Based on Solaris 2.5, Solaris PowerPC Edition is feature-for-feature compatible with the SPARC and x86 versions of Solaris. For developers who have already ported products to these environments, the PowerPC market represents a logical -- and potentially lucrative -- next step.
This summer, SunSoft announced OEM agreements with IBM Personal Systems Division and Motorola Computer Group to market and sell Solaris PowerPC Edition on their PowerPC hardware platforms. Now, with the support of these partners, SunSoft introduces several new developer and marketing programs to help Catalyst members bring their leading-edge solutions to the PowerPC platform.
The Solaris PowerPC Edition Porting Program includes access to early releases of the new Solaris environment, technical support, porting seminars, and a host of other Catalyst demand creation incentives to make new product development fast and easy. Beta software for Catalyst developers will be made available soon with a commercially available product expected in the spring of 1996.
The RISC-based PowerPC architecture offers several advantages for laptops, desktops, servers, and embedded systems. Its superior integer and floating point performance, coupled with the chip's reasonable price, quickly established the new architecture as a competitive solution for demanding computing tasks. The innovative PowerPC systems bring together the best of both worlds -- the power of RISC and the affordability of PCs. This combination gives PowerPC systems an edge in both technical and commercial markets, such as manufacturing, financial services, and telecommunications.
IBM will offer Solaris PowerPC Edition as a pre-loaded option on its new Power Series family of 603-based laptops and 604-based super-client desktops, offering customers human-centered, collaborative computing solutions, and multimedia and mobile computing capabilities.
IBM Power Series Products ========================================================== IBM Personal Computer Power Series ---------------------------------------------------------- Model Processor RAM Disk ----- --------- --- ---- Personal Computer 830 604-100MHz 16MB+ 540MB+ Personal Computer 850 604-100MHz 16MB+ 540MB+ 604-120MHz 16MB+ 540MB+ 604-133MHz 16MB+ 540MB+ ========================================================== All systems are equipped with 16-bit stereo business audio and CD-ROM 4x. IBM ThinkPad Power Series ---------------------------------------------------------- ThinkPad 820 603e-100MHz 16MB+ 540MB+ ThinkPad 850 603e-100MHz 16MB+ 540MB+ ========================================================== All systems are equipped with 16-bit business audio and CD-ROM 2x. To order or get more information, please call IBM at 1-800-426-7456. Outside the US, please obtain the appropriate telephone number via the Internet (http://www.austin.ibm.com/developer/powerpc)."Our partnership allows Solaris customers the opportunity to take advantage of PowerPC technology," said Dick Guarino, general manager of systems development and marketing in IBM's Power Personal Systems Division. "We are glad to be working with SunSoft to offer customers this exciting new open computing platform."
Motorola will integrate and distribute Solaris with its PowerStack family of 603-and 604-based RISC PCs and Series E desktop and mini-tower products. With the Solaris PowerPC Edition solution, Motorola can provide also its OEM partners with enabling tools and technologies to supply embedded systems for the telecommunications and manufacturing industries. "This agreement for Solaris on Motorola's PowerPC product lines provides one of the industry's strongest development platforms, ideally suited for the development and implementation of demanding state-of-the-art applications," states Karl Stoltze, vice president of marketing for the Motorola Computer Group. Other leading computer manufacturers are expected to join forces with SunSoft in the coming months.
Motorola PowerStack Family ========================================================== Motorola PowerStack RISC PCs ---------------------------------------------------------- Model Processor RAM Disk PowerStack MT603-66 603-66 MHz 32MB 1GB PowerStack DT603-66 603-66 MHz 32MB 1GB PowerStack MT604-100 604-100 MHz 32-64MB 1-2GB PowerStack DT604-100 604-100 MHz 32-64MB 1-2GB PowerStack MT604-133 604-133 MHz 128MB 2GB PowerStack DT604-133 604-133 MHz 128MB 2GB Motorola PowerStack Series E ---------------------------------------------------------- PowerStack E603-66P 603-66 MHz 32MB 1GB PowerStack E604-100P 604-100 MHz 32-64MB 1-2GB PowerStack E604-133P 604-100 MHz 128MB 2GB ========================================================== All systems are equipped with CD-ROM 4x, 2MB Graphics, and 1.44MB floppy disk. To order or get more information, please call Motorola at 1-800--759-1107 xSOLAR or outside the US, call 1-512-434-1526 xSOLAR.
