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AST to roll out Pentium II PC

When Intel announces the Pentium II processor on May 7, AST will announce a high-end Pentium II Bravo desktop PC.

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Brooke Crothers Former CNET contributor
Brooke Crothers writes about mobile computer systems, including laptops, tablets, smartphones: how they define the computing experience and the hardware that makes them tick. He has served as an editor at large at CNET News and a contributing reporter to The New York Times' Bits and Technology sections. His interest in things small began when living in Tokyo in a very small apartment for a very long time.
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Brooke Crothers
When Intel announces the Pentium II processor on May 7, AST (ASTA) will announce a high-end Pentium II Bravo desktop PC.

Pentium II systems from all vendors will appear initially as very-high-end desktop PCs or workstation-class systems. IBM and Toshiba are both expected to roll out workstation-class desktops when Intel announces the Pentium II next week.

PC makers are still trying to define a precise market segment for the first Pentium II computers. There are two problems manufacturers face. First, there is overlap with current Pentium Pro systems; second, the most powerful Pentium II systems won't appear until Intel delivers its Accelerated Graphic Port (AGP) 3D graphics technology later this year. Some vendors are waiting until AGP technology is ready before they make a big push in Pentium II system sales.

The Bravo LC 6233 "commercial" desktop will pack in a 233-MHz Pentium II processor with 512K cache memory, a 2GB hard disk drive, a 16X speed CD-ROM drive, and high-end 3D graphics based on a chip from S3.

AST will also provide its CommandCenter software package, which delivers desktop management capabilities designed to help reduce total cost of ownership.

The LC 6233 has an estimated street price starting at $2,200.