Sun Ultra 1
Gallery
Image of OSfOM.org Collection's Sun Ultra 1.
Technical Specifications
| Model: | Sun Ultra 1 |
|---|---|
| Codename: Platform: |
Neutron (A11) sun4u |
| Processor: Math Copro: |
UltraSPARC I (in CPU) |
| Clock Speed: | 143, 167MHz |
| RAM: | |
| Graphics: | |
| Operating System: | |
| Introduced: | November 1995 |
| Dealer price (net): |
The Sun Ultra 1: Ushering in the 64-bit Era
Sun Microsystems introduced the Ultra 1 in November 1995 as the first model in the Ultra series. It was the company's first workstation to use the 64-bit UltraSPARC microprocessor, moving away from the 32-bit SPARC architecture used in the earlier SPARCstation line.
The computer was powered by the UltraSPARC I processor, available at 143 MHz, 167 MHz, and 200 MHz. Along with 64-bit computing, the architecture added the Visual Instruction Set (VIS) for multimedia and graphics acceleration.
Sun replaced the earlier "pizza box" and "lunchbox" enclosures with a new desktop chassis design. For expansion, the system retained SBus slots—though fewer than some predecessors—and introduced the UltraSPARC Port Architecture (UPA) slot for graphics cards such as the Creator series.
The Ultra 1 shipped with Solaris 2.5, the first Solaris release with UltraSPARC support. Sun marketed the workstation for software development, mechanical design, scientific computing, and graphics-intensive work, with Creator-equipped models used in visualization fields.
The machine established Sun's 64-bit computing and workstation lineup in the mid-to-late 1990s, leading into subsequent UltraSPARC systems deployed for internet infrastructure during the dot-com boom.