interface Server Uniplex II Plus, Version 7 Uniplex Advanced Office System Uniplex Advanced Graphics System Uniplex Windows Full documentation Price: $8,999 DELL Station 425E Intel i486 microprocessor running at 25 MHz EISA Bus 8 MB memory 5.25" 1.2MB or 3.5" 1.44MB diskette drive 100MB IDE hard drive 150MB tape drive Super VGA color graphics adapter and monitor (800 x 600) 1 parallel, 2 serial ports Enhanced 101-key keyboard DELL serial mouse Dell UNIX System V, Version 3.2 X Windows, OSF/Motif, X.desktop VP/ix PC Interface Server Uniplex II Plus, Version 7 Uniplex Advanced Office System Uniplex Advanced Graphics System Uniplex Windows Full documentation Price: $11,999 DELL Station Partner Kit PC Xsight TCP/IP for DOS PC Interface Bridge Full documentation Price: $399 ($199 when ordered with a DELL PC)