HP steps up to 64-bit commitment for MPE, HP 3000

HP steps up to 64-bit commitment for MPE, HP 3000

Sterling's HP World speech introduces new element of larger memory address space

HP 3000 division general manager Harry Sterling announced at HP World that his division is working with HP's top engineers to create a new 64-bit version of MPE.

The work has been expanded from an investigation of the need to create greater- than-4Gb HP 3000 file sizes to a commitment to those files as well as a 64-bit memory addressing. The announcment has the effect of putting HP onto the path toward 64-bit MPE business.

"The growth of the HP 3000 is secure well into the 21st century," Sterling said. "Our engineers are working on a new generation of HP 3000s based on the 64-bit PA-8200 chip." HP said the new 200MHz, 8200-based system would arrive in the lineup first as a midrange system.

More importantly, HP said it has re-evaluated its decision to wait on delivering a 64-bit implementation of MPE/iX. The new version will "fully exploit the power of the PA-8000 processors. After better understanding your needs, our completed investigations have convinced me that we need to move forward on this front," Sterling said.

"It is now clear that we will need 64-bit memory and storage management," Sterling said. "We have recruited some of the top engineering talent in Hewlett-Packard to join us at CSY to work on a version of MPE/iX that will fully exploit the 64-bit PA-8000 architecture."

Specific enhancements and schedules will be forthcoming from HP about the 64-bit MPE/iX project, Sterling added.

Copyright 1997, The 3000 NewsWire. All rights reserved.