This is a short overview of Sun's Systems history. There are a lot of interesting things in the past which help us understand current technologies and even predict their future.

3. Industry Leading ROI 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 UltraSPARC I, UltraSPARC II UltraSPARC III, IV, IV+ SPARC64 VI, VII } 6 years 7 months } 7 years 9 months ~ 6 - 7 years

4. Systems Transition Periods 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 UltraSPARC I, UltraSPARC II UltraSPARC III, IV, IV+ SPARC64 VI, VII 1.5 years 1.5 years Consistent transition period