Umax shows $1,000 Mac clones
The company announces four systems based on the 603e PowerPC processor priced at around $1,000.
systems based on the 603e PowerPC processor priced around the $1,000 mark, offering some of the fastest processor speeds available in that price range.Three of the new systems extend Umax's C500 line of slim desktop designs. All three use the 200-MHz version of the 603e processor. The C500LT/200 is a basic configuration for home or small-office users, while the C500e/200 and C500i/200 include an Ethernet card or internal modem respectively.
The C500e/200 and C500i/200 also come with a faster CD-ROM than the basic C500LT/200 model. Pricing on the new C500 systems will start at $995, solidly placing them in the competition for low-budget new computer buyers.
The fourth system is the C600LT/240, a mini-tower-housed computer based on a 240-MHz 603e processor, retailing for $1,395. The C600LT/240 is upgradable to Umax's CacheDoubler technology and comes with 24MB of RAM and an internal 33.6-kbps modem.
All of the systems announced today by Umax will be available for purchase in mid-August, according to the company.
Umax also announced today a developer support program for MacOS and BeOS software developers. Both groups use PowerPC platforms to run their operating systems. Under the program, developers will receive a 10 percent discount on Umax's high-end S900 systems. Umax will also provide a secondary 180-MHz multiprocessor card to qualifying developers at no cost. Additional discounts on extra 200-, 225-, and 233-MHz processors will also be available. The program will run until December 1.
Umax also said that it will offer an upgrade program for buyers of S900 systems between now and November 15. Purchasers of S900 systems during this period will be offered a $1,000 rebate during the first half of 1998 on upgrading their system with an S-series "CacheDoubler Upgrade Card" and a 350-MHz 604e processor. They will also be entitled to an additional 32MB of free RAM for those systems. Details of the program are available on Umax's Web site.
Umax's announcements come two days before Macworld Expo Boston, one of the largest Macintosh conventions of the year.