Announcement of Genera 7.2

[garren@scrc-stony-brook.arpa]

Contact:
	
						Scott Garren	
						Symbolics, Inc.	
						(617) 621-7500	


						FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SYMBOLICS ANNOUNCES UPGRADE OF ITS GENERA OPERATING SYSTEM SOFTWARE

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., March 23 - Symbolics, Inc. today announced an
extensive upgrade of its Genera(R) operating system software, used by
all Symbolics computers.  The Company will begin shipping the system in
mid-April.

The update, called Genera Release 7.2, features dramatically higher
performance, particularly in interactive response, and provides full
upward compatibility with Genera 7.1.

"Genera 7.2 includes many important advances in technology and user
convenience as well as the improvements in performance and reliability
that have come to be expected from Symbolics, " said David Stryker,
Program Director, Software Products.

"The system is much easier to use.  The user interface has been extended
consistently across major system components.  In addition, there are
eight new manuals in the documentation set, five of them specifically
for new users."

"Included is a workbook for new users with a series of interactive
sessions that demonstrate major system tools.  Other new documentation
is targeted at experienced users, most notably complete documentation of
the Symbolics window system and Symbolics extensions to Common Lisp."

Mabry Tyson of the SRI International in California commented, "In
summary, after beta-testing, I am quite pleased with 7.2.  My
compliments and congratulations to all who have worked on it."

		       Long List of New Features	

A complete undo facility for the editor has been added, along with a new
hints facility called "HackSaws" that provides interesting, useful facts
about Genera for new and current users.

Disk space requirements are far less in Genera 7.2.  Despite the
extensive additions, the size of the Genera system has been cut by 15
percent from Genera 7.1.  A new network booting facility greatly cuts
down on the amount of disk space required per user as well as
simplifying management.

New metering tools help users build better, faster applications.  The
metering tools have an easy-to-use graphical interface.  Complete
control over the amount of detail is provided,allowing programmers to
look closely at specific aras using fine resolution, or to take a broad
overview of the general state of their application.

Genera 7.2 features a full graphics system using the PostScript(TM)
imaging model whichallows device-independent graphics in either Lisp or
PostScript syntax.

All Genera 7.2 sources are available, either as part of the operating
system or on the new Supplemental Genera 7.2 Source Tape.  The
supplemental tape is available at a price of $7,500.

Genera 7.2 also includes support for a number of layered products:

Symbolics C (TM) - with syntax-directed editing, incremental
compilation, source-leveling debugging and the standard reference
documentation, C:  A Reference Manual byHarbison and Steele
(Prentice-Hall), available on-line.

SNA 3270 Communications Systems - permitting programs on Symbolics
system to work directly with data on IBM(TM) mainframes.

Symbolics Prolog(TM) - with a Trace Window spy facility and with
syntax-directed editing, incremental compilation, source-level
debugging, and the standard reference documentation, Programming in
Prolog by Clocksin and Mellish (Springer-Verlag), available on-line.

Symbolics Pascal(TM) - with syntax-directed editing, incremental
compilation,s ource-level debugging, and the standard reference
documentation, Pascal User Manual and Report by Jensen and Wirth
(Springer-Verlag), available on-line.

The new release also includes support for new hardware:

A system with a color console only, 6250 bpi tape drive, the recently
announced Symbolics 3653(TM) multi-set departmental development system,
the new Symbolics 3630, and support for future personal computer-based
delivery platforms.

The majority of Symbolics customers have yearly service agreements and
will automatically receive a free Genera 7.2 upgrade kit in April or
May.  All Symbolics systemsscheduled for delivery in April and
thereafter will include Genera 7.2.

Symbolics, Inc., headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., with operations in
Chatsworth,Calif., in the leading manufacturer and marketer of symbolic
processing systems for developing and running complex, strategic
software.  For its fiscal year ended June 30, 1987, Symbolics had
revenues in excess of $103 million.  The company's stock is traded over
the NASDAQ system (SMBX).-0-Genera is a registered trademark of
Symbolics, Inc. Symbolics, Symbolics C, Symbolics Pascal,Symbolics
Fortran, and Symbolics 3653 are trademarks of Symbolics, Inc.

PostScript is a trademark of Adobe Systems, Inc.

IBM is a trademark of International Business Machine Corporation