[comp.unix.ultrix] New DEC announcements

steve@fnord.umiacs.umd.edu (Steve D. Miller) (11/15/89)

Here's what I've seen so far on the latest (last week?) DEC announcements.
I'm surprised that I haven't seen any other discussion; maybe we all read
the wrong trade rags...  In any case, I'll show you my half-confirmed
rumors if you'll show me yours. (-:

As always, this is correct to the best of my knowledge, but you should check
with a Real DEC Employee before believing anything I've written below.  (And
if you find out that I'm wrong, please tell me!)

=========
   VAXstation 3100 model 38, 48 -- 40% faster CPU, same basic packaging as
	the other VS3100s.  (Prolly near 4 MIPS)  Can upgrade current 3100s
	to new models.

   New VS3100 model 30, 40 offerings -- add'l memory in new configs (new 8MB
	memory board?), 16" color, RZ56 disks as an option.  New single-disk
	system, too.

   VR297 monitor -- 16" color, trinitron.

   New RZ56 disk -- 665MB; seems to come in 1 or 2 drive expansion boxes.
	No mention (?)  of use on DECstations; sigh.  Is full-height, 5.25"
	disk.  Mean seek 16ms, mean access 24ms, 64KB buffer (readahead!?!),
	sync transfer rate of 4MB/s (yuh right).  In new enclosure that
	looks a lot like the VAXstation system box; can hold one or two
	drives.  Needs new VMS; Ultrix support at future date (though I
	betcha it works...)

	Peak xfer rate: 1.5MB/s.  Max seek: 35MS.  Mean rot latency: 8.3ms.
	Needs 1.3 amps at 5V, 2 amps at 12V.

   New printer -- didn't look into much.

   SCSI bus open for development -- docs on DEC's SCSI impl; VMS 5.3 gives
	SCSI port/class driver for driver development (I don't know what
	that means -- I'm no VMS guy, fer shur.)  VS3100s and VS3520/40
	covered initially.

   IEEE-488 to SCSI converter -- up to 14 488 boxes; 500K/s xfer rate; plug
	into SCSI on VS3100.  S/W support under VMS only -- why?

   VMS 5.3 announced?
=========

   It will come as no big surprise that I'm trying to find out how much of
this stuff is supported when grafted onto a DECstation, and when similar
stuff (like the open SCSI bus) will be available on DECstations.

	-Steve

Spoken: Steve Miller    Domain: steve@umiacs.umd.edu    UUCP: uunet!mimsy!steve
Phone: +1-301-454-1808  USPS: UMIACS, Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742