Many thanks to the following who responded namely:
 
Steve Hancock 		<hancock_at_alf.dec.com>
Toomas Toomsalu         <t.toomsalu_at_pro-eco.com>
Bob Fedick		<BOB.FEDICK_at_SMED.COM>
Richard Jackson Jr 	<rjackson_at_portal.gmu.edu>
My question below:
>I want to upgrade my current firmware version (v1.3) to 2.8 for an
>Alpha 2000/300 system, *YET* not upgrading my Operating system version
>(2.0b) for the meantime. Would upgrading the firmware version have any
>effect on the current Operating System version or its performance?
I have received several responses and it seems that there are two points 
that are somewhat evident, namely:
Theoretically, 
=============
        Firmware is designed to be upward compatible with your operating
system version. So if your minimum firmware version for Digital Unix
version x is y, then anything greater than y is fine for that OS version. 
However upon application,
========================
        
        It seemed that most of the users expressed problems upon Firmware
upgrade (without OS upgrade) namely: 
        a.) The system is unable to run X-Windows (Xconsole).
        b.) One respondent has experienced a firmware update that did not
            work with the old OS and prevented a system boot on one of our
            2100's.  More specifically when one upgraded from 3.5 to 3.6
            firmware and had OSF/1 2.1. 
So much for the Firmware and Operating System combination mumbo jumbo..
         
Bonn
:)
Received on Wed Jul 24 1996 - 11:24:01 NZST