Editing HAL Computer Systems (section)

{{For|the fictional computer in the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey|HAL 9000}}
{{Infobox company
| name = HAL Computer Systems
| logo = File:HAL Computer Systems logo.svg
| type = <!-- Public or Private -->
| industry = Computer workstations
| founded = {{Start date and age|1990}}
| founder = Andrew Heller
| defunct = {{End date|2001}}
| products = [[HAL SPARC64]]
| num_employees = 
| num_employees_year = <!-- Year of num_employees data (if known) -->
}}
'''HAL Computer Systems, Inc''' was a [[Campbell, California]]-based computer manufacturer founded in 1990 by Andrew Heller, a principal designer of the original [[IBM POWER instruction set architecture|IBM POWER]] architecture.<ref>"RS/6000 Design Chief Forms HAL To Build UNIX Line With Its Own RISC"{{full citation needed|date=September 2019}}</ref> His idea was to build computers based on a [[RISC]] architecture for the commercial market. The inspiration of the name comes from the [[Arthur C. Clarke]] novel ''[[2001: A Space Odyssey (novel)|2001: A Space Odyssey]]''.

The company's intent to develop a high-performance [[microprocessor]] implementing the [[SPARC]] architecture prompted [[Fujitsu]] to fund the company in 1991. $40.2 million was invested in return for a 44% stake. As part of the deal:
# Fujitsu agreed to not increase their ownership of HAL.
# Fujitsu would fabricate HAL's microprocessor designs.
# Fujitsu would make its patents available to HAL.
# Fujitsu would manufacture some of the HAL machines, and market them in Asia. 
In return, HAL gave Fujitsu access to the technology it was developing. By this time, HAL had 140 employees.<ref>"Fujitsu's $40m Buys 44% Of IBM Refugee's HAL Firm"{{full citation needed|date=September 2019}}</ref> <!-- Unsubstantiated: Since the designers believed that a 64-bit architecture was necessary for the commercial workloads, HAL took the initiative in the definition of Version 9 of that architecture. -->

In mid-1993, Heller resigned from his position as chairman and chief executive officer to become a consultant to Fujitsu Ltd. HAL said Heller had been developing roadmaps for Fujitsu and its subsidiaries [[International Computers Limited|ICL plc]] and [[Amdahl Corporation]] for the six months prior to his resignation, and had been less involved with HAL's daily operation.<ref>Heller Quits Top Job At HAL{{full citation needed|date=September 2019}}</ref> There were suggestions that Fujitsu was dissatisfied with HAL's progress and their failure to introduce systems with their [[64-bit]] processor, but the company had no comment on the suggestions.<ref>Heller Quits HAL Computer To Steer Fujitsu Companies Towards Common UNIX{{full citation needed|date=September 2019}}</ref> The position of president was taken by Scott Metcalf, who was also the chief operating officer.

In November 1993, Fujitsu paid more than $50 million for the remaining 56% of HAL it did not own. HAL became a wholly owned subsidiary of Fujitsu.

HAL was very secretive about their product plans during their operation as an independent company. Initial systems were intended for a 1994 launch.

The company produced multiple generations of computers based on microprocessors they had designed to the 64-bit [[SPARC V9]] specification.  Their processor design, known as [[HAL SPARC64|SPARC64]], combined [[out-of-order execution]] with [[Mainframe computer|mainframe]]-style [[reliability, availability and serviceability]] features. SPARC64 beat out [[Sun Microsystems]]' [[UltraSPARC|UltraSPARC I]] by a few months to be the first SPARC V9 microprocessor produced.

Most of the sales of the company went to the Japanese market. Fujitsu closed the subsidiary in mid-2001.

HAL later designed the [[HAL SPARC64#SPARC64 II|SPARC64 II]] (previously known as the SPARC64+), [[HAL SPARC64#SPARC64 III|SPARC64 III]] microprocessors. They also designed a microprocessor that was canceled when the division was closed by Fujitsu, known as the [[SPARC64 V]]. Fujitsu would later develop a microprocessor with the same name.