9 8 1 , ▁which ▁was ▁combined ▁with ▁Nor text ▁and ▁resulted ▁in ▁large ▁increases ▁in ▁the ▁sale ▁of ▁the ▁systems . ▁ ▁Bo om ▁The ▁Nord - 1 0 0 ▁was ▁introduced ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 9 , ▁which ▁was ▁special ized ▁at ▁flex ibility ▁and ▁focused ▁on ▁administrative ▁applications . ▁When ▁Digital ▁launched ▁their ▁V AX - 1 1 ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 7 , ▁Nor sk ▁Data ▁had ▁the ▁Nord - 5 ▁ 3 2 - bit ▁computer ▁ready ▁for ▁C ER N . ▁As ▁the ▁V AX - 1 1 ▁was ▁ 3 2 - bit ▁and ▁regarded ▁as ▁a ▁super min ic om put er , ▁Nor sk ▁Data ▁did ▁not ▁initially ▁see ▁it ▁as ▁a ▁compet itor ▁since ▁the ▁Nord - 5 ▁had ▁much ▁better ▁processing ▁power . ▁Nord - 5 0 ▁had ▁similar ▁processing ▁power ▁to ▁the ▁Nord - 5 , ▁but ▁was ▁not ▁a ▁general - pur pose ▁computer . ▁The ▁ 3 2 ▁bit ▁computer ▁used ▁a ▁Nord - 1 0 ▁front ▁processor ▁that ▁ran ▁the ▁S IN TRAN ▁III ▁operating ▁system . ▁Development ▁of ▁the ▁N D - 5 0 0 ▁started ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 8 ▁and ▁had ▁so ▁fundamental ▁changes ▁to ▁the ▁system ▁architecture ▁( was ▁not ▁made ▁from ▁bit - slice ▁components ▁but ▁micro program med ▁with ▁a ▁new ▁instruction ▁set ) ▁that ▁all ▁software ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁re written ▁- ▁except ▁for ▁the ▁S IN TRAN . ▁The ▁computer ▁was ▁launched ▁in ▁ 1 9 8