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Motorola launches Mac-compatible StarMax

Motorola introduces its Mac-OS-based StarMax line as well as a new line of Windows NT systems.

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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
2 min read
Motorola (MOT) rolled out the StarMax line of Macintosh compatibles today giving the the Apple (AAPL) Macintosh platform a much-needed shot in the arm.

Motorola also announced the PowerStack II family of Windows NT workstations and servers.

The StarMax family consists of an entry level 3000 series and high-performance 4000 series.

The 3000 series uses the 603e microprocessor. These desktops have 16MB RAM, 1.2 GB hard disk drive, and 3 PCI slots. The minitowers have 32MB of RAM and a 2.5GB HDD. All configurations in the 3000 series ship with a software bundle which includes Internet connectivity, office productivity, financial applications, and system utilities.

The 4000 series uses the 604e microprocessor and includes desktop and minitower configurations. The desktops have 512K of level-2 cache, 2MB of video RAM (up to 4 MB), 16MB of RAM, a 1.2GB hard disk drive, and 3 PCI slots. The minitowers offer more memory and larger hard disk drives.

All StarMax 3000 and 4000 systems come equipped with an 8X CD-ROM drive and 16-bit sound.

Motorola estimates that prices will range between $1595 and $2395 for the StarMax 3000 and between $2395 and $3595 for the StarMax 4000 series. Availability is expected within 45 days in the United States and late 1996 internationally.

Motorola also introduced the Windows NT-based PowerStack II series of workstation and server computers which run Windows NT.

The PowerStack II line comes with the PowerPC 603ev processor or, at the high end, a 200-MHz 604e processors. The systems are designed for both Windows NT 4.0 and the AIX operating systems, the company said.

The midrange Pro4000 line offers 2 and 3D graphics, data integrity, and network connectivity. The high-end Pro6000 and the dual-processor Pro6200 workstations are designed for multiprocessing and scalability, Motorola said.

The workstations feature 32MB of nonparity RAM, an EIDE Interface, integrated Ethernet, and a 2.5GB EIDE disk. The systems also come equipped with Cirrus Logic or Matrox Millenium Graphics.

The Net4000 and Net6000 family of 604e-based servers include 32MB or 64MB ECC RAM, SCSI-II Interface, and a 2GB SCSI Disk.

The PowerStack II series starts at $2,495 for the entry level Pro2000 workstation and ranges up to $4,995 for the dual processor Pro6200.

In an effort to provide a wide range of Microsoft Windows NT and PowerPC solutions, MCG established the PowerPC Applications and Systems Solutions Group. The group has already established a porting center. Major applications from vendors such as Oracle, Informix, Software AG, Hummingbird, and NetManage have already been successfully ported to the PowerPC platform. There are currently several hundred applications available and 1,000 native applications expected to be available in 1997.