Real PDP11 model question

From: Ron Hudson <ron.hudson_at_sbcglobal.net>
Date: Mon Sep 20 19:48:52 2004

On Sep 20, 2004, at 5:33 PM, Jerome H. Fine wrote:

>> Ron Hudson wrote:
>
>>> On Sep 20, 2004, at 2:39 PM, Jerome H. Fine wrote:
>>> I presume that even a DECmate III requires a user
>>> interface (normally called a terminal / monitor+keyboard)
>>> to be useful!
>> I have an HP terminal I can use, or I can use my PC laptop with it's
>> serial port. Whatever I start looking for it should support RSTS/E
>
> Jerome Fine replies:
>
> OK, but do you OR do you not COUNT the terminal
> as part of the total size when using a DECmate III system?

Ok, I am looking for the form factor of a box and an external terminal.
The box for the Decmate III looks like it's about 1.5'w x .5'tall x
2'deep or
somthing like that.

I would probably be using my PC Laptop as a terminal (1 to save space,2
to provide for
a "paper tape" (save to file, paste from file)

I suppose what I would want to know is what can I run RSTS from that
won't scare my wife, and
would look sort of like a PC (box only)

Also Whatever should be available enough to be cheap and easy to find.


>
> What I am trying to find out is:
>
> (a) If you don't count the terminal as part of the total system, then
> does placing a 4 * 4 Qbus backplane and everything else needed
> to run a PDP-11 inside a VT100 (which changes it into a VT103)
> constitute a ZERO increase in size?
>
> (b) If you do count the terminal as part of the total system, then
> does the VT103 exceed the size of a (terminal / DECmate III)
> system?
>
> At this point, I suspect that the whole subject is similar to how
> many angels can dance on the point of a pin, so it really does
> not matter whether you choose (a) or (b). Myself, I prefer
> (a) and conclude that a VT103 has a ZERO increase in size
> over a VT100, so essentially the size of the PDP-11 system
> is also ZERO - which is about as small as you will ever get.
>
> And since I can probably find a 3 1/2" SCSI hard drive to
> use with a SCSI host adapter instead of the 5 1/4" MFM
> hard drive that I originally used, the hard disk can now be
> many GigaBytes and the end of the SCSI cable can also
> be pulled outside of the VT103 to attach additional SCSI
> hard drives when a backup is needed - VERY simple!
>
> ENOUGH though. Let us finish by defining whether a
> terminal is or is NOT part of a PDP-11. Since I am
> voting first, I will start by saying that a basic PDP-11
> does NOT include the terminal. However, I can easily
> appreciate that many will differ!
>
> Sincerely yours,
>
> Jerome Fine
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Received on Mon Sep 20 2004 - 19:48:52 BST