Savvy developers can get ready for Solaris PowerPC Edition by working with the SPARC and/or x86 versions of Solaris 2.4. Moving to Solaris 2.4 will ensure quality, performance and compatibility. By porting to Solaris x86, developers can work out any hardware dependencies and establish cross-platform Solaris compatibility. The next step is to join the Solaris PowerPC Edition Porting Program so that you can prepare your products for the new Solaris environment.
SunSoft's experience in porting its own products to the PowerPC architecure indicates that software applications running on Solaris SPARC or Solaris x86 are very likely to run on Solaris PowerPC Edition with little, if any, change. This is great news for Solaris developers who choose to venture into the exciting PowerPC market. The process of porting may be as simple as recompiling code, providing that the application conforms with applicable language standards and does not rely on a specific processor architecture. Add-on hardware products complying with PCI, ISA, and PCMCIA device standards should also migrate to the PowerPC platform with few changes.
SunSoft and its PowerPC hardware partners are fully committed to helping ISVs and IHVs prepare for next spring's release of Solaris PowerPC Edition. The new Solaris PowerPC Edition Porting Program, with hardware discounts offered by IBM and Motorola and additional marketing activities, is available now for Solarist developers who don't want to be left behind.
Catalyst Subscription Service participants will receive Solaris 2.5 PowerPC Edition beta software, the Software Developer Kit, the Device Driver Kit, and SunSoft's award-wining WorkShop development tool suite (including C and C++ compilers, debuggers and TeamWare development tools.) The Subscription also includes twelve months of technical assistance and an automatic upgrade to the First-Customer-Ship (FCS) product (when available).
In addition, IBM and Motorola will offer special hardware discounts to Catalyst Members who enroll in the Solaris PowerPC Edition Porting Program.
========================================================== SunSoft Catalyst Porting Program ---------------------------------------------------------- > Catalyst Subscription Service (Early Access) * Solaris (PowerPC Edition) operating environment * Solaris Software Developer Kit (SDK) * Solaris Device Driver Kit (DDK) * SunSoft Workshop development tools * On-line documentation * 12 months of porting assistance > Solaris (PowerPC Edition) Porting Seminars * six US cities starting in October > Hardware discounts from IBM and Motorola > Catalyst Promotional Opportunities * Solaris (PowerPC Edition) Catalyst CDware * Product Listings in PowerPC Edition catalog * Catalyst InterLink - link from the Sun home page to your own * Solaris Compatible Logo - reinforce Solaris compatibility * Solaris Solutions Program - jointly sponsored literature
This fall, SunSoft will host several Solaris PowerPC Edition Porting Seminars throughout the United States. During these informative, half-day technology camps, developers can meet with SunSoft engineers to discuss the porting process and how to optimize applications to take advantage of the PowerPC architecture. Representatives from IBM and Motorola will be on hand to discuss the business opportunities of the PowerPC marketplace. Registration for these seminars is free for any Catalyst member.
To create demand for your Solaris PowerPC Edition products, the Solaris PowerPC Porting Program offers several opportunities for worldwide promotion. Program members receive a free listing (5 MB maximum) on the first Catalyst CDware release for Solaris PowerPC Edition. Other marketing opportunities include:
To enroll in the Solaris PowerPC Edition Porting Program, you must be a member of the SunSoft Catalyst Developer Program and make a commitment to ship or implement a Solaris PowerPC Edition product withing sixty days of the operating environment's FCS. The program is available to developers worldwide; however, support will be limited to English only. Solaris Associate members (in-house developers) are not eligible for discounts on PowerPC hardware.
For more information on the new Solaris PowerPC Edition Porting Program, including IBM and Motorola hardware discounts, refer to the program datasheet included with this issue of Catalyst Flash, or contact the SunSoft Information Center.
To learn more about the Solaris PowerPC Edition Porting Program,
Catalyst Subscription Service, or to register to attend an upcoming
Solaris PowerPC Edition Porting Seminar, call 1-800-SUNSOFT, prompt #1.
For more information about Solaris PowerPC Edition, access URL: http://www.sun.com/solaris.