RDI PowerLite

RDI PowerLite 110
© RDI 1996

RDI PowerLite are SPARC-based RISC laptops for Unix computing, introduced by RDI in 1994 at a time when most mobile computers were PC notebooks with Intel 486 processors. Main competition for the PowerLite were Tadpole SPARCbook and iconic Sun SPARCstation Voyager for mobile Solaris use.

Powerlite are binary compatible with Sun workstations and can run (mostly) standard Sun Unix. Contemporary reviews were quite positive, even though being too big and bulky with a not-so-good TFT, they have good I/O and expansion options for technical users of the early 1990s.

* - base prices, these were lowered significantly soon after entry
PowerLite 50 PowerLite 85 PowerLite 110 PowerLite 170
Based on SPARCclassic SPARCstation 5 SPARCstation 5 SPARCstation 5
Introduced 1994 1995 1995 1997
CPU microSPARC
50 MHz		 microSPARC-II
85 MHz		 microSPARC-II
110 MHz		 Fujitsu TurboSPARC
170 MHz
Cache 2/4 KB L1 8/16 KB L1 8/16 KB L1 16/16 KB L1, 512 KB L2
Design 32-bit RISC Sun SPARC with Sun custom chipset
RAM 16-80 MB 32-128 MB 32-256 MB
Video CG3 Sun Turbo GX 2 MB
Screen 10.4″ 10.4″ or 12.1″ 12.1″
Drives Three SCSI drives and/or one floppy
Expansion PC Card
I/O Ethernet, 13W3, SCSI, Ethernet, PS/2, Docking, audio, 2 serial, parallel
OS Solaris, Linux, OpenBSD, NetBSD
Price* $9,995 $9,995 $11,995 $12,995
RDI PowerLite 50 RDI PowerLite 170 SPARC Laptops
PowerLite 50 and 170 © RDI 1994 and 1998; SPARC laptops © Byte 1994

Tadpole and RDI fabricated many SPARC-based Unix laptops – from 1994 SPARCbooks to 64-bit UltraBooks in the 2000s. A PowerLite 85 played a role in the surveillance and tracking of hacker Kevin Mitnick, through analysis of communications data.

It seems PowerLites were part of the US Navy TAC program for Naval Information Systems. Apparently, a PowerLite was also part of a 3,000 mile autonomous car drive in 1995 (!), done by Carnegie Mellon and dubbed No Hands Across America.

Technical details

PowerLites are 32-bit SPARC computers, based on integrated Sun workstations designs, which RDI designed into a laptop. Chipset and devices used are:

[i] - integrated into chipset
Usage Device Type External
Chipset NCR 89C100 Sun MACIO integrated chipset
Chipset NCR 89C105 Sun SLAVIO integrated I/O
Storage NCR 53C9X [i] 8-bit single-ended SCSI-2 50-pin single-ended
Network NCR 92C990 [i] 10 Mbit Ethernet controller TP and AUI
Video Sun CG3
Sun TGX		 8-bit (PowerLite 50)
2MB frame buffer memory (85, 110, 170)		 13W3 D-Type
Cards ? PCMCIA controller two slots (see below)
I/O [i] Serial and parallel I/O two RS-232C DB9 and
one Centronics port
I/O [i] PS/2 for keyboard/mouse 2 ports
Audio ? 16-bit sound microphone
Modem ? V.32bis phone jack

Expansion and I/O

There are quite a few possibilities to expand the PrecisionBook with devices:

* Screens: Powerlite were offered with different LCD and TFT screens with different resolutions. At least the Powerlite 110 had a confusing array of display options: 10.4″ LCD 1024×768 (512 colors) or Colorplus 800×6000 (262K colors) or 12.1″ ExtraView Color TFT 1024×768 (4K) and 800×600 (262K)
Device Type Details
Memory Parity Powerlite 50 one? module for 16 MB (onboard?) to 80 MB RAM
Powerlite 85/110 two parity modules for 32-128 MB RAM
Powerlite 170 two parity modules for 32-256 MB RAM
Storage SCSI two 2.5″ SCSI drives (1.2GB), third drive would replace floppy or PCMCIA
Media Floppy 3.5″ Floppy for 1.44MB
Cards PCMCIA one or two Type I or one Type II, replaces floppy
Input PS/2 104-key Sun4/Sun5 keyboard and three-button trackball
Output LCD Powerlite 50/85 10.4″ LCD 1024×768 (512 colors) or Colorplus 640×480 (262K)
Powerlite 110 10.4″ LCD or 12.1″ ExtraView Color TFT 1024×768*
Powerlite 170 12.1″ ExtraView Color TFT 1024×768 (4K) and 800×600 (262K)
Docking optional, for:
  • Maximum Peripheral Expansion Unit (MAX): SCSI drive (3.5″), CD-ROM, two SBus slots and battery backup (NiMH)
  • Peripheral Expansion Unit (PXU): two SCSI drives (3.5″), two SBus slots, power

Battery is NiCad with 5Ah capacity for 1.5h of continuous use.

Operating systems

RDI PowerLite are portable Unix workstations that shipped with Sun Solaris. Powerlite 50 are supported in Solaris 2.3 and 1.1.1, Powerlite 85, 110 and 170 in 2.4 and/or 2.5 (until 2.5.1?) and 1.1.2. Open source systems like Linux and BSD possibly also work.

Driver support for PCMCIA cards in Solaris was spotty, RDI documentation from 1997 mentioned supported cards for 28.8k Modem (Simple Technology and USRobotics), ATA harddrives, Wireless Ethernet (Lucent WaveLAN), and floppy (Travel Floppy from AVA). Drivers have disappeared however.

Benchmarks

SPEC benchmark data and comparisons to contemporary laptops and workstations:

Based on old SPEC95 archives
System CPU SPEC92 int SPEC92 fp SPEC95 int SPEC95 fp
PowerLite 50 Sun microSPARC 50 MHz 26.4 21.0
PowerLite 85 Sun microSPARC-II 110 MHz 64.0 54.6
PowerLite 110 Sun microSPARC-II 110 MHz 77.0 65.3
PowerLite 170 Fujitsu TurboSPARC 170 MHz 143.0 119.0 3.08 2.74
Comparison
reference Intel 486DX 33 MHz 19.5 8.9
reference Intel 486DX2 66 MHz 32.4 16.1
Siemens PCE-5S Intel Pentium 100MHz 96.2 81.2 4.04 2.35
Sun SPARCstation 20 Sun SuperSPARC II 75MHz 125.8 121.2 3.11 3.10

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Specifications

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