Tadpole Computer Explained

Tadpole Computer
Fate:Acquired by General Dynamics
Predecessors:-->
Successors:-->
Founders:-->
Defunct:2005
Hq Location City:Cupertino
Hq Location Country:United States
Areas Served:-->
Products:Laptops, servers, workstations
Profit:-->
Profit Year:-->
Owners:-->
Website:www.tadpolecomputer.com

Tadpole Computer was a manufacturer of rugged, military specification, UNIX workstations, thin client laptops and lightweight servers.

History

Tadpole was founded in 1994[1] and originally based in Cambridge, England, then for a time in Cupertino, California.[2]

In 1998, Tadpole acquired RDI Computer Corporation of Carlsbad, California,[3] who produced the competing Britelite and Powerlite portable SPARC-based systems, for $6 million.[4]

Tadpole was later acquired by defense contractor General Dynamics, in April 2005.[5]

Production continued until March 2013 but since then, they no longer sell any systems; and support for their products is provided by Flextronics.

An anonymous US intelligence officer had stated to Reuters in 2013 that a decade earlier the US secretly created a company reselling laptops from Tadpole Computer to Asian governments. The reseller added secret software that allowed intelligence analysts to access the machines remotely.[6]

Products

Tadpole laptops used a variety of architectures, such as SPARC, Alpha, PowerPC and x86. Although very expensive, these classic Tadpoles won favour as a method to show corporation's proprietary software (IBM/HP/DEC) on a self-contained portable device on a client site in the days before remote connectivity.

SPARC

The original SPARCbook 1[7] was introduced in 1992 with 8–32 MB RAM and a 25 MHz processor.[8] [9] It was followed by several further SPARCbooks, UltraSPARCbooks (branded as Ultrabooks) – and the Voyager IIi.[10] [11] These all ran the SunOS or Solaris operating systems.[12] [13] [14] [15] In 2004, Tadpole released the Viper laptop.[16]

The SPARCLE was based on a 500-600 MHz UltraSPARC IIe or 1 GHz UltraSPARC IIIi.[17]

DEC Alpha

An Alpha-based laptop, the ALPHAbook 1, was announced on 4 December 1995 and became available in 1996. The Alphabook 1 was manufactured in Cambridge, England. It used an Alpha 21066A microprocessor specified for a maximum clock frequency of 233 MHz. The laptop used the OpenVMS operating system.[18] [19]

IBM PowerPC

A PowerPC-based laptop was also produced – the IBM RISC System/6000 N40 Notebook Workstation, powered by a 50 MHz PowerPC 601 and with between 16 and 64MB RAM – and designed to run IBM AIX.[20] [21]

x86

Tadpole also produced a range of x86-based notebook computers, including the Tadpole P1000, and the TALIN laptops with SUSE Linux, or optionally Microsoft Windows.[22]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Tadpole Eyes Athlon 64, Multiprocessor Sparc Notebooks - ExtremeTech. www.extremetech.com. 2020-04-20.
  2. Web site: Tadpole Launches Sleek UltraSPARC® Technology Powered Notebook. 2003-02-18. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20030218021546/http://hw.tadpole.com/dynamic/news/press/2002/62.html. 2003-02-18. 2020-04-20.
  3. Web site: Tadpole Technology: Industry news. 2020-04-20. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200420104702/https://eloydegen.com/TadQuotes.pdf. 2020-04-20. 2020-04-20.
  4. Web site: Tadpole Technology purchases major competitor RDI Computer Corporation - SunWorld - August 1998. sunsite.uakom.sk. 2020-04-20.
  5. Web site: Form 10-K, General Dynamics Corporation. www.sec.gov. 2020-04-19.
  6. News: Strong ties bind spy agencies and Silicon Valley. 2013-07-04. Reuters. 2020-04-20. en.
  7. http://www.islandnet.com/~KPOLSSON/workstat/work1991.htm Chronology of Workstation Computers (1991-1992)
  8. https://books.google.com/books?id=YlAEAAAAMBAJ&dq=SPARCbook1&pg=PA32 Sub-$6,000 Sparc Notebook Announced
  9. https://books.google.com/books?id=6fxsaF0QuVEC&dq=SPARCbook1&pg=PA37 Advert: Meet the Notebook that Breaks the Mold: SPARCbook 1: Tadpole
  10. https://books.google.com/books?id=BzsEAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22SPARCbook%22&pg=PA33 Tadpole release Sparc notebooks
  11. https://books.google.com/books?id=CENB4wa_QxUC&dq=sparc+tadpole&pg=PA41 SPARC notebook manufacturer promises desktop performance
  12. http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/32324/Tadpole-SPARCbook-3/ "Tadpole SPARCbook 3"
  13. https://blog.adafruit.com/2019/04/01/sparcbook-3000st-the-coolest-90s-laptop-sparc-vintagecomputing-retrocomputing-eckmeister/ SPARCbook 3000ST - The coolest 90s laptop
  14. https://books.google.com/books?id=0S8guIHHaiIC&dq=sparc+tadpole&pg=PA256 Table 11-1: Identifying Different SPARC CPUs
  15. https://books.google.com/books?id=R1EEAAAAMBAJ&dq=sparc+tadpole&pg=PA23 Sparc-based notebook ready to debut: Tadpole system uses Cypress processor, runs Solaris operating system
  16. Web site: Tadpole leaps to Sparc portable workstation. CNET. en. 2020-04-23.
  17. Web site: Tadpole. https://web.archive.org/web/20040604192806/http://www.tadpolecomputer.com/html/products/mobile/sparcle/specifications.html. dead. 2004-06-04. 2004-06-04. 2020-04-21.
  18. Web site: Tadpole Technology announces the ALPHAbook 1, the world's most powerful notebook computer. Business Wire. December 3, 1995. September 2, 2008.
  19. http://h71000.www7.hp.com/doc/732final/6668/6668pro_012.html HP OpenVMS Systems Documentation
  20. http://ps-2.kev009.com/ohlandl/7007/194-062.txt "IBM RISC System/6000 N40 Notebook Workstation"
  21. Web site: RS/6000 Notebook 860.
  22. https://books.google.com/books?id=3joEAAAAMBAJ&dq=sparc+tadpole&pg=PA45 Tadpole boosts power in Pentium-, Sparc-based notebooks