Exhibit 10(nn)

                                     Form of

                            DATA GENERAL CORPORATION

                           1998 NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTOR
                             STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT

                                      * * *

OPTION  AGREEMENT  made this ____th day of January,  ____  between  DATA GENERAL
CORPORATION,  a Delaware  corporation  (hereinafter  called the "Company"),  and
______________________________,  a Director of the Company  (hereinafter  called
the "Participant");


                                   WITNESSETH

         WHEREAS,   the  Company  desires,   by  affording  the  Participant  an
opportunity to purchase shares of its common stock, as hereinafter  provided, to
carry out the purpose of the "1998  Non-Employee  Director  Stock  Option  Plan"
(hereinafter  referred  to as the  "Plan"),  approved  by its  stockholders  and
directors:

         NOW,  THEREFORE,  in  consideration  of the  premises and of the mutual
promises hereinafter contained, the parties hereto have agreed as follows:

         1. Grant of Option.  The Company  hereby grants to the  Participant  an
option (hereinafter called the "Option") to purchase all or part of an aggregate
of  ________________  (______) shares of stock  (hereinafter  referred to as the
"Stock")  (such number being  subject to  adjustment as provided in Paragraph 11
hereof) on the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth.

         2.  Incorporation  of  Plan.  Except  as  hereinafter  provided,   this
Agreement  shall be governed  by and be subject to all the terms and  conditions
set forth in the Plan as in effect  on the date  hereof.  A copy of the Plan has
been delivered to the  Participant and is hereby  incorporated by reference.  In
the event of any discrepancy or  inconsistency  between the terms and conditions
of this  Agreement  and the Plan,  the terms and  conditions  of the Plan  shall
control.

         3. Purchase Price. The purchase price of the shares of Stock covered by
the Option  shall be  $________  per share.  Payment  shall be made in cash,  by
certified  check,  cashier's  check or in shares of Common  Stock in the  manner
prescribed in Paragraph 9 hereof.

         4.  Term of  Option.  The  term of the  Option  shall  be for a  period
commencing  on the date  hereof and ending  ten years  thereafter.  The right of
Participant to purchase Stock through the exercise of this Option,  wholly or in
part,  shall be available to the Participant at any time during the term of this
Option subject to  restrictions on disposition as provided in Paragraph 6 hereof
and to the obligation of resale of said Stock as provided in Paragraph 7 hereof.

         5.  Nontransferability.  The Option shall not be transferable otherwise
than by will or the laws of  descent  and  distribution,  and the  Option may be
exercised, during the lifetime of the Participant only by him, more particularly
(but without  limiting the generality of the  foregoing),  the Option may not be
assigned,  transferred (except as provided above), pledged,  hypothecated in any
way,  shall not be  assignable  by operation of law, and shall not be subject to
execution,  attachment or similar process. Any attempted  assignment,  transfer,
pledge,  hypothecation  or  other  disposition  of the  Option  contrary  to the
provision hereof, and the levy of any execution,  attachment, or similar process
upon the Option,  shall be null and void and without effect;  provided  however,
that if  Participant  shall die while serving as a Director of the Company,  his
executor,  personal  representative,  or  beneficiary  shall  have the  right to
exercise the Option (to the extent that the Participant would have been entitled
to do so at the date of his death) at any time  within  twelve  (12) months from
the date of death in respect of the total  number of shares as to which he would
be entitled to exercise his Option at the date of his death.

         6. Restrictions on Disposition.  Stock acquired by Participant pursuant
to the exercise of an Option is subject to certain  restrictions on dispositions
and  obligations  of resale to the  Company as provided in Section 7 of the Plan
and such Stock  shall not be sold,  transferred,  or  otherwise  disposed of and
shall not be pledged or otherwise  hypothecated  until such restrictions  lapse.
Participant understands and agrees that, if the Stock is subject to restrictions
which have not yet lapsed,  certificates  representing such Stock will contain a
legend to the  effect  that the Stock is  subject  to  certain  restrictions  on
disposition  and  obligations  of resale as  contained in Section 7 of the Plan.
Such restrictions against the disposition of the Stock shall lapse in accordance
with the provisions of Exhibit A attached hereto.

