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Clustered DataJacks
by Robert A. Hayden
New from Yoshida Technologies:
CLUSTERED DATAJACKS
Tired of the bulky and intrusive cyberware required to operate more than one datajack? Then these systems are for you.
Clustered Datajacks are complete I/O subsystems designed specifically for multitasking environments. Each system contains two to five of our ChromeTek shielded datajacks, a matching number of our award-winning Conductor I/O processors to control traffic flow, and a liberal supply of memory to buffer your important data.
Designed to be less intrusive than the old systems, each cluster is computer matched and synchronized to operate in perfect harmony with any one of our state-of-the-art Encephalons.
Clustered Datajacks are just that, a cluster of matched datajacks. Installing a clustered system yields a savings of approximately 33% on essence costs over the installation of the separate pieces alone. The cost is approximately 50% more, though.
Each system includes the datajacks, I/O SPUs, and memory required to multitask more that one datajack.
Consult the tables below to determine nuyen and essence costs for these systems. Level indicates the level of all components.
Level 1:
# Datajacks I/O SPUs Memory Cost Essence
--------------------------------------------------------
2 2 50 30,000 .35
3 3 100 50,000 .60
4 4 150 70,000 .85
5 5 200 90,000 1.10
Level 2:
# Datajacks I/O SPUs Memory Cost Essence
--------------------------------------------------------
2 2 50 40,000 .50
3 3 100 65,000 .80
4 4 150 85,000 1.10
5 5 200 110,000 1.40
Level 3:
# Datajacks I/O SPUs Memory Cost Essence
--------------------------------------------------------
2 2 50 55,000 .65
3 3 100 87,500 1.00
4 4 150 120,000 1.40
5 5 200 155,000 1.75
Level 4:
# Datajacks I/O SPUs Memory Cost Essence
--------------------------------------------------------
2 2 50 90,000 .75
3 3 100 140,500 1.20
4 4 150 190,000 1.65
5 5 200 240,000 2.00
 A little, pricey, don't you think?
 Splut
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 Depends on what you need it for. Any person using 5 datajacks will most likely have the money for it, or the corporate backing. Of course, for a complete level 4 system, you are looking at about 350k or so.
 Trog the Gnome
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 Don't forget to get a Math SPU. Multitasking can slow down system response, which can be deadly if you are decking. A Math SPU helps to alleviate some of that system delay.
 Fiddler
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 Correction. A complete level 4 system will cost you about 380k.
 Trog the Gnome
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 Any truth to the rumors that Yoshida Tech is trying to match up the encephalon processor into the same essence friendly system? This would be mint because you could drop in a complete multiport setup with completely matched components.
 Slipspeed
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 Yes we are. We have encountered two major problems though. First, the encephalon base processor doesn't like to be very friendly, apparently. Computer processors don't work well together unless they are synced up correctly, and even then it is a pretty uneasy working relationship. Our subsystems get the processors to 'be friendly' by having a less than .00003% data clash rate. Unfortunately, when we add in the processors for the encephalon expert system, it fights like hell to dominate the other processors, raising data clashes to .0074%. While this is well below typical multitasking operation levels, it doesn't meet our purposes of making it easy on the human mind. Research continues and I think we will have a viable product on the market within about six to eight months. The other problem is in manufacturing. Right now we have sixteen different clustered systems available. If we offer every level of encephalon with every level of I/O subsystem, we will be looking at manufacturing 64 different products, which would probably make the costs prohibitive. But then again, that isn't my department. I just get the stuff made, it is up to someone else in the company to sell the damn things.
 Lincoln Howe
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