[rescue] Personal Workstation 433a happiness

[Eric Dittman]

> >> Workstation 433a. This guy is a downgraded, mentally handicaped version
> >> of the o-so-wonderful Personal Workstation, just without the "u" in
> >> "433au", making it "impossible" to anything else than WindowsNT 4.0 or
> >> Windows2000 pre-release.
> >
> >Why would anyone create such a thing?
> 
> My guess: DEC used the same hardware on both machines to reduce production
> costs, but wanted to charge more for the unix hardware (maybe to support
> the cost of the os development).

Actually, the original models of the PWS xxxa/au had different
SCSI controllers, video cards, and CDROM drives.  The -a had
an Adaptec SCSI controller, IDE CDROM drive, and video card
options better suited for NT.  The -au had a QLogic SCSI controller,
SCSI CDROM drive, and video card options better suited for
OpenVMS/Digital Unix/Tru64.

Later models (both -a and -au) had the QLogic SCSI controller
integrated into the slot board.  I think the -a still came
with an IDE CDROM, though.

The later models can easily switch from -a to -au.  The
earlier models required changing the SCSI card, and some
of the earliest models of the -a had a bug that made them
quirky as a -au.

Most of the price difference was in the cost of the software
license for the OS.
-- 
Eric Dittman
dittman at dittman.net
Check out the DEC Enthusiasts Club at http://www.dittman.net/