Acorn PC Cards Offer the 
Best of Both Worlds 

Embargo Release Date 20th January 1993 

Acorn Computers is launching a pair of PC cards to provide what is 
effectively a complete PC on an expansion card, allowing DOS or Windows 
software to run simultaneously with Acorn's own operating system, RISC OS, 
on Acorn's 32-bit Archimedes A3020 and A4000 computers. 

The Acorn computer's keyboard, display and disc drives are used by the PC 
which can either take over the whole screen, or multi-task within a RISC OS 
window. Other Archimedes peripherals such as direct drive laser printers and 
CD-ROM drives may be accessed by both DOS and RISC OS applications. The 
Acorn PC cards can also be attached to Novell Netware local area networks 
with the addition of an Archimedes Ethernet interface and optional driver 
software. 

The Acorn PC 386 card offers an entry into the world of PC computing and is 
ideal for the large number of text-based DOS applications.  It includes a 
25MHz 80386SX processor and 1MB of zero wait-state memory, which can be 
upgraded to 4MB. 

The Acorn PC 486 card includes a powerful 25MHz Cyrix 486SLC chip and 4MB of 
memory. Video drivers are supplied with this card which harness the host 
computer's ARM processor as a graphics accelerator to improve performance 
with Windows. 

Acorn's Education Marketing Manager, Roger Broadie said "This is the ideal 
solution for those in education whose major use of computers is curriculum 
orientated but who find they require the occasional use of a PC title.  We 
can now offer a specially optimised solution which allows the ARM processor 
in the Archimedes computer to provide enhanced Microsoft Windows performance 
in cooperation with an Intel-compatible processor." 

The Acorn PC cards were developed by Aleph One Ltd., whose PC cards for the 
Acorn A5000 and A540 computers were launched in 1992.  Its technical 
director, Alex van Someren said "We are very pleased to be working with 
Acorn on this exciting venture. Sales of Aleph One's own PC cards have 
proved that there is a great demand for access to DOS and Windows software 
from Acorn computer users, and for improved integration between the two 
environments." 

ENDS 

Further information from  Henry Howarth                 Carol Atack 
Acorn Computers Ltd                     Capricorn Consulting 
0223 254254                             0223 567800 

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