Sun Microsystems aims to make its workstations run Windows applications as fast as Wintel-based computers.
The market leader in Unix workstations recently launched a low-end line dubbed Darwin in an effort to curb the growing demand for Wintel computers that run on Windows operating systems and Intel microprocessors.
Sun is due to launch a PC card in the third quarter that will enable its workstations to access Windows office applications such as e-mail, spreadsheets and word-processing programs.
The card will be equipped with its own PC bus, 100Mb memory and a 75MHz K6 microprocessor from Advanced Micro Devices. The card will share the hard drive, power supply, chassis and monitor with the workstation.
'It's a handy way of putting a PC on your desk,' Sun senior product marketing manager Alexander Rublowsky said.
Sun touts the card as an alternative to having a second, Windows-based computer. 'I often wonder who would want a PC,' Mr Rublowsky joked.
Sun also aims to release by the second quarter a new version of system software that will ship with a PC document viewer and collaboration tools that are inter-operable with NetMeeting, a Microsoft program.
