3station

1 definition found

From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03) [foldoc]:

  3Station
       
           The archetypal {diskless workstation},
          developed by {Bob Metcalfe} at {3Com} and first available in
          1986/1987.
       


          The 3Station/2E had a 10 {MHz} {80286} {processor}, 1 {MB} of
          {RAM} (expandable to 5 MB), {VGA} compatible graphics with 256
          {KB} of {video RAM}, and integrated {AUI}/{BNC} network
          {transceivers} for {LAN} access.
       
          The product used a single {printed-circuit board} with four
          custom {ASICs}.  It had no {floppy disk drive} or {hard disk},
          it was booted from a {server} and stored all {end-user}
          {files} there.
       
          3Com advertised "significant cost savings" due to the
          3Station's ease of installation and low maintenance (this
          would now be referred to under the banner of "{TCO}").
       
          The 3Station cost somewhere between an {IBM PC} {clone} and an
          IBM PC of the day.  It was not commercially successful.
       
          (2000-07-05)