I acknowledge that I am probably the only person on
this list
who prefers an emulator for the PDP-11 over a real DEC
CPU and hardware associated with that solution.
However, I am extremely curious!!! What are the criteria which
determine if the original hardware is chosen over an emulator
which runs 150 times faster - assuming at the very least that
choosing the emulator is equal or less expensive than the
original hardware AND running under the emulator also
supports all the other computer requirements for that user.
actually, I suspect that the total amount I have spent on my real DEC
PDP11s over the years (getting the machines, buying spares, etc) has eben
a lot less than the amount I would have spent on `repairing'
(boarfswapping) and upgrading a PC over that time.
I cna think of reasons ot ru nthe real hardaware. The first is the
obvious one that you jsut enjoy it. I can think of a do0zne things that
otehr people do and enjoy that I personally would hate. But that doesn't
mean I think they're wrogn to do said things.
The seocnd is that the real hardware does let yuou do things -- and learn
things -- that the simualtor does not.
Th third is that there may be some peripheral for the real hardare that
cannot be simuated, or that the simualtor does not support.My 11/45
systme has multiple ADCs, DACs, user ports, etc. Now, such thigns are
availabel for PCs, I know, but I didn't think that SimH supported them.
Maybe I am wrong, does it provide senible emulators of an AD11-K, an
AA11-K, etc?
-tony