> 
> One thing we should do on these macines.  Use SCSI for everything!  And
> while we are at it, use the Qbus.  I think there is enough documentation
> out there that one can figure out how it works.  :-)  What's the
> speed/bandwidth limitations on the Qbus?  Might have to change it, make it
> SuperQ or something.

 Qbus is not very fast. Its protocol and so on are more efficient and 
more flexible than something gross like ISA, but its not very fast at 
all. It maxes out at about 3 megabytes a second. 
As for SCSI, I second the motion, except for as ive mentioned before, i 
want to see MSCP being what the host talks to. Have MSCP-emulating SCSI 
adapters, like the Emulex and CMD boards were all familiar with. This is 
the way to go. MSCP is an incredibly elegant and flexible scheme, and is 
the basis of how VAXclusters can share storage the way they do. 
I still want to do a 100 MHz TURBOchannel bus. Its such a simple bus, 
electrically! 
> 
> And speaking of Qbus cards, definitely need to make multi-function cards,
> if possible.  Save space, save energy, save a bunch of chemicals need for
> extra cards, etc.

With TC, you have nice small cards. I like single-function devices. One 
thing, and do it well.
I also want, however, as ivementioned before, to see devices taking full 
advantage of the power of the VAX architecture to do I/O the right way: 
with devices acting as VAX nexi on a nexus interconnect, like the XMI and 
BI VAXen were. (anyone who's seen a VAX 6000 knows the kind of awe you 
get just looking at how these things talk to each other.. :) 

> 
> An option, say, a switch or two somewhere, to know the machine down to
> original speed, just to make purists happy.

 hahahahahah


> 
> A 1u rack-mountable VAX-based server like thing, with serial only console
> (what else would you use?) with a nicely sized hard drive (say, 9GB).  Of
> course, an external scsi bus would be need, should you want to expand it.
> Looking at the VS3100, this could actually be done, if the RAM would be
> miniaturized, and no frame buffer.

 With enough budget, one could put an entire VAX 6620  with loads of I/O
all on one small board *grin* alas, we havent such a budget :) 

> 
> You know, I think I need to setup Majordomo so we can create a nuvax list
> or something.


 nah, i like the informal just bunch of cc'ed stuff kind of thing. its more
ad-hoc, more personall... 
at least til we get a domain registered and stuff... then once its 
nuvax.com, i say sure lets put somethign that acts as a central place for 
mail. 


isildur