HP comes second in server race

Rival to IBM's mid-range server unveiled...

HP has unveiled its mid-range Unix server, the rp8400, a week after IBM introduced its rival machine. HP's new 'workhorse' can accommodate 16 microprocessors, and the basic configuration ships for $124,000. The server runs the HP-UX operating system - HP's version of Unix - on the company's proprietary PA-RISC 8700 microprocessors. Last week, IBM set the pace by unveiling its new mid-range offering, the p660, which runs on eight proprietary IBM chips. Sun Microsystems is expected to announce its new high-end server, based on its UltraSPARC III microprocessor, next week.