Second time lucky for Data General?

Press, 22 July 1986, Page 18

Second time lucky for Data General?

WARREN MARETT

It looks like second time lucky for Data General in the fickle portable computer market, now that it has released the second version of its Data General One personal computer. An incredible amount of technology has been packed into the compact, five kilogram, portable computer. But, more importantly, the One now has a clearly readable screen.

Data General was one of the pioneers of the IBM-compatible portable computer market with the release of the first model of the One in 1984.

Unfortunately, its screen technology was not as advanced as the rest of the computer and the machine did not have the impact Data General anticipated.. Now the company is offering buyers two different types of screen technology — an LCD screen far superior to the LCD screen of the original One, and an electroluminescent screen which is even clearer. The new models can also support up to 640 K bytes of memory and have an optional hard disc drive which fits into a space at the rear of the unit.

The end result of these enhancements is a powerful personal computer in a small package. It is able to run software written for the IBM personal computer family (when that software is transferred to the 3y 2 inch discs used by the One). Because of its low power requirements, the

version with the LCD screen can run on internal batteries. A battery charger is now built into the unit for convenient recharging.

The electroluminescent screen version needs more watts, so it will usually be run by mains, power, although an external battery pack is avail-

able. Data General does not: have the market to itself any more. A large number of competitive machines now exist and

the market was recently blessed with the release of the IBM PC Convertible. In the United States the One has been priced to

compete head on with the Convertible, which sells for SUSI99S. .An LCD One sells in New Zealand for $4400. It has with 256K' bytes of memory and a single floppy disc drive. The electroluminescent version is $6900 and the hard disc costs another $3OOO. “There is a perception that because it is small it should be cheaper,” said Mr Doug Barr, Data General’s marketing manager, at the Christchurch release of the new model last week. “But we are trying th cram so much into a small product that the technology ' costs more.”

Data General will aim the machine at its existing customers and is wary of going after the general market through dealers “because of the state of flux in the dealer market,” explained Mr Barr.

Mr Barr also noted that the- Japanese factory assembling the One has a capacity of 100,000 units a year, which might only be sufficient to satisfy the demand from existing Data General users if the computer is a hit Approximately 200 machines of the original One were sold in New Zealand, said Mr Barr.