DEC Multia VX40

The Multia is a relativly modern and fast machine. With a 166 MHz 21066 Alpha processor the machine shows an integer performance comparable to a 100 MHz Pentium, the float performance even higher.

Right. And this is the smallest and slowest version. There are machines in the same enclosure with 266 MHz processors and larger disks (you can mount a frame for a 3.5" disk instead of the PCI slot)

 

Unfortunately the machine basically flopped. Targeted as a client system with Windows-NT (yes Windows once ran on Alphas as well as on MIPS and PowerPC), the concept was refused by the market. The corresponding Pentium line didn't gather a larger following either.

Oh, Linux and OpenBSD run on these boxes too. I already tried Linux, BSD to follow. At the moment it is doomed with NT3.51, 4.0 is available too (but mine only sports 24MB RAM, which is a little tight).

... it bugging me! The 19" monnochrome display loitering here was to be connected to the Multia. It is fixed frequency, and there are jumpers to tell the Multias to show the console with - for instance - 1152x900@66Hz. Thats fine with the display. Unfortunately the two disagree about the polarity of the V-Sync signal, so there is not steady image ... sight. If I knew which bit to set or clear - then I could modify the startup script of the boot monitor ...