         Upon the  occurrence of the earlier of the death of  Participant or the
Participant's  cessation  of  service  as a  Director  with the  consent  of the
Company,  the restrictions  against  disposition which have not otherwise lapsed
under the Plan shall immediately lapse.

         7.  Obligation of Resale.  In the event of  Participant's  cessation of
service as a Director  for any reason  except  death or with the  consent of the
Company, then the Stock for which Participant has paid the purchase price but on
which  restrictions  against  disposition  have not lapsed  shall be offered for
resale to the  Company  at the price paid by  Participant.  This offer of resale
must be in writing and must be delivered to the Company  within thirty (30) days
following  the  cessation  of service and  certificates  for such Stock shall be
delivered to the Company  within such  thirty-day  period.  If such Stock is not
delivered  to the  Company  within  thirty  (30)  days  following  cessation  of
Participant's  service,  such Stock  shall  remain  subject to the  restrictions
against  disposition and such restrictions shall not lapse as otherwise provided
herein and in the Plan.  Within sixty (60) days  following a timely  delivery of
the Stock,  the Company will compensate  Participant  (at the original  purchase
price)  for such  number  of  shares  of the  Stock  as the  Company  elects  to
repurchase and will return to the  Participant any such shares not so purchased.
In the event that the Company declines in writing to repurchase such Stock, such
Stock shall  remain the property of  Participant  and the  restrictions  against
disposition shall lapse at the rate stated in this Agreement.

         8.  Service as a Director.  Subject to the  provisions  of  Paragraph 5
hereof, this Option shall be exercisable only by Participant while he is serving
as a Director of the Company or upon his cessation of service as a Director with
the consent of the Company.  If  Participant  shall cease to serve as a Director
with the consent of the Company before his Option shall have terminated, he must
exercise the Option within ninety (90) days after the date on which he ceases to
serve as a Director the Company.

         Participant  acknowledges  and agrees that the Company is not obligated
by this  Agreement or the Plan to continue the  Participant as a Director of the
Company, and this Agreement does not in any manner create any rights,  benefits,
or obligations not specifically set forth herein.

         9. Method of Exercising Option.  Subject to the terms and conditions of
this Option  Agreement,  the Option may be  exercised  by written  notice to the
Company  at its  office  at 4400  Computer  Drive,  Westboro,  MA  0l580,  Attn:
Treasurer.  Such notice shall state the election to exercise the Option, and the
number of shares of Stock in respect of which it is being exercised. It shall be
signed  by the  person  or  persons  so  exercising  the  Option  and  shall  be
accompanied  by payment  of the full  purchase  price of such Stock in cash,  by
certified  check,  cashier's  check or in shares of Common  Stock.  If shares of
Common Stock are tendered as payment of the Option exercise price,  the value of
such shares shall be their fair market value as of the date of exercise. If such
tender would result in the issuance of fractional  shares of Common  Stock,  the
Participant  shall purchase at the price which reflects the fair market value of
the Stock as of the date of exercise,  in cash, by certified  check or cashier's
check such  additional  fractional  shares of Common  Stock as are  necessary to
result in the issuance to the Participant of an additional whole share of Common
Stock. The Company shall issue, in the name of the person or persons  exercising
the Option,  and deliver a certificate or certificates  representing such shares
as soon as  practicable  after the notice and payment shall be received.  In the
event the Option  shall be  exercised,  pursuant to  Paragraph 5 hereof,  by any
person or persons other than the  Participant,  such notice shall be accompanied
by  appropriate  proof of the right of such  person or persons to  exercise  the
Option.

