Tag: technology

VAX 8600 (Venus) Ibox printset


Here's a complete printset of the Venus Ibox, from 1984. It includes Ibox block diagrams, module and MCA block diagrams, and schematics for the MCAs and modules. I'd bet my bottom dollar that there were ECOs after this version. But this hardware ran VAX/VMS and oodles of software. Most of the page tops are faded. … Continue reading VAX 8600 (Venus) Ibox printset →

VAX 8600 (Venus) System Development Plan


Here are two revisions of the Venus System Development Plan. Revision 2, dated 13-June-1980. Revision 4, dated 16-September-1982. I have Revision 3, but didn't think it was worth having it scanned.  Just imagine the average of revisions 2 and 4. DEC archeological junkies will note the different names on the sign-off page. (Page vii in both … Continue reading VAX 8600 (Venus) System Development Plan →

VAX-11/750 (Comet) specifications


Prodded by comments on my two recent DEC posts, I dug some specs out of the dungeon and had them scanned. Here's the set of internal design specs for the VAX-11/750, a.k.a. Comet.

Vax 8600 (Venus) Ibox microcode


In a comment on my Thoughts on DEC post, Tom Miller offered a rat's ass if I scanned in my VAX 8600 (Venus) Ibox microcode listing. Well, here's Venus Ibox microcode v3.73, generated on 7-May-1984. Tom, you owe me one rat's patootie. This ran on Venus through the end of 1984. I had transferred to … Continue reading Vax 8600 (Venus) Ibox microcode →

Thoughts on DEC


I'm off this week, and while loafing around the house I took an hour or so to search the web about Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), a former employer. That was a mistake, because it got me thinking about my past. This was fun for a while, and then it got sobering. I worked for DEC from February … Continue reading Thoughts on DEC →

Review of Dell U2715H 27″ LCD monitor


As part of setting up a home office for my work for Solinea, I needed a large display. My go-to display has been Apple's Thunderbolt Display. It's got Thunderbolt integration, (somewhat dated) Apple design esthetics, and the right pixel count. But other aspects of this three and one-half year old display aren't so good. It's … Continue reading Review of Dell U2715H 27″ LCD monitor →

Review of Das Keyboard Professional S for Mac


I recently bought a Das Keyboard Professional S for Mac keyboard, to use at work. There are already many blog posts and articles about mechanical keyboards, keyboard switches, and the Das Keyboard product line. I won't re-hash all that here. Let's get right to my opinions. tl;drI give it an A-. I'm very happy I … Continue reading Review of Das Keyboard Professional S for Mac →

Mobile phone international data plans are moronic


My spouse traveled to Canada for a few days. She just went a few miles over the border into Vancouver, BC. She neglected to add an international data plan to her mobile number before she left. Because of this, she racked up $300 of data charges in 24 hours. Every wireless carrier has at least … Continue reading Mobile phone international data plans are moronic →

How to hose a customer with your API


We had more fun with a vendor today. We license a vendor’s services for corporate information, like annual revenue and office locations. Their name shall be kept confidential. I've written about them before. About two weeks ago, we noticed a slowdown in our API calls into their system. We asked them about it, and they replied … Continue reading How to hose a customer with your API →