Tektronix Introduces Next Generation Multimedia Desktops; XP400 Series Delivers Simultaneous Full Motion Digital Video, Superior X Performance and High-Speed Networking Capabilities.WILSONVILLE, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 31, 1995--Tektronix (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange :TEK See TeX. ), a technology leader in both the enterprise computing Refers to information technology in the larger company. See enterprise data and enterprise networking. and broadcast video industries, today introduced the next generation of high-performance integrated multimedia desktops for the commercial enterprise market. The TekXpress(TM) XP400 series X terminals deliver a balanced combination of rapid display manipulation and high-quality digital audio/video capabilities in an architecture designed to accommodate increasingly fast enterprise networks. Leveraging the expertise of Tektronix' Video Systems and Network Displays Divisions, the XP400 series is intended to provide business users with a single desktop solution for graphical access to network information and distributed multimedia applications. Demonstrating its strategic commitment to partner with customers in developing new products, Tektronix sought input from a regional Bell operating company The Regional Bell Operating Companies (RBOC) are the result of the U.S. Department of Justice antitrust suit against American Telephone & Telegraph. History before equipping the XP400 series with cutting edge capabilities for a customer/operator environment. Employing an optional MPEG (Moving Pictures Experts Group) An ISO/ITU standard for compressing digital video. Pronounced "em-peg," it is the universal standard for digital terrestrial, cable and satellite TV, DVDs and digital video recorders (DVRs). audio/video co-processor, the XP400 series is capable of displaying multiple high-performance X windows See X Window. and simultaneous, broadcast-quality video and audio. In addition, the XP400 series' wide, 32 bit I/O (Input/Output) The transfer of data between the CPU and a peripheral device. Every transfer is an output from one device and an input to another. See PC input/output. I/O - Input/Output architecture is designed to support emerging standards for fast enterprise networks, including ATM and 100Mb/s Ethernet. "We see the enormous opportunities that multimedia offers for both our customers and Tektronix," said Lucie Fjeldstad, president of Tektronix' Video and Networking Division. "Companies increasingly use distributed video and audio to train employees, share information and work with customers," Fjeldstad continued. "We're offering the first business desktop built from the ground up for these sorts of applications. Products like the XP400 demonstrate how Tektronix intends to leverage its expertise in emerging networking and video industry standards and become the technology and market leader in the area of distributed multimedia." The XP400 is the only platform offering balanced performance in all areas: video, X functionality, and network access. "Now that multimedia is taking hold in the enterprise, balanced performance counts more than just X-marks," noted David Pinckard, Tektronix' general manager for Network Displays. "We incorporated an optional hardware MPEG co-processor to manage the multimedia functions for the XP400, making it possible to see sustained full-motion (30 frame-per-second) digital video with continuous X performance of better than 3 X-marks. By contrast, machines that use only software MPEG see a dramatic drop-off in video performance when X applications are running.S The hardware MPEG solution reflects a synergy of Tektronix' experience in the converging industries of digital video and network computing Storing and/or running applications in servers in a network. See cloud computing and network computer. . The XP400 series offers an unmatched combination of capabilities and performance at a price point that makes sense for commercial enterprises. No other X terminal currently on the market offers hardware assisted video which delivers full-motion/full-screen digital video at TV industry quality. With Tek XpressWare, the industry leading X Window-based information software, the XP400 series can access network mainframe, legacy and UNIX UNIX Operating system for digital computers, developed by Ken Thompson of Bell Laboratories in 1969. It was initially designed for a single user (the name was a pun on the earlier operating system Multics). applications. With Tektronix' groundbreaking WinDD(TM) software, users can display Microsoft Windows See Windows. (operating system) Microsoft Windows - Microsoft's proprietary window system and user interface software released in 1985 to run on top of MS-DOS. Widely criticised for being too slow (hence "Windoze", "Microsloth Windows") on the machines available then. (TM) and other PC applications directly on the XP400 series desktop. Tektronix is targeting the XP400 series at enterprises that have been early adopters of multimedia technology. Innovators in the telecommunications, financial services The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please [ improve this article] or discuss the issue on the talk page. and retail industries have recently turned to networked digital video for customer service, kiosk applications and interactive learning. The XP400 series' performance and screen quality are also well-suited for special uses -- such as energy and seismic analysis and document retrieval and storage -- which require processing speed and large screen resolutions. (In fact, the XP421 is optimized for such applications.) The XP400 series' flexible design and optional features allow customers to add the capabilities that best suit their needs. The XP400 series' design is intended to keep pace with the growing demand for speed in enterprise networks. Its 32 bit I/O architecture will support future high-speed Ethernet, ATM, or ISDN ISDN in full Integrated Services Digital Network Digital telecommunications network that operates over standard copper telephone wires or other media. cards. XP400 specifics, availability, and pricing Standard features for each member of the XP400 series include a high performance LSI LSI: see integrated circuit. (Large Scale Integration) Between 3,000 and 100,000 transistors on a chip. See SSI, MSI, VLSI and ULSI. 33120 RISC processor, 8 MB of RAM, expandable to 136MB, 2 MB of VRAM See video RAM. VRAM - video random-access memory , Twisted pair Ethernet interface, two RS-232C ports, display, integrated power supply, power cord and mouse. Options include an advanced MPEG digital video co-processor, audio co-processor, Thinnet and Thicknet interface, externally accessed dual-slot PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association, San Jose, CA, www.pcmcia.org) An international standards body and trade association that was founded in 1989 to establish a standard for connecting peripherals to portable computers. PCMCIA created the PC Card. See PC Card. interface, flash memory, parallel port, keyboard (as an F-kit) and Sony 20" monitor (for the XP419C). Also available as an option is a Token Ring PCMCIA adapter card. All members of the XP400 series are Energy Star compliant. Volume shipments of the XP400 series (with the exception of the XP421CH) will begin in June. The XP421CH will begin shipping in the fall. -0- The XP400 family:
Platform Description Resolution Pricing(a)
XP400 logic base 1280x1024 at 72 Hz $2,695
XP417C color terminal 1280x1024 at 72 Hz $3,295
XP419C color terminal 1280x1024 at 72 Hz $4,195
XP421CH high resolution
color terminal(TM) 1600x1188 at 70 Hz $4,795
and 1280x1024 at 75 Hz
(a) Includes Keyboard Optional Sony 20" monitor available
For customer sales information, please call: 1-800-547-8949, or
visit the Tektronix Home Page on the Internet at http://www.tek.com
Tektronix is a portfolio of measurement, color printing, video
systems, and network displays businesses dedicated to applying
technology excellence to customer challenges. Tektronix is
headquartered in Wilsonville, Oregon and has operations in 23
countries outside the United States. Founded in 1946, the company
had revenues of $1.32 billion in fiscal 1994.
-0-
Note to Editors: Tektronix and Tek are registered trademarks and
TekXpress and WinDD are trademarks of Tektronix Inc. All other trade
names referenced are the service marks, trademarks or registered
trademarks of their respective companies.
CONTACT: Tektronix VND VND In currencies, this is the abbreviation for the Vietnamese Dong. Notes: The currency market, also known as the Foreign Exchange market, is the largest financial market in the world, with a daily average volume of over US $1 trillion. Kathy Archer, 503/685-2583 Internet: kathyar@miki.wv.tek.com or Sterling Communications Kevin Pedraja, 408/428-0100 Internet: kmp@sterlingpr.com |
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