Scientific Data Systems - A New Start

A New Start

In 1979 Jack Mitchell, William L. Scheding, and Henry Harold, former SDS engineers, along with some other ex-SDS people re-started the company with funding from Max Palevsky, Sanford Kaplan, Dan McGurk, and others. They introduced a microprocessor based computer called the SDS-420 built on a 6502A-based processor design with up to 56KB of memory and a proprietary OS, SDS-DOS, along with the BASIC programming language, Inc. The SDS-420 featured a dual single-sided-double-density (400KB per side) floppy drive, Model 70, manufactured by PerSci (Peripheral Sciences), of Santa Monica and Marina Del rey, CA. The SDS-422 Model offered some of the first dual double-sided-double-density floppy drives. Other hardware options were a 6551-A USART and a proprietary network SDS-NET using an 8530 SDLC/HDLC chip and software patterned after the early Xerox 3.0 Mbit/s ethernet and tranceivers produced by Tat Lam of the Bay Area.

The 400 Series had little to do with scientific computing and more with word processing and business services. The company sold about 1000 machines worldwide, including Tahiti, London, Italy, New York City and Los Angeles.

SDS announced at COMDEX, in the early 1980s, its SDS NET a fully operational local area network (LAN) based file server (Model 430) (written by Sam Keys, of Westchester, CA). The SDS-430-Server offered file and print-sharing services over SDS-NET or modems and was based upon a 10MB hard disk manufactured by Micropolis of Chatsworth, CA. SDS Offered other models, including the SDS-410, a diskless work station that booted and ran off the SDS-NET or optionally could boot off-of and run over a 1200 bit/s modem link.

Products offered were: Word (word processing, written by John McCully, formerly of Jacuard Systems, Manhattan Beach, CA.), and fully functional accounting software: balance-forward and open-item accounting with GL, AR, AP, & Payroll (written by Tom Davies and Sandra Mass, both formerly with Jaquard Systems). Other offerings included: Legal Time and Billing, Medical Time and Billing, and TTY an early terminal emulation program using the 6551 USART. Through partnerships with their VARS (Value Added Resellers) other software product offerings included a solid-waste management system with automated truck routing and a country-club accounting package. One UK-based VAR was Jacq-Rite, a vertical market software house run by Ken Groome and Vivienne Gurney and based in Dorking, Surrey. Jacq-Rite had developed a range of specialist insurance software for the Jacquard machine but transferred to the SDS 400 following the advice of John McCully. Jacq-Rite installed several SDS 400 series networks in Lloyd's Managing and Members Agencies during 1982 and 1983. One of Jacq-Rite's programming staff that worked on the software porting was Justin Hill. Jacq-Rite's hardware sales were managed by David Ensor.