Further news on our 750's rev 7

[jbn at wdl1.UUCP]

> Whenever we've been doing something to our machine's guts and it gives
> mysterious problems on boot, the first thing we do is re-seat the boards:
> pull them out an inch and then push them back in.  If that doesn't fix
> it, we re-seat them again.  And again.  It's remarkably effective.  This
> might explain some of your problems.  Down with edge connectors!

This is NOT a recommended practice unless you have assurance that the
connectors are designed for a large number of insertion/removal cycles.  
Some connectors are good for a thousand insertions.  Some are good for ten.
Ones with very thin gold plating are in the latter category.  Would anyone
from DEC like to comment on the life of the connectors in the VAX 11/750?

Every time you remove and insert a board, you are taking away some of your
computer's lifespan.  In general, machines that get fooled with a lot
break more than those just left alone; this applies to everything from
PCs to big mainframes.

						John Nagle