[Info-vax] Anyone interested in another public access system

[Richard B. Gilbert]

Bob Eager wrote:
> On Tue, 14 Apr 2009 16:22:46 UTC, "Richard B. Gilbert" 
> <rgilbert88 at comcast.net> wrote:
> 
>> Bob Eager wrote:
>>> On Tue, 14 Apr 2009 15:22:48 UTC, billg999 at cs.uofs.edu (Bill Gunshannon)
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Note the percentage of fragmentation.  And, no, there are no de-frag
>>>> programs for BSD Unix.  The question does come up from a windows weenie
>>>> periodically in the BSD Newsgroups.
>>> Remind me when DEC finally provided a defragmenter for VMS...! :-)
>> Did DEC EVER provide a defragmenter?
> 
> Exactly...
> 
>> There is at least one but AFAIK it's user written freeware.  I first 
>> encountered it ca. 1985-1986.  Before that, I had to do a full backup 
>> and restore of an RA81.  AIRC it took fourteen tapes and eight to ten 
>> hours.  The before and after comparison of system performance was amazing.
> 
> I kept a spare RA81 and did image copies...

ISTR that the RA81 cost $50K ca. 1984/5.  We got one with the system but 
a second one was out of reach!

It's amazing how things have changed in the last twenty-five years.  I 
can get a terabyte or two that will almost fit in my shirt pocket! And I 
can afford it if I ever need/want that much storage.