{"id":677,"date":"2025-05-10T17:23:15","date_gmt":"2025-05-10T17:23:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/remote-support.space\/wordpress\/?p=677"},"modified":"2025-05-10T17:23:16","modified_gmt":"2025-05-10T17:23:16","slug":"a-working-pdp-11-in-the-year-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/remote-support.space\/wordpress\/2025\/05\/10\/a-working-pdp-11-in-the-year-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"A working PDP 11 in the year 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video height=\"1280\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 720 \/ 1280;\" width=\"720\" controls src=\"https:\/\/remote-support.space\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/pdp-11AQPakNFKaud5fgQqXOT01w2tGYFsc-vV3gXb1lTzohjvgbGzsGoLPYy0XXbu8IPdcVbvwQAoJQikv5Jdjwr8-Z4E1.mp4\"><\/video><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As of 2025, it&#8217;s entirely possible to find a real, working <strong>PDP-11<\/strong> system, though it would likely be in the hands of collectors, museums, or vintage computing enthusiasts. Here\u2019s how you might encounter one:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>1. Vintage Computer Collectors &amp; Museums<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Living Computers: Museum + Labs<\/strong> (formerly in Seattle, now possibly in private collections) had operational PDP-11 systems.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Computer History Museum<\/strong> (California) or private collectors may maintain restored units.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>European retro computing groups<\/strong> (like those in the UK, Germany, or the Netherlands) sometimes keep PDP-11s running.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>2. Emulation &amp; FPGA Replicas<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re looking for a <em>functional<\/em> PDP-11 experience (rather than original hardware), modern solutions exist:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>SIMH Emulator<\/strong> \u2013 Accurately simulates PDP-11 hardware and runs classic OSes like <strong>Unix V6, RT-11, or RSTS\/E<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>FPGA Implementations<\/strong> \u2013 Some hobbyists build PDP-11-compatible systems on FPGA boards (like the <strong>DE10-Nano<\/strong>).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Raspberry Pi PDP-11<\/strong> \u2013 Some projects emulate a PDP-11 on a Pi.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>3. Where to Buy an Original PDP-11 (2025)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>eBay<\/strong> \u2013 Occasionally, PDP-11s (or parts) appear, but prices can be high (1,000\u20131,000\u201310,000+ depending on model).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Vintage Computer Forums<\/strong> \u2013 Places like <strong>VCFed (vcfed.org)<\/strong> or <strong>The Retro Computing Forum<\/strong> sometimes have listings.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Auctions<\/strong> \u2013 Estate sales or university liquidations may still yield old DEC hardware.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>4. Challenges of Running a Real PDP-11 in 2025<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Power supplies &amp; failing components<\/strong> (like old capacitors) may need replacement.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Magnetic media<\/strong> (like RL02 disks) are rare; many use modern replacements like <strong>SCSI or SD card adapters<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Spare parts<\/strong> are scarce, so repairs require skill.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes, a <strong>real, working PDP-11<\/strong> likely still exists in 2025\u2014but unless you&#8217;re a serious collector, emulation or FPGA recreations are more practical. If you&#8217;re determined to own one, check vintage computing communities and be prepared for maintenance challenges.<\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div><p id=\"pvc_stats_677\" class=\"pvc_stats all  \" data-element-id=\"677\" style=\"\"><i class=\"pvc-stats-icon medium\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" data-prefix=\"far\" data-icon=\"chart-bar\" role=\"img\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\" class=\"svg-inline--fa fa-chart-bar fa-w-16 fa-2x\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M396.8 352h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V108.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v230.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zm-192 0h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V140.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v198.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zm96 0h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V204.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v134.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zM496 400H48V80c0-8.84-7.16-16-16-16H16C7.16 64 0 71.16 0 80v336c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h464c8.84 0 16-7.16 16-16v-16c0-8.84-7.16-16-16-16zm-387.2-48h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8v-70.4c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v70.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8z\" class=\"\"><\/path><\/svg><\/i> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" alt=\"Loading\" src=\"https:\/\/remote-support.space\/wordpress\/wp-content\/plugins\/page-views-count\/ajax-loader-2x.gif\" border=0 \/><\/p><div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As of 2025, it&#8217;s entirely possible to find a real, working PDP-11 system, though it would likely be in the hands of collectors, museums, or vintage computing enthusiasts. Here\u2019s how you might encounter one: 1. Vintage Computer Collectors &amp; Museums 2. Emulation &amp; FPGA Replicas If you&#8217;re looking for a functional PDP-11 experience (rather than [&hellip;]<\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n<p id=\"pvc_stats_677\" class=\"pvc_stats all  \" data-element-id=\"677\" style=\"\"><i class=\"pvc-stats-icon medium\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" data-prefix=\"far\" data-icon=\"chart-bar\" role=\"img\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\" class=\"svg-inline--fa fa-chart-bar fa-w-16 fa-2x\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M396.8 352h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V108.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v230.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zm-192 0h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V140.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v198.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zm96 0h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V204.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v134.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zM496 400H48V80c0-8.84-7.16-16-16-16H16C7.16 64 0 71.16 0 80v336c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h464c8.84 0 16-7.16 16-16v-16c0-8.84-7.16-16-16-16zm-387.2-48h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8v-70.4c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v70.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8z\" class=\"\"><\/path><\/svg><\/i> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" alt=\"Loading\" src=\"https:\/\/remote-support.space\/wordpress\/wp-content\/plugins\/page-views-count\/ajax-loader-2x.gif\" border=0 \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-677","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ict"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":0,"today_views":0},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/remote-support.space\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/677","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/remote-support.space\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/remote-support.space\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/remote-support.space\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/remote-support.space\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=677"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/remote-support.space\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/677\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":679,"href":"https:\/\/remote-support.space\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/677\/revisions\/679"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/remote-support.space\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=677"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/remote-support.space\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=677"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/remote-support.space\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=677"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}