So I thought I was getting a "crufty" VAX 4000/300...

[Patrick Finnegan]

I decided that since no one else was bidding on it, and it wasn't very 
far for shipping purposes, I'd go ahead and bid the $50 minimum on the 
VAX 4000/300 that was in Ohio a couple weeks ago.  When the seller 
quoted me a $100 shipping price, I groaned, but not too loudly.   It 
looked like it wasn't going to be one of my better purchases.  It was 
even missing the power supply, but I figured I could at least use some 
of the memory from it in my other 4000/300.

After forgetting about it and then remembering, and reminding the seller 
about it on Tuesday, it arrived today on a 40ft semi trailer.  It's 
always fun recieving things shipped freight. :)

So the first thing I noticed when I got it home was the 3 L4004-Dx memory 
modules (128MB each).  I thought things couldn't get any better than 
that.  The machine was missing its power supply, but as luck had it, 
I've got an R400X sitting in my garage that I wasn't using, and it 
turned out that the power supply is the same. :)

So, stick in the power supply, hook up a serial console, and power, and 
power it up...

KA692-A V2.3, VMB 2.14

HOLY CRAP! I said to myself (and with a slightly different wording :).

It appears that someone upgraded the 4000/300 to be a 4000/700A with 
384MB of RAM.  Woot!  It's even still in good physical condition (it's a 
rackmount version, without the pedestal enclosure).

The VAX even still had VMS 5.5-2 installed on it, with this ominous 
message:

********************************************************************************
*                  Restricted System - NO Unauthorized Access                  
*
********************************************************************************

                WARNING:  UNAUTHORIZED PERSONS DO NOT PROCEED!

   This computer system is operated by MCI WorldCom and may be accessed
   only by authorized users. The data and programs which are
<snip>.

I guess I'll be reinstalling VMS on this system, just to be sure MCI 
doesn't sue me. ;)

All-in-all, worth the $50+shipping I paid for it.  Perhaps the best thing 
I've gotten off eBay so far. :)

Pat
-- 
Purdue University ITAP/RCS        --- http://www.itap.purdue.edu/rcs/
The Computer Refuge               --- http://computer-refuge.org