Tadpole Computer

{{Infobox company

| name = Tadpole Computer

| logo = File:Tadpole Computer logo.svg

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| fate = Acquired by General Dynamics

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| founded = {{Start date and age|1994}}

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| defunct = 2005

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| hq_location_city = Cupertino

| hq_location_country = United States

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| products = Laptops, servers, workstations

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| website = [https://web.archive.org/web/20040826021828/http://www.tadpolecomputer.com/html/ www.tadpolecomputer.com]

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

History

Tadpole was founded in 1994{{Cite web|url=https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/53674-tadpole-eyes-athlon-64-multiprocessor-sparc-notebooks|title=Tadpole Eyes Athlon 64, Multiprocessor Sparc Notebooks - ExtremeTech|website=www.extremetech.com|access-date=2020-04-20}} and originally based in Cambridge, England, then for a time in Cupertino, California.{{Cite web|url=http://hw.tadpole.com/dynamic/news/press/2002/62.html|title=Tadpole Launches Sleek UltraSPARC® Technology Powered Notebook|last=|first=|date=2003-02-18|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030218021546/http://hw.tadpole.com/dynamic/news/press/2002/62.html|archive-date=2003-02-18|access-date=2020-04-20}}

In 1998, Tadpole acquired RDI Computer Corporation of Carlsbad, California,{{Cite web|url=https://eloydegen.com/TadQuotes.pdf|title=Tadpole Technology: Industry news|last=|first=|date=2020-04-20|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200420104702/https://eloydegen.com/TadQuotes.pdf|archive-date=2020-04-20|access-date=2020-04-20}} who produced the competing Britelite and Powerlite portable SPARC-based systems, for $6 million.{{Cite web|url=http://sunsite.uakom.sk/sunworldonline/swol-08-1998/swol-08-tadpole.html|title=Tadpole Technology purchases major competitor RDI Computer Corporation - SunWorld - August 1998|website=sunsite.uakom.sk|access-date=2020-04-20}}

Tadpole was later acquired by defense contractor General Dynamics, in April 2005.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/40533/000119312506044567/d10k.htm|title=Form 10-K, General Dynamics Corporation|last=|first=|date=|website=www.sec.gov|access-date=2020-04-19}}

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.{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-security-silicon-valley-idINDEE9620GH20130704|title=Strong ties bind spy agencies and Silicon Valley|date=2013-07-04|work=Reuters|access-date=2020-04-20|language=en}}

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.{{Citation needed|date=April 2020}}

=SPARC=

File:Tadpole SPARCBook (1).jpg]]

The original SPARCbook 1[http://www.islandnet.com/~KPOLSSON/workstat/work1991.htm Chronology of Workstation Computers (1991-1992)] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050402100803/http://www.islandnet.com/~KPOLSSON/workstat/work1991.htm |date=April 2, 2005 }} was introduced in 1992 with 8–32 MB RAM and a 25 MHz processor.[https://books.google.com/books?id=YlAEAAAAMBAJ&dq=SPARCbook1&pg=PA32 Sub-$6,000 Sparc Notebook Announced], By Martin Marshall, InfoWorld, 27 May 1991, Page 32[https://books.google.com/books?id=6fxsaF0QuVEC&dq=SPARCbook1&pg=PA37 Advert: Meet the Notebook that Breaks the Mold: SPARCbook 1: Tadpole], Computerworld, 23 Mar 1992, Page 37 It was followed by several further SPARCbooks, UltraSPARCbooks (branded as Ultrabooks) – and the Voyager IIi.[https://books.google.com/books?id=BzsEAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22SPARCbook%22&pg=PA33 Tadpole release Sparc notebooks], By Yvonne L. Lee, InfoWorld, 21 Feb 1994, Page 33, ...The $10,950 SparcBook 3....The $7,500 SparcBook 3LC...[https://books.google.com/books?id=CENB4wa_QxUC&dq=sparc+tadpole&pg=PA41 SPARC notebook manufacturer promises desktop performance], by Michael Fitzgerald, Computerworld, 28 Feb 1994, Page 41, ...Tadpole Technology Inc. in Austin, Texas, announced its third SPARC notebook....The $10,950 SPARCbook 3 uses Texas insstruments, Inc.'s 50-MHz MicroSPARC processor... These all ran the SunOS or Solaris operating systems.[http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/32324/Tadpole-SPARCbook-3/ "Tadpole SPARCbook 3"], computinghistory.org.uk[https://blog.adafruit.com/2019/04/01/sparcbook-3000st-the-coolest-90s-laptop-sparc-vintagecomputing-retrocomputing-eckmeister/ SPARCbook 3000ST - The coolest 90s laptop], March 14, 2019, adafruit.com[https://books.google.com/books?id=0S8guIHHaiIC&dq=sparc+tadpole&pg=PA256 Table 11-1: Identifying Different SPARC CPUs], Page 256, Sun Performance and Tuning: Java and the Internet, By Adrian Cockcroft, Richard Pettit, Sun Microsystems, ...System(Kernel Architecture): Tadpole SPARCbook 1 (sun4m) / CPU Mhz: 25 / CPU Type: Cypress 601...System(Kernel Architecture): Tadpole SPARCbook 2 (sun4m) / CPU Mhz: 40 / CPU Type: Fujitsu MB86903...System(Kernel Architecture): Tadpole SPARCbook 3 (sun4m) / CPU Mhz: 85-110 / CPU Type: microSPARC II...[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], By Cate Corcoran, InfoWorld Dec 28, 1992 - Jan 4, 1993, Page 23 In 2004, Tadpole released the Viper laptop.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/tadpole-leaps-to-sparc-portable-workstation/|title=Tadpole leaps to Sparc portable workstation|website=CNET|language=en|access-date=2020-04-23}}

The SPARCLE was based on a 500-600 MHz UltraSPARC IIe or 1 GHz UltraSPARC IIIi.{{Cite web|url=http://www.tadpolecomputer.com/html/products/mobile/sparcle/specifications.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040604192806/http://www.tadpolecomputer.com/html/products/mobile/sparcle/specifications.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2004-06-04|title=Tadpole|date=2004-06-04|access-date=2020-04-21}}

=DEC Alpha=

File:Tadpole_ALPHAbook_1.ogg 2011]]

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.{{cite web|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Tadpole+Technology+announces+the+ALPHAbook+1,+the+world's+most...-a017809952|title=Tadpole Technology announces the ALPHAbook 1, the world's most powerful notebook computer|publisher=Business Wire|date=December 3, 1995|accessdate=September 2, 2008}}[http://h71000.www7.hp.com/doc/732final/6668/6668pro_012.html HP OpenVMS Systems Documentation] Retrieved September 15, 2011.

=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.[http://ps-2.kev009.com/ohlandl/7007/194-062.txt "IBM RISC System/6000 N40 Notebook Workstation"], March 8, 1994, Announcement Number: 194-062{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=RS/6000 Notebook 860|url=https://tecnopolis.ca/aixtp/Brochure/4249-860.pdf|access-date=|website=}}

=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.[https://books.google.com/books?id=3joEAAAAMBAJ&dq=sparc+tadpole&pg=PA45 Tadpole boosts power in Pentium-, Sparc-based notebooks], By Yvonne L. Lee, InfoWorld, 24 Jul 1995, Page 45, ...The two new notebooks, shipping now, include the SparcBook 3GX...and the Tadpole P1300, the first 133-MHz Pentium-based notebook...A Pentium notebook with 8MB of RAM and a 340MB hard disk cost $6,995...