On 10/10/2017 12:17, Antonio Carlini via cctalk wrote: > > The /RC was (apparently) for "Reduced Connectivity" or some such.
The RC stood for Restricted Configuration. (I didn't remember it correctly either.) https://books.google.com/books?id=Sr4cRFxEX7QC&lpg=PA15&ots=5XAty8lkUd&dq=VAXstation%20II%2FRC&pg=PA15#v=onepage&q&f=false There were heated debates about whether this was blatant contempt for and cheating of the customer, or a reasonable tactic that enabled DEC to offer a useful product at a market-expanding lower price-point than it could have justified otherwise. I'm sure somebody spelunking in Google/Deja News or deep in DECUS' NOTES-11 boards could find several passionate exchanges... > The smarter customers noticed that they could save a good chunk of cash > by ordering a VS2/RC and then separately ordering a replacement backplane. > DEC noticed that one quite quickly! Indeed they did. And whatever DEC might have done to counter it, like threatening your field service contract or hiking parts prices, you had other options. One example, a Zoltech replacement backplane for $269 in 1987: https://books.google.com/books?id=M8uwmICKZwMC&lpg=PP74&ots=-WZxlHuUOt&dq=VAXstation%20II%2FRC&pg=PP74#v=onepage&q=VAXstation%20II/RC&f=false On 10/10/2017 12:51, allison via cctalk wrote: > > Memory says: it was MICROVAX/RT and the cpu had a reduced instruction > set and was used with ELN/PASCAL. IT was a reduced capability > machine. As I recollect it used the same KA630/M7606, and any peripherals were the same as other Mayflower machines. The entire gimmick was that you had three fewer Q/Q slots and an RC on the badge. Therefore no difference in the level of ISA subsetting, but I think it would have been an attractive target for VAXELN applications. ISTR there were later products that were limited to VAXELN, but can't recall any designations... --S.
