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From: john@viper.Lynx.MN.ORG (John Stanley)
Newsgroups: comp.sources.d
Subject: Re: Using a PC for a terminal
Message-ID: <1071@viper.Lynx.MN.ORG>
Date: Mon, 1-Jun-87 15:08:34 EDT
Article-I.D.: viper.1071
Posted: Mon Jun  1 15:08:34 1987
Date-Received: Wed, 3-Jun-87 04:10:20 EDT
References: <1149@carthage.swatsun.UUCP> <8601@tekecs.TEK.COM> <6828@mimsy.UUCP> <16906@amdcad.AMD.COM> <1731@ttrdc.UUCP>
Reply-To: john@viper.UUCP (John Stanley)
Organization: DynaSoft Systems
Lines: 35
Keywords: termcap, curses

In article <1731@ttrdc.UUCP> levy@ttrdc.UUCP (Daniel R. Levy) writes:
 >In article <16906@amdcad.AMD.COM>, phil@amdcad.AMD.COM (Phil Ngai) writes:
 >< Speaking of terminals, I note that PC clones with floppy only drives,
 >< monitor, and DOS can be gotten in the $600 range, which is less than
 >< we pay for DEC VT-220s.
 >< 
 >< Why would you want a PC instead of a terminal? Well, in addition to
 >< the fact that it can be cheaper (particularly if you want graphics)
 >< the IBM monitor makes really nice characters and the IBM keyboard
 >< feels VERY nice. I don't know how well the clones do in this area. 
 >
 >Some (all?) PC/clones cannot keep up with speeds > 4800 baud in the VT100
 >terminal emulator (they lose bursts of characters, even with Xon-Xoff flow
 >control).  You want a PC, you buy a PC.  You want a terminal, well, I hope
 >you get an AT&T terminal (plug plug :-) ).

  Heck, why not just pick up an Atari ST?  You can get a very-very sharp
clear monochrome monitor, 1meg Ram, 1 720-800k 3.5" disk drive and a nice
keyboard (better in-my-opinion by a long shot than most of the PC clones)
for around $550.  You can easily pick up good PD terminal software that
doesn't have dropped-char problems even as fast as 19.2Kbaud for the cost 
of a few phone calls.  I use one for my primary terminal in 50-line vt100 
mode and it works like a gem.. (pun intended :)

  I don't want to start any sys.flame.wars I'm just pointing out a good
alternative to the one-track mindset that says it's gotta be a personal
clone...  Why buy a 256-640k 8086 based machine for $600 when you can get
a nicer keyboard with a good monitor and a higher density disk drive on 
a one megabyte 68000 system (that has enough speed to handle high speeds 
-and- lots of features without dropping chars) for less money...?

--- 
John Stanley (john@viper.UUCP)
Software Consultant - DynaSoft Systems
UUCP: ...{amdahl,ihnp4,rutgers}!{meccts,dayton}!viper!john