donn@sdchema.UUCP (11/19/83)
Relay-Version: version B 2.10 beta 3/9/83; site dcdwest.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site sdchema.UUCP Message-ID: <953@sdchema.UUCP> Date: Fri, 18-Nov-83 19:22:07 PST 211@sdccsu3.UUCP> <609@bmcg.UUCP> Organization: UC San Diego Chemistry Dept. NIH Research Resource Lines: 43 [This is part of a batch of articles from San Diego that the rest of the net never saw, because our net connection was down -- sorry if you have seen this before, or if the discussion seems dated.] Date: Sat, 29-Oct-83 22:46:23 PDT I understand that the reason the MicroVax-I does not have PDP11 emulation mode is that when they tried putting it in, PDP11 programs ran faster than native mode programs! This is apparently because the MicroVax runs as a VAX machine code emulation program on the J-11. Also, I heard that VMS on the MicroVax avoids using the 'movc3' and 'movc5' instructions because when they are executed, the machine exceeds the Federal limit on RF interference. Did you know that the day DEC announced that its MicroVax Unix product would be called 'Ultrix' instead of 'Unix', DEC stock dropped 21 points? If you find these tidbits interesting, you should subscribe to my new industry newsletter, THE INSIDE DOPE. Subscription rates are 5000 512-byte disk blocks for 12 months, and a special discount rate of 15000 blocks for 36 months. In the UK, it's 7500 360-byte blocks plus long distance charges for 12 months. As a new subscriber bonus, you will receive for free a 5% interest in very valuable residential-zoned property in S. Florida, plus a coupon that allows you to get 12.5% off on any purchase of a used bridge in New York City, redeemable anywhere in the Tri-City Area. The now-famous VAX11/750 'wait states' story was first broken in issue #11 of THE INSIDE DOPE. A garbled version of this story made its way onto Usenet and apparently has been responsible for much confusion. The Usenet story, for examply, neglected to mention the serious problem with the 'Super-750', that its hardware time-of-day clock always ran in reverse. These and other problems have prevented the 'wait states' ECO from reaching the market, not the reported commercial qualms of DEC management that the 'Super-750' would subvert pricing schedules. Rumor has it, however, that Armando Stettner has had all of the VAXen in the DEC Unix Engineering Group modified with this ECO; this apparently explains the trouble the UEG has had in getting 4.2 BSD up and running. ;->, Donn Seeley UCSD Chemistry Dept. RRCF ucbvax!sdcsvax!sdchema!donn