[Info-vax] Hopelessly Pathetic Hardware Parts

[ChrisQ]

On 08/27/12 21:30, Stephen Hoffman wrote:
> On 2012-08-27 21:02:18 +0000, Bob Koehler said:
>
>> In article
>> <3bb2bf32-a1fb-47cb-834f-74992ff861c1 at s2g2000vbj.googlegroups.com>,
>> Hans Vlems <hvlems at freenet.de> writes:
>>>
>>> JF, that's what I had in mind while posting the question LOL.
>>> It may even been possible, provided the VAX 9000 had some form of
>>> support for the BI bus.
>>
>> Not necessary. In keepin up with the tradition of using obsolete
>> computers as consoles, there were supposed to be two MicrVAX II
>> inside a 9000.
>>
>> And we know there a Qbus graphics adapters.
>
> Polarstar (VAX 8820, VAX 8830, VAX 8840) had a MicroVAX II BA23 with the
> M7553 as the console.
>
> Aquarius (VAX 9000) had a BI-based Service Processor Unit (SPU), which
> did have a DECchip 78032 VAX chip, but the SPU console definitely wasn't
> a Q-bus MicroVAX II box.
>
> http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/dec/vax/9000/EK-9000C-CD-001_VAX_9000_Console_Command_Description_May90.pdf
>
> http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/dec/vax/9000/EK-9000S-SI-001_VAX_9000_System_Introduction_May90.pdf
>
> http://www.dtjcd.vmsresource.org.uk/pdfs/dtj_v02-04_1990.pdf
>

You can always run X over the network to an Xterm or similar, so you 
don't need
a graphics card in the machine.

Of course, that assumes you can afford the power bill for the 9000. 
Would be an
interesting exercise though. Wonder how many 9000's are still in service 
?...

Regards,

Chris