So Workstation is backwards for today motherboard for device support wonder why that is. Since would have thought they could write easily for better. Question still haunts us why hasn't VMware supported workstation more over the years for newer devices and capabilities. After all isn't virtual os meant to be the same a real os, it isn't they haven't had time over these many years to do this !
I looked up scsi and will need a Bus Logic driver not included in the package so I won't bother since VMware hasn't bothered. That said maybe it is the scsi driver could mess the OS up or worse. I stick with limitation of 4 device and see about joining two virtual machines as one instead only for more IDE devices if even by using DOS with active DMA on a joined virtual machine.
Hard to imagine how many physical device I can actual use today not counting slow usb (no usb3 as yet). IDE, SATA and SCSI_IDE controller.
VMware we need more devices IDE and SATA update the workstation bios it is to old 440BX indeed that is a dinosaur by today's motherboards not something that is 15 years or older. Back then usb had just been born and started to appear on motherboards. It is now 2013 keep the workstation up to date with technology. Who ever VMware workstation chief is so far doing a bad job and needs replacing asap for someone that can bring the workstation more up to date in line with current motherboards we use.