Re: Need RRD45-AA CDROM Drive

From: Ben Myers (_at_)
Date: 10/07/04

  • Next message: James Nykiel: "Re: Need RRD45-AA CDROM Drive" 
    Date: Thu, 07 Oct 2004 13:18:53 GMT

    The important thing to keep in mind about the non-Wintel DEC products is that
    many of them will vomit (high tech term) all over a SCSI device that does not
    have firmware identifying the device as DEC. Many of the RZ series of hard
    drives, TZ tape drives, and RRD CD-ROM drives were manufactured with
    DEC-specific firmware. Just about the only difference between a DEC-specific
    device and its generic equivalent is the device identification in the firmware.
    (Some old time DEC engineers may also claim that DEC asked the OEM manufacturer
    to make other specific changes inside the firmware, and, in any event, DEC did
    exercise strict control over the firmware in the OEM devices it used.)

    So... You can install a DEC-specific SCSI device in a Wintel computer and it has
    a near 100% chance of working. If you install a non-DEC SCSI device in a DEC
    proprietary box (Alpha, VAX, PDP, other?), the device may or may not work
    depending on the vintage of the box. As a rule of thumb (but my thumb is often
    bruised and bleeding from exceptions to the rule), the later the vintage of DEC
    proprietary box, the better the odds of a non-DEC device working OK.

    IBM, HP, and Compaq did similar things to their older Wintel and non-Wintel
    computers to prevent customers from installing much more cheaply priced
    commodity devices... Ben Myers

    On Thu, 07 Oct 2004 06:05:36 -0700, James Nykiel <jnykiel@access4less.net>
    wrote:

    >Greetings:
    >
    >
    >I am interested in restoring a AlphaStation, it appears that the original
    >CDROM drive was a RRD45 so that is what I would like to install, this is
    >the only reasoning behind my choice.
    >
    >
    >Thank you... - Jim
    >
    > On Thu, 07 Oct 2004 12:19:55 +0000, VAXman- wrote:
    >
    >> In article <pan.2004.10.07.03.50.32.25719@access4less.net>, James Nykiel
    >> <jnykiel@access4less.net> writes:
    >>>Greetings:
    >>>
    >>>
    >>>I am in Oregon in the United States. I am looking for the RRD45
    >>>specifically.
    >>
    >> I have some I might consider letting go but WHY must it be the 45? As Ben
    >> said, the RRD46 is faster and newer than the RRD45. Using the 46, you may
    >> find you will have less issues with *most* of the CD writeable media.
    >>
    >> --
    >> http://www.ProvN.com for the *best* OpenVMS system security
    >> solutions that others only claim to be.
    >> --
    >> Cyber-Terrorism (si'-ber tayr'-or-iz-em) n.:
    >> The release of, the sale of, or the use of any Micro$oft software product!
    >

  • Next message: James Nykiel: "Re: Need RRD45-AA CDROM Drive"

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