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Path: utzoo!utcs!mnetor!seismo!nbires!hao!hplabs!amdahl!bnrmtv!timlee
From: timlee@bnrmtv.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.micro
Subject: Re: Request for comments on Wyse terminals
Message-ID: <481@bnrmtv.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 17-Jul-86 16:54:42 EDT
Article-I.D.: bnrmtv.481
Posted: Thu Jul 17 16:54:42 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 19-Jul-86 02:55:06 EDT
References: <3986@ukma.UUCP>
Organization: Bell Northern Research, Mtn. View, CA
Lines: 30

> I am thinking about getting an Ampro Little Board/186.  If I decide to buy
> it, I will need to get a terminal along with it.  I am wondering about the
> suitability of the Wyse 30, 50, and 60 terminals.  I am especially concerned
> about their reliability, since I live in Honduras.  (I will be in the US for
> another two months or so.)  I will be almost exclusively programming in Modu-
> la-2.  It would be nice to have a character set that includes the English and
> Spanish (and maybe French) alphabets, plus some line drawing and math (and
> Greek) symbols.

The wyse 50 terminal is generally a good terminal (at least with UNIX).
The keys are all in the right places for QWERTY touch typists.  It has
80/132 columns, normal/reverse video (ie. choose which is the "normal"
mode and which is "reverse"), blink/nonblink cursor, line/block cursor,
the usual data/stop/parity/duplex settings, 50-19200 baud rate settings,
and whatever else terminals use.  Oh yeah, also a auxiliary port, to echo
things onto whatever is plugged into there (usually printer).  It emulates
itself, tvi925, tvi920, tvi910, adds-viewpoint, and something else
(hazeltine, maybe?).  There is also a 25th (status) line.  Don't think it
has graphics or other language symbols (not super sure on this one).

Problems:

The tvi925 emulation is slightly brain-damaged:  you can't have auto
newline and vi working correctly at the same time.  (Even if you aren't
using UNIX, beware of the emulation glitches which could appear elsewhere).

Big problem from your standpoint:  The on/off switch is poorly designed
and breaks easily.  Since you will be in Honduras, you have 2 choices
here:  (a) stock up on switches and be handy at fixing them (b) plug into
a power strip and never touch the switch on the terminal.