Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!decvax!decwrl!pyramid!hplabs!ucbvax!USC-ISIF.ARPA!dolson From: dolson@USC-ISIF.ARPA.UUCP Newsgroups: mod.computers.vax Subject: Re: VT240 EMULATOR Message-ID: <8606261046.AA00493@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> Date: Wed, 25-Jun-86 19:34:45 EDT Article-I.D.: ucbvax.8606261046.AA00493 Posted: Wed Jun 25 19:34:45 1986 Date-Received: Fri, 27-Jun-86 23:46:50 EDT References: Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Organization: The ARPA Internet Lines: 51 Approved: info-vax@sri-kl.arpa Check the recently issued (July 86) Digital Review pages 105-108; they ran a comparison against two 240-emulators for the IBM PC. The compared products are poly-COM/240 by Polygon, Inc, and SmarTerm 240 from Persoft Inc. Review by Jeffrey Steinberg, extracted w/o permission below: "...allows the user of an IBM PC,XT or AT...with color graphics adaptor, EGA or Hercules card...to emulate a VT240. SmarTerm also extends Tektronix 4010 and 4014 compatibility...Minimum hardware, ...256KB for poly-COM, 512KB for SmarTerm. poly-COM ...640 x 200 pixels in high-res mode, 320 x 200 in medium res...SmarTerm can display 256 x 800 pixels with the Hercules card, only 200 x 640 with the IBM card. File transfers...poly-COM, ascii and poly-XFR.. SmarTerm, ascii, xmodem, Kermit and PDIP. ...Setting up the operating environment is where the two products differ the most: SmarTerm has a far more advanced and user-friendly interface than poly-COM does. ...[massive cut here...lots of product-use details]... "While both SmarTerm 240 and poly-COM/240 give the user the same VT240 emulation, SmarTerm 240's expanded file-transfer capabilities, advanced user interface, programming ability and extensive online help make this package a far superior terminal emulator." Of course, in a neat little box beside the article, the magazine included a product description of poly-COM's latest and greatest, poly-STAR. I don't think the magazine reviewed the product, and I question their including the sales claims of a product ("...poly-STAR *will* support...poly-STAR *will* also allow...") next to their careful product review. But hey, thats THEIR integrity on the line, what do I care. I briefly used a previous incarnation of the Persoft product, called SmarTerm 100 (one guess, folks...) and found it very nice. I haven't used either of the two reviewed products and sorry, have very little interest in anything on a big blue machine these days... One other note of interest: I have heard of a program termed CALL, a terminal emulator for the IBM-PC, which currently does VT100 emulation and which the author is upgrading to do 240 emulation. The author is Captain Rich Blomseth, *on active duty in the air force* and stationed at HQ AFOTEC, Kirtland AFB, NM. I believe that his intention is that this be available to AF activities free-of-charge...possibly to others. Disclaimer: I have no financial, personal or other relationship with the proprietors of these products or this magazine, etc, etc. Doug (dolson @ Ada20.ARPA, soon-to-be @ Ada20.ISI.EDU) -------