heck, are 11/785s extinct?

From: Gunther Schadow <gunther_at_aurora.regenstrief.org>
Date: Wed Jul 25 18:20:39 2001

James Rice wrote:

> About 18 months ago, I was given a Vax 11/780, complete [...]
> in other words the whole works. Since I only collect micros
> and some Unix workstations, I posted it's availability [...].
> After posting to the list I only got one response and at the time
> I was living in an apartment and didn't have room to store the
> system. Finally it was dumpstered. The same fate fell to the two
> PDP11's that were removed from service a couple on months later.

Ahhhhhhhhhrggggggghhhhhhhh!

See, those are the things that I am very anxious to avoid by repeatedly
bugging all the VAX or VMS related fora about my want. The problem is,
18 months ago I would not have room for it either. To tell you the truth,
2 years ago, probably about the same time, I have *seen* our VAX 11/something
standing in the hallway waiting to be picked up by either a scrapper or
a vendor (for trade in at certainly a ridiculously low price.) I walked
by and I dismissed the thought of even wondering if I couldn't take it.
How stupid I was, don't beat me, I have beaten myself many times for this.

regards,
-Gunther




>
> James
>
> "Carlini, Antonio" wrote:
> >
> > >more to the point :-). I had very little feedback. One from one
> >
> > There may not be many 11/78x machines in hobbyist hands.
> > There may not be too many corporations subscribed to
> > this list :-)
> >
> > It took me many years (admittedly in the UK) before
> > I came across a uPDP-11. I've never seen a Robin (hint,hint...).
> > You need to be patient. In my experience, the docs and
> > hardware will come along at different times - never
> > turn down an incomplete package (I'm preaching to
> > the converted here since you have the innards
> > already !).
> >
> > How many VAX-11/78x machines were produced?
> > These days you expect that thousands of any machine would
> > be sold (except maybe the specialised supercomputers).
> > I believe that for the VAX 9000 series, only 400-500 made
> > it out of the door. The same order of magnitude may well
> > be true for the VAX-11/78x systems.
> >
> > How long have people been collecting such
> > large machines? I don't have the room -
> > I could not realistically find room for a VAX 4000
> > right now, never mind anything bigger!
> >
> >
> > >9 months ago :-). However, I have indication that my 11/785 boards
> > >won't work on the 11/780 backplane. So, I'm still desperately
> > >looking for a 11/785. I would be a lot more patient if I saw those
> >
> > I don't know anything about the 11/780 => 11/785
> > upgrade but I would be surprised if the backplane
> > had to be replaced.
> >
> > >in the first place. Where are they?
> >
> > They may all be in dealers wharehouses and defence
> > sites and nuclear power stations. I did hear of three
> > being decommissioned in the UK a few years ago
> > but that's about it.
> >
> > >get some leads to follow. The underlying assumption being that
> > >there is one 11/785 recycled as scrapmetal every month that I don't
> > >find it.
> >
> > I suspect the underlying assumption is just that
> > there are not that many of the beasts still around.
> > I guess by the time I have the room for one of
> > these, there won't be any left!
> >
> > Antonio

-- 
Gunther Schadow, M.D., Ph.D.                    gschadow_at_regenstrief.org
Medical Information Scientist      Regenstrief Institute for Health Care
Adjunct Assistant Professor        Indiana University School of Medicine
tel:1(317)630-7960                         http://aurora.regenstrief.org
Received on Wed Jul 25 2001 - 18:20:39 BST

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