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From: elg@killer.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sources.d
Subject: Re: Using a PC for a terminal
Message-ID: <960@killer.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 4-Jun-87 21:52:36 EDT
Article-I.D.: killer.960
Posted: Thu Jun  4 21:52:36 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 7-Jun-87 18:39:03 EDT
References: <1071@viper.Lynx.MN.ORG>
Organization: The Unix(tm) Connection, Dallas, Texas
Lines: 35

in article <1071@viper.Lynx.MN.ORG>, john@viper.Lynx.MN.ORG (John Stanley) says:
> 
> 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.
>   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.
  NICE KEYBOARD? Welllll....  Right now I am using a Commodore 128 with a
VT100 emulator. The C-128 keyboard fixes all the atrocities of previous
Commodore keyboards -- it has a full numeric pad, keys for almost all ASCII
characters (the only ones missing are the little curly braces), and decent if
mushy feel. The only problem: it's built into the system console. And believe
me, a full keyboard is BIG. and CLUMSY. Where with a IBM clone I can move the
keybord around to relieve fatigue, or lean back with it on my lap, or
otherwise enjoy myself, with the C-128, it just SITS there (and I can't even
move the thing, because I have all sorts of quirky hardwar plugged into the
expansion ports). And putting it on a typewriter stand would be out of the
question because of its size and all the cables exiting from various
directions, so it sits up there higher than my lap -- right where typing
teachers tell you you're NOT supposed to have your keyboard.
  My next computer is NOT going to have an all-in-one keyboard... life is too
short for that kind of frustration. Now, I guess if you're using the Religious
Crusade method of typing ("seek, and thou shalt find"), it's not too bad, but
to a touch-typist....  
 BTW, this is NOT an endorsement of the C-128 -- its maximum baud rate is 2400
baud (and that AT&T dude thought that IBM equipment was slow!).
--
Eric Green   elg%usl.CSNET     CS student, University of SW Louisiana
{cbosgd,ihnp4}!killer!elg      Apprentice Haquer, Bayou Telecommunications
Snail Mail P.O. Box 92191      BBS phone #: 318-984-3854  300/1200 baud
Lafayette, LA 70509            I disclaim my existence, and yours, too.