Vassilis Prevelakis wrote:
Pictures from the Smithsonian
http://users.starpower.net/dj.taylor/Vax1.JPG
VAX MINICOMPUTER
Digital Equipment Corporation's VAX minicomputer, first introduced
in 1976, provided enough processing power for complex design problems,
but at a much lower cost than had previously been available. This
meant that individuals engineers could have the fill use of a
computer without having to share it with their colleagues. The VAX
became the workhorse or aerospace engineering. The model displayed
here, a MicroVAX II was introduced in 1985.
Museum people! Oh well! They can obviously read, but cannot understand.
Hello?? The label says its a *MICRO*VAX, and if its a uVAX, then
its not a mini. Also, calling the baby-sized uVAX a mini gives
visitors who may have never seen a mini-computer the wrong idea as to
what a mini-computer looks like. Sure I'll accept that its *compatible*
with a VAX (I'll even ignore the minor business of emulating a small
part of the instruction set :-), but is not a VAX.
At the University of Pennsylvania here in Philadelphia they have a VLSI
version of the ENIAC (some student project) but no-one in their right
mind would show that microprocessor next to a sign that says here is a
picture of ENIAC.
**vp
I'm remembering my first thought on seeing their 11/35 setup in the
museum (supposedly doing some kind of monitor/real-time control of a
space launch.
It was... "Wrong light pattern for RT11, RSTS/E, RSX11, and IAS... must
have an 8085 or a rom with a counter doing some light sequencing. The
wife thought I was a major geek and no one else would notice.
The mailing list here had a number of others who saw that display and
said the same thing.
I just smiled to know there's a couple of us out there.
I'm not opposed to an 11/35 front panel used like this in a display...
Just wished it had an authentic light pattern. Running the 11/35 full
up under glass would have problems with heat and power.
Bill