Until Participant (or his  representative as provided in Paragraph 5 hereof) has
been  issued  a  certificate  or  certificates   for  the  shares  as  acquired,
Participant shall possess no stockholder rights with respect to any such Stock.

         10. Tax  Information.  Information  with respect to the ordinary income
recognized by  Participant in any year on account of the exercise of the Option,
whether such income arises from the receipt of Stock not subject to restrictions
or from the lapse of  restrictions,  shall be  reported  by the  Company  to the
Internal Revenue Service to the extent required by law.

A copy of any election  statement filed by Participant with the Internal Revenue
Service in order to elect,  in  accordance  with  Section  83(b) of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986, as amended,  to recognize  ordinary  income in the year of
exercise with respect to the Stock being  purchased upon exercise of the Option,
shall be provided by the Participant to the Company.

         11. Changes in Capital  Structure.  If all or any portion of the Option
shall be exercised subsequent to any stock dividend, split-up, recapitalization,
merger,  consolidation,   combination  or  exchange  of  shares,  or  otherwise,
occurring  after the date hereof,  the  aggregate  number of shares of the Stock
subject to this Agreement and the Option price may be proportionately  adjusted,
and any other appropriate  changes may be made by the Board of Directors,  whose
determination shall be conclusive.  No fractional share shall be issued upon any
such exercise, and the aggregate price shall be appropriately reduced on account
of any fractional share not issued.  In no event,  however,  shall adjustment be
made  in  the  rate  at  which  restrictions   against   disposition  lapse  and
Participant's obligation of resale, as fixed by Paragraph 6 and 7 hereof.

         12. Termination of Option. In the event of the institution of any legal
proceedings directed to the validity of the Plan pursuant to which the Option is
granted,  or to any option granted under it, the Company may, in its discretion,
and without incurring any liability  therefor to any Participant,  terminate the
Option.

         13.   Enforceability.   This  Agreement   shall  be  binding  upon  the
Participant, his estate, his personal representatives and beneficiaries.

         14. Notices. Each notice relating to this Agreement shall be in writing
and delivered in person or by first class mail, postage prepaid,  to the address
as hereinafter  provided.  Each notice shall be deemed to have been given on the
date it is received.  Each notice to the Company shall be addressed to it at its
offices at 4400 Computer Drive, Westboro, MA 01580 (Attention:  Treasurer). Each
notice to the  Participant  or other person or persons then entitled to exercise
the Option shall be addressed to the Participant or such other person or persons
at the Participant's last known address.

         15.  Successors,  Etc. For purposes of this  Agreement,  the  "Company"
shall also mean any  successor to Data General  Corporation,  whether by merger,
acquisition or otherwise.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF,  the Company has caused this Option Agreement to be
executed by its duly  authorized  officer,  and the Participant has hereunto set
his hand and seal, all on the day and year first above written.

                                                   DATA GENERAL CORPORATION


                                                   By:_________________________
                                                        Robert C. McBride,
                                                   Vice President and Treasurer




I have read and understood this Agreement
and agree to be bound by its terms.


___________________________________
Print Name: _________________________

                                                                            1/98
                                                   EXHIBIT A TO

                                             DATA GENERAL CORPORATION

                           1998 NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTOR
                             STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT

                            Dated: January __, _____




During the term of this option,  the  restrictions  against  disposition  of the
Stock and the  obligation  of resale to the  Company  shall  lapse so the shares
become  freely  tradeable  ("Free  Shares")  in  accordance  with the  following
schedule:

<TABLE>



       # of Years                                          Free of Restrictions
      From Date of
  Option Agreement                         Per Time Period                        Cumulative

     <S>                                     <C>                                     <C>
1 year  or on  __/__/__                    25% = ____ shs.                      25%  = ____ shs.

2 years or on __/__/__                     25% = ____ shs.                      50%  = ____ shs.

3 years or on __/__/__                     25% = ____ shs.                      75%  = ____ shs.

4 years or on __/__/__                     25% = ____ shs                       100% = ____ shs.

</TABLE>