Sun to Unveil 4 Workstations

Sun Microsystems Inc., the No. 1 maker of sophisticated computer workstations, will launch four new models in April in an effort to counter increasingly stiff competition from its rivals, industry analysts said.

The competition, from the likes of Digital Equipment, Hewlett-Packard and upstart Next, challenges Sun’s position as the premier vendor of the powerful desktop machines, they said.

The new workstations are expected to carry pricetags ranging from $7,000 to as much as $50,000, depending on configuration.

Workstations crunch numbers faster and offer more complex graphics than personal computers. Originally designed for use by engineers and scientists, they are making their way into offices as their prices drop closer to those of PCs.