> I just saw a new snapshot (1999-12-08?) and wondered if it will benefit
> me. I saw that the stuff was quite reorganized, so i wonder if it is also
> faster, esp. the screen.

NetBSD/pmax is in internal reorganization process to improve better
support for possible new hardware platforms (DECsystems).  The processs
sometimes brings gotchas and chaos.  In this moment, the improvment process
does not offer any 'speedup'.   There was a big fix in SCSI reliability
of IOASIC DECstations (3min, 3max+ and maxine).  The SCSI issue is revealed
on dump(8) operations of harddisk.

> But... it doens't seem to be used in my release for windowdragging... it's
> quite slow and moves line for line... also scrolling is slow too, esp.
> outside of X.

HX (PMAGB-BA) would be able to provide 'fastest 2D framebuffer in
market (Digital claimed so)' with its accelerated graphics feature,
but the source code of ULTRIX/DU X11 server was never released to
public, thus NetBSD/pmax can not use the attractive feature this moment.
However, hardware specifications are available and effort is making
progress.

Improvment over HX console scrolling is under constraction in another
development effort.  Speed gain is proven dramatical.  People who are
serious to get graphic performance gain on any TURBOchannel based
DECstations, I recommend to take effort to obtain HX TURBOchannel
option card.  Then, ahh..., wait for the forthcoming WSCONS
transition.  You will never regret it, I assure.

Tohru Nishimura