28 Jun
2000
28 Jun
'00
2:51 p.m.
Zane. You wimp. An 8350 is a fairly friendly BIbus system.
Nothing weird about it. It's perhaps not the best "first" VAX, but
it's certainly not as daunting as something like an 11/780 or an
8800. There's certainly more to VAX life than the desktop machines.
If this guy is motivated, and the machine is in reasonably good
shape, and maybe with a little help from us, I'll bet he can get this
machine up & running with only a little bit of sweat.
-Dave McGuire
On June 28, healyzh(a)aracnet.com wrote:
Um, I suppose I'm fairly 'into' VAXen, and
I definitly like messing with
VMS. I've one thing to say about this system. *I* wouldn't touch it!
Getting the stuff to get it up and running would likely be a real pain
(although I do have a system console for one).
If you want to mess with VAXen then get a 3100 series MicroVAX or
VAXstation, or a 4000 series VAXstation. If you're more interested in VMS,
then you might also consider an Alpha. Then once you've got one system up
you can consider getting other systems such as Q-Bus VAXen, or maybe a big
VAXen.
So far, I've mostly stuck with micros (Apple,
Commodore, Atari, etc.)
But I noticed someone auctioning a VAX 8350 for about $50 over on Ebay,
and I wondered, would it be relatively straightforward for a VAX newbie
like me to:
a. ship
Probably have to be crated.
b. get it running
Nightmarish I suspect
c. find software (Unix, Vms, etc) and hardware
(disk drives, tape drives,
etc.)
VMS is the *ONE* True OS!!! Info on the truely great Hobbyist licenses can
be found at the following page.
http://www.montagar.com/hobbyist/
But if you insist on being sick and twisted
http://minnie.cs.adfa.oz.au/PUPS/
http://www.netbsd.com
Hardware? Just about anywhere.
d. keep it running (does it require specialized
maintenance)
Probably pretty easy. While I've not messed with this particular model I've
found the VAXen I've got to be very reliable. Except the ones using old MFM
Hard drives (and that's a hard drive issue). I do suspect this model
probably requires a climet controlled computer room, but really don't know.
My only experience with VAXen was at a terminal
in college and at a couple
of jobs. The machine itself was always kept in its own, airconditioned,
halon-fire-extinguisher equipped, raised floor room.
So, should I jump into the fray?
YES!!! But, not with this system. Personally I think probably your best
system to start with would be a VAXstation 4000 of some sort. A personal
VAX with 24MB is quite nice, a personal Alpha with about 112MB is quite
nice (the amount of RAM is probably the biggest thing to consider). 1-2GB
of Disk space and a CD-ROM would also be recommended.
Zane
28 Jun
28 Jun
3:36 p.m.
Zane. You wimp. An 8350 is a fairly friendly BIbus
system.
Yep, in this case feel free to call me a wimp. I've seen pieces of a 8350,
I really don't want to mess with something that big, and slow unless it's
a 11/780.
Still you've got to remember my primary interest is VMS, not the hardware
under it, though I do like playing with the hardware. Also, space is
currently my primary concern, I don't have any.
Nothing weird about it. It's perhaps not the best
"first" VAX, but
it's certainly not as daunting as something like an 11/780 or an
8800. There's certainly more to VAX life than the desktop machines.
Sure there is more to VAX life than desktops, and I've got some, BUT I
wouldn't recommend one to anyone as a first VAX. Besides having that
desktop can help get the BIG VAX up and running.
Shoot, my first two VAXen were a VAXstation II/RC and MicroVAX II. I sure
wouldn't recommend either as first systems unless they're picked up for
free. If they're still running on MFM disks, you'll probably have a real
headache getting the system running. I love Q-Bus systems, but don't think
they should be a first system. It's to easy to pick up a VAXstation 3100
dirt cheap, or free now.
If this guy is motivated, and the machine is in
reasonably good
shape, and maybe with a little help from us, I'll bet he can get this
machine up & running with only a little bit of sweat.
-Dave McGuire
Um... I saw this on eBay yesterday, and as I read it, it's basically just
the CPU. I'm sorry, I do not consider this a good first system. I
maintain that the best first system is either a 3100 or 4000 series system.
BTW, what's the power and cooling requirements for one of these puppies?
You really need to consider that, and the fact it's apparently in a 40"
Rack! Remember shipping was one of his concerns <shudder>.
Zane
29 Jun
29 Jun
8:39 a.m.
Hi!
Shoot, my first two VAXen were a VAXstation II/RC and MicroVAX II. I sure
My first VAX was a MicroVAX II, and I would recommend it as the first
machine. Well, my config just worked and I had nothing to fix, so that's
an advantage, too, of course. But I was (and still am) pretty happy with
this machine.
wouldn't recommend either as first systems unless
they're picked up for
free. If they're still running on MFM disks, you'll probably have a real
headache getting the system running. I love Q-Bus systems, but don't think
What's so bad with MFM disks? My MVII is running 4x RD54, and it works
just fine!
Um... I saw this on eBay yesterday, and as I read it,
it's basically just
the CPU. I'm sorry, I do not consider this a good first system. I
If you have to build around with the system, or you have to fix it first,
than it's probably not a good choice.
Bye,
Freddy
11:14 a.m.
What's so bad with MFM disks? My MVII is running
4x RD54, and it works
just fine!
It's been my experience that most of the machines of that era that turn up
have RD53's, not RD54's. Yes, I know there are a couple people on this list
that will probably say that RD53's aren't that bad, but I've got to
disagree, especially for a started machine. Plus if the machine has SCSI,
it's easier to get a CD-ROM hooked up so the person starting can use the
Hobbyist CD.
Just for the record. Yes, I hate MFM drives, the the only DEC system I
still use them on is a Pro380. My PDP-11/73 is most definitely SCSI! When
I've got the space to set up a couple more MVII class systems they'll either
be running with SCSI or ESDI. The MV3 is running with RA72's and RA73's.
Zane
8794
days inactive
8795
days old
3 comments
3 participants
participants (3)
-
healyzh＠aracnet.com -
mcguire＠neurotica.com -
Meerwaldt＠t-online.de