P.M. Briefing : Digital Fixing Mainframe Flaws

MAYNARD, Mass. —  Digital Equipment Corp. has found some technical problems in its new line of mainframe computers, prompting the company to retrofit the machines to make them more reliable, a spokesman said today.

Digital unveiled its VAX 9000 machines last year, entering the mainframe market that has been dominated by rival International Business Machines Corp.

But some customers have reported troubles with the machines, which are designed to handle massive amounts of information. According to Digital, the problems caused the machines to “crash” every few days in certain applications.

Mark Steinkrauss, director of investor relations for Digital, said the problems arose in a “handful” of customers who run the machines for lengthy periods.

David Lynch, a Digital spokesman, said the enhancement was being made on all VAX 9000s.