-- by Joseph C. Panettieri

This could be the final nail in the coffin for UNIX on the desktop. After months of speculation, IBM-like Compaq-has finally unveiled a family of Windows NT/Pentium Pro workstations.

Although it will continue to develop and promote its RS/6000 UNIX workstations, IBM conceded the real action is in the NT/Intel market, where "personal" workstation sales are expected to skyrocket from $4 billion in 1996 to $13 billion in the year 2000.

Enter IntelliStation, IBM's new NT/Pentium Pro workstation family. The systems-available in single- or dual-processor configurations-are positioned for CAD/CAM applications, financial trading and software development. Standard features include a 200MHz Pentium Pro processor, from 32MB to 128MB of RAM (1GB maximum), a 2.1GB or 4.5GB hard drive (9GB maximum) and a 16X CD-ROM drive. The workstations are expected to start at about $4,000.

At that price, it's a good bet even the most devoted UNIX users will give Pentium Pro workstations a look.

Windows Magazine, May 1997, page NT06.