Mainframe Systems From Burroughs, Honeywell : 2 Firms Unveil Large-Scale Computers

Burroughs Corp. and Honeywell Inc. unveiled their most powerful large-scale computers Tuesday, with Honeywell introducing a Japanese-made system.

Burroughs said its new A15 computer provides about 2 1/2 times the processing power of its existing top mainframe, the B7900.

However, the A15 “is not intended to replace the B7900,” Burroughs said. “Rather, it is designed to improve the growth capabilities of large-system users who have very large on-line data base systems.”

The A15 is part of the “A Series” generation of mainframes that Burroughs announced in January, 1984. The series is meant to allow users of its existing “B” family of large-scale computers to increase the power of their computer operations without having to make costly investments in new software.

Burroughs, which is based in Detroit, introduced the A15 at a news conference in New York and said it would come in eight models, with deliveries scheduled to start in the third quarter.

Depending on the model, customers can order from one to four central processors--the engines of computers that process the data. Prices start at $2.92 million for the single-processor A15 model F. Multiple-processor models start at $4.22 million, and the base price of a four-processor A15 is $8.44 million.

Honeywell, headquartered in Minneapolis, said its new DPS90 computer provides up to three times the processing power as its current top model, the DPS88. The company said DPS90 deliveries will begin this year, with volume shipments beginning in 1986.

The DPS90 is manufactured by NEC Corp. of Japan, with Honeywell providing the machine’s operating software, peripherals and other related equipment. Honeywell signed an agreement a year ago to market large-scale NEC computers in the United States.

Like Burroughs’ A15 system, Honeywell’s DPS90 models provide between one and four central processors, and prices range from $3.95 million to $8.35 million.

Users of Honeywell’s DPS88 computers also can upgrade to the DPS90 without major software changes, the company said.