Sun announces its first-ever laptop

SAN FRANCISCO: Sun Microsystems Inc. on Monday introduced its first-ever notebook computer as the network computer maker seeks to encourage increasingly mobile software developers to write programs built on Sun technology.

The "Sun Ultra 3 Mobile Workstation" uses Sun's Sparc microprocessor and lets engineers and system administrators and other users of Sun products to run the same applications as on large, mid-range servers and workstations, which are powerful computers used by engineers and scientists.

Santa Clara, California-based Sun Microsystems also announced what it said was its fastest-ever workstation. It is available at a promotion price of $39.95 per month with a three-year subscription. The Sun Ultra 20 Workstation comes loaded with Sun's Solaris 10 operating system, its Java Studio Enterprise 7 software and its Java Studio Creator 2004Q2 software developer tools and includes support and service.

Also this week, Sun said it will publish the source code underlying much of its Java software, which is often used as the foundation of Web services, such as online banking.

Sun's move comes just weeks after the company published the source code for its Solaris operating system, which is used to run large computer centers. The company has said both moves are aimed at spurring sales of its computer services, hardware, and other offerings.

"Now I can sell services, systems, storage and design services, because I got my foot in the door" by giving away the code to the Java application server," John Loiacono, head of Sun's software group, told Reuters.

The mobile workstation has a starting price of $3,400 and will be widely available in July, Sun said.