Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!harpo!gummo!whuxlb!floyd!clyde!ihnp4!zehntel!hplabs!sri-unix!Bakin.SSID@hi-multics From: Bakin.SSID@hi-multics@sri-unix.UUCP Newsgroups: net.micro Subject: Requirements to turn a Home Computer into a Terminal Message-ID: <12249@sri-arpa.UUCP> Date: Sun, 9-Oct-83 01:49:00 EDT Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.12249 Posted: Sun Oct 9 01:49:00 1983 Date-Received: Thu, 6-Oct-83 09:09:34 EDT Lines: 47 I am looking into using a small Home computer as an intelligent terminal. I am trying to make some requirements inorder to help pick among the home computers that are available or coming soon(?) Here is a partial (minimal) list. Does anyone have any ideas or know when certain products will be available? o 1200 baud & 80 column terminal emulation: Hopefully emulating a terminal with video characteristics. o Local Mass storage: I'd prefer floppy (cheap and "quick"), but "Fast" Digital Data Packs (aka Adam) are acceptable. o Letter Quality Printer: (Preferably Daisy Wheel) o Reasonable OS: (I actually class CPM as reasonable, though I would like a multi-tasking OS) o Relatively inexpensive: So who's made of money? Now I have a some data on Adam, and for an initial $700, it comes with 500K Digital Data Packs, a 10 cps printer. CPM is available with other options, presumably a floppy drive. It has a complete keyboard, so presumably it can talk to a modem, but is it fast enough for 1200 baud? What is the scoop of CCPM? Can it run on anything that run's CPM? What are the rumours of the Peanut? How much? What OS? Can it be used as a terminal? I have seen the PC have trouble at 1200 baud! What does ATARI make that might fit? Does it have a Daisy Wheel Prineter? What other requirements can be thought of to help pick a HOME COMPUTER as an INTELLIGENT terminal? This doesn't seem to be the same as picking the best HOME COMPUTER, in many directions it seems orthogonal to the requirements I would use to pick a HOME COMPUTER; for example, an INTELLIGENT terminal doesn't need massive amounts of memory, or much horsepower behind it, but a HOME COMPUTER should. An intelligent terminal doesn't need two thousand different spiffy graphics features, but it should accept the ANSI standard escape sequences at the very least! Anyone else have any information, ideas or rumours? Jerry Bakin