TECHNOLOGY - Sept. 7, 1993

New Minicomputers From IBM: International Business Machines Corp. will unveil the three powerful computers today in a move to bolster its presence in the burgeoning market for personal computer networks, analysts said. The machines join IBM’s existing AS/400 family of minicomputers but will be six times more powerful than the models now available. The minicomputer is IBM’s second-biggest moneymaker after the mainframe computer. Analysts said the new models will be offered as client-servers, which are computers used to operate local- and wide-area networks of PCs. An IBM spokeswoman said the company does not comment on unannounced products, but she acknowledged that the Armonk, N.Y.- based company will unveil new AS/400 models today. Analysts said they will be sold as low-cost machines, ranging in price from $15,000 to $20,000. “They should do well because of the aggressiveness and the price,” said Bob Djurdjevic, president of Annex Research, a Phoenix-based consulting firm.