(Photo from the DEC 3000 Model 800 AXP Workstation leaflet.)
26-FEB-2024
I won an eBay auction for a DEC 3000 Model 800 AXP Deskside Workstation. Since I was the only bidder, winning wasn’t hard; the difficult bit was understanding why I wanted it.
(Photo from the
DEC 3000 Model 800 AXP Workstation leaflet.)
Raised on Soviet PDP-11 clones, I always wanted to have a piece of real DEC gear. This 1994 system was just the right machine to scratch that nostalgic itch: it’s rare, fairly practical, and one of the first computers made with the DEC Alpha processor.
The only problem was that it was listed as ‘for parts or not working’. But the description also stated that it had been working when last powered off around 20 years ago, and had been kept with care but could not be tested. Having watched vintage computer restoration videos from the likes of Usagi Electric on YouTube, I thought I’d give it a shot. At the cost of £135 plus a trip to the Oxfordshire countryside (35 kg, so collection only!), I reckoned I could afford the appreciable risk of its not working or my losing interest in it.
03-MAR-2024
Here she is, settling in, with the side panels removed for cleaning.
The label on the back says it's a Series BA66 Model PE52A-A9 with a KN17 CPU, made in the UK.
The front, top, and rear panels had disappeared before this Deskside Workstation was listed on eBay. But that’s not important. The important thing is, will she come to life after twenty years in storage?