Totally tongue in cheek, ;-)

<One thing we should do on these macines.  Use SCSI for everything!  And

SCSI is not the end all.  Convenient, many VAXen have it already.

<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.

First do some reading about qbus, dec publish handbooks yeary from 76 
though the late 80s (minimum) with the qbus spec clearly called out.
It clearly only qualifies as a mystery to those totally unfamiliar 
with DEC hardware or Docs.  It's only 16bits wide, vax is 32.  It's only 
22bits addressing, not nearly enough.  It's not that slow to start with.  
IT's a PDP-11 bus.

<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.

They are called MXV11.  But why not just a SBC... oops that would be my 
VS3100/m76 everything you could want (even two scsi busses) all on one 
board.  Shame they stopped making those nearly 8 years ago!

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

HUH?  the average vax run from .3vup (VAX11/730) to somewhere in the 
hundreds of VUPs peerformance level.  Only PCs has a slowdown switch
for code that ran software timing loops, truly unique to PCs.

The truely correct way to slow a vax some is to add users, small VAXen
start with tens of them, bigger ones hundreds of them.

<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.

VAX 3100/m95, buy one now.  Or you can scrounge up a older 3100/m10e and 
hang that 9gb scsi drive off it (or in it).  They are small 4x18x16 inches.
Heck, you can even get one that says vaxserver on the front.

I generally keep a few under my PCs, makes the PCs look impressive and 
I can get some work done.  Of course the PCs are turned off.

;)
Allison