TECHNOLOGY - May 13, 1992

New Cray Computer: Seymour Cray said his behind-schedule, downsized supercomputer would be marketed not only as a stand-alone machine but also as a tool to enhance “massively parallel” computers. The combination would permit analysis of scientific problems that are too complex for a massively parallel computer alone to solve, Cray told stockholders. Massively parallel computers contain hundreds or thousands of microprocessor chips to work on a single problem at once, whereas traditional computers, such as the Cray-3, contain one or a handful of processors. Cray Computer will offer the Cray-3 in smaller units: those containing two, four and eight processors. Cray hopes to have one ready to demonstrate by the end of the summer. The units will range in price from $5 million to $30 million.