TAKE YOUR PICK WITH GA8000, SAYS GENERAL AUTOMATION CBR Staff Writer October 11,1989

Anaheim, California-based General Automation Inc has introduced the upper-end
GA8000 Series to its line of Motorola 68000 family-based Pick systems, which
extends the design-it-yourself configuration versatility first made available in
the GA3000 Series (CI No 1,194). The GA8000 Series uses the company’s new 3.8
release of the Pick operating system, which includes 512 byte or 2,048 byte
variable data frame size feature, leaving the user to make the choice either to
extend the operating system to maximise system performance or to leave the thing
as it as it is to make most efficient use of memory and disk resources. Static
The GA8000 Series offers options in processor type and speed either an MC68020
with 256Kb of static RAM operating at 20MHz, or an MC68030 with 64Kb of caching
dynamic RAM operating at 20MHz, 25MHz or 30MHz; other features include 4Mb
memory expandable to 32Mb; support for from 16 to 256 terminals; up to eight
disk drives of 340Mb, 510Mb, 720Mb or 1.1Gb unformatted capacities; magnetic
tape drives – 60Mb and/or 150Mb; and parallel printer support – in addition to
the two parallel printer ports included in the base system, two additional ports
can be added. The GA8000 Series also offers a 5.25 floppy disk for media and
data interchange with personal computers, extensive data communications,
including X25, 3270 SNA and bisync, 3780 bisync and the company’s own local area
network. A representative GA8000 Series with all base system features including
the standard uninteruptible power supply, a 25MHz MC68030 with 16Mb memory, two
intelligent disk controllers, four 510Mb disk drives, two MC68010-based
input-output processors, 128 serial ports, half inch drawer-mounted 1600/3200
BPI magnetic tape drive, 2.2Gb DataStor 8mm cassette tape subsystem and a
licence for the General’s new 3.8 version of Pick, plus word processing,
business graphics and spread sheet applications sells end user for a suggested
$236,800 in the US.