Looks like I've started a riot!  Thanks for the welcome guys :) heh
> Long messages are okay, as long as they are saying something
> interesting...
I guess a nice 4000 in the hands of an i386 user must scare you all a bit
then?
(scary=interesting???:))
>
> > > > BTW: If you are new to VAXen... don't confuse SCSI and DSSI on you
100, or
> > > you
> > > > could trash this fantastic machine... It's a quite nice beast in
> > > performance!
> > > OK, what is the difference between DSSI & SCSI connectors?
> >
> > Ehm, internally none, they just look the same. That's the reason for my
> > warnung :)
>
> Depends on what you mean by "internally". All disks works after the same
> basic principles, but the interfaces to the differ a lot.
> SCSI and DSSI are different interfaces, which have more or less the same
> physical connectors... That is unfortunate, since you might be unhappy if
> you hook the wrong controller to the wrong disk.
>

Just before your mails arrived I checked the box (needed a smoke:)), ....
I'm not sure if this is a standard config, but the case is a BA42B. It has 2
lower 5 1/4"
bays which have PC-style power connectors and SCSI connectors.
Above this is room (and cables) for 3 drives (I'm not sure how high they can
be... or
what drives I can use) which all have 5pin power & DSSI connecters (so the
labels say..
ie. I missed that before :)).

> > > Or am I grabbing at straws there?
> > > Fantastic? (I would agree ... but probably mostly from ignorance),
what
> > > makes this
> > > box so good? I've not been able to find much documentation on it.
> >
> > a) It's A VAX!
>
> Correct.
Yes, I'm in love already.
>
> > b) It's no Intel :)
>
> Correct.
Good.  (I mean, ... THANK GOD:)
>
> > c) It's the godfather of CISC-architecture
>
> Eh? Not by a long shot. It's the mother of all CISCs perhaps, being one of
> the most gargantuan CISCs around, but it's actually a development of the
> PDP-11. (See next item).
I know what RISC is.
>
> > d) It's the first CPU knowing of virtual memory (i think), that's where
the
> >    name comes from: Virtual Address eXtension.
>
> No way. VAX stands for Virtual Address eXtension, that much is
> correct. However, the name was in reference to the PDP-11, from which it
> was developed. The PDP-11 is a 16-bit architecture, and DEC found out that
> the machine, while highly successful, fell short on memory. So it was
> extended into a 32-bit machine. In addition to just adding 16 bits, they
> also shortened the page from 8K to 512 bytes, and made the MMU a two level
> thingy, in order to better handle virtual memory. The PDP-11 handles
> virtual memory just fine as well, as do most older machines, as long as
> they have an MMU.
I had heard that the 4000-100 (KA52A) was a 64bit architecture ...
but I've not found doc's (or ppl:) to verify that.
>
> Oh, and until shortly before announcing the first VAX (called VAX-11/780),
> the machine was actually called PDP-11/780.
>
> And it's true that the VAXen often are more balanced machines than your
> average PC. So you can load them in ways a PC won't appreciate.
> Hanging off several hundreds of terminals, printers, comm. options, and
> god knows what else is/was pretty common on VAXen.
GREAT! So 4 VT's, 3 printers and numerous serial devices can be used?
I'm truly in love (the VAX(en) ... not Johnny & Michael :).
I'd ask you to stop "selling" but I'm learning too much :)