🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1992Aug6.073333.19426@csl.sri.com>, dstine@cisco.com (David S.A. Stine) writes:
> In article <1992Aug5.211351.10791@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu> mowgli@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Mowgli C Assor) writes:
> >
> >  I just acquired a DEC Professional 350 system, with 2 floppy drives but no
> >hard drive 
> 
> Yes, I too (hangs head in shame) have one of these. It's currently in a
> closet. One of these days, when I have free time (nyuk, nyuk) I'll take it out
> and fire it up.
> 
Why hang your head in shame? I have a PRO 350 and it's a great
little PDP-11/23. DEC released the whole operating system plus
some languages and even DECnet to DECUS. And the DECUS C also
runs on the PRO. I don't know if it is still available but
there was even a version of UNIX & RSTS for the PRO. 

Languages for the PRO included BASIC, Fortran, C, Pascal,
Datatrieve, and I think possibly Cobol.

As for the hardware, with a little looking around,
you can expand it. A disk controller is available
which supports the RD50, 51, 52, & 53 drives. I have a RD53 on
mine and have about 100K Blocks free. You can get a Ethernet
interface which can be tied to a back bone or you can use the
sync/async communication port for DDCMP DECnet. Graphics are
possible with the bit mapped video and color displays and
interfaces are also available.

Since the OS is based on RSX-11M, I have set my system up for
two terminals. The menu system is just DEC's way of
simplifying RSX for a PC style user. I have my system default
directly to DCL and MCR is available from the DCL command
line.

DECUS also supports the PRO and has a section in the catalog
dedicated to it. 

Since the first DEC system that I ever used was a PDP 11/34
running RSX-11M which predated the PDP DCL CLI, it only had
MCR, the PRO is a nice system and can still get the job done.

Don't get me wrong, the PRO is not a VAX or ALPHA but for
anyone who is nostalgic over the old PDP and wants to keep
their hands on a system, a PRO is great. It fits on a desk, or
you may be able to find a pedistal enclosure for it, and even
DEC has a use for them. Some of the 8000 series VAXes use PRO
380's as their consoles.

As for uses, I use the EDT editor to maintain my resume. I
have a program written in basic to manage and print out checks
for paying bills. And it's good for letters and invoices. I
have even used it to test functionality of Graphic
algorithms.

There is a fair amount of documentation available and hardware
can be found through used DEC dealers or people who just
happen to want to sell off their system. DECUS can provide
full software and documentation.