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From: mentat@auscso.UUCP (Robert Dorsett)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: looking for a terminal program
Message-ID: <372@auscso.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 22-Sep-87 15:40:03 EDT
Article-I.D.: auscso.372
Posted: Tue Sep 22 15:40:03 1987
Date-Received: Thu, 24-Sep-87 06:27:36 EDT
References: <2645@bellcore.bellcore.com>
Reply-To: mentat@auscso.UUCP (Robert Dorsett)
Organization: Austin UNIX Users' Group, Austin, TX
Lines: 51

In article <2645@bellcore.bellcore.com> tr@wind.UUCP (tom reingold) writes:
>[]
>
>Hi there!  I need a terminal program that emulates a terminal well.
>My version of Red Ryder has lousy terminal emulation, i.e. it does
>not work under vi on Unix.  The terminal program must also have
>file transfer abilities, such as Xmodem and Kermit and preferably
>both.  Is there such a beast that you folks would recommend?  If
>it can't be found for free, what should I buy?  I am looking for
>high quality; saving money is not the primary objective.

I recommend VersaTerm or VersaTerm Pro unreservedly.  They are both fine, 
high-quality packages, offering good emulation and a bunch of features.  
VersaTerm's a nice, basic package that emulates a VT100/52, DG2600, and a 
Tektronix 4014.  It sells for about a hundred bucks, I believe.  VT Pro is
clearly built upon VersaTerm, and will do everything except make you coffee.
Both have built-in phone menus.  Both will support macros, except that VT 
requires your type them in, while VT Pro will record actions.  Other than
that, there's just an exceptionally complete array of support routines. 
VersaTerm supports MacBinary (Mac-Mac file transfers), Mac Xmodem (MacTerm-
inal-Mac file transfers, which can be done remotely), vanilla Xmodem, and
Kermit.  VT Pro supports all that, plus a couple of strange ones called 
"Binary Kermit" and "MacBinary Kermit."  I seem to remember VT Pro selling
for $200.

My only complaint about either program is the lack of a character delay when
sending text or dumping a clipboard.  I use BBS's which simply aren't cap-
able of keeping up with a full 1200 baud dump.  VT permits a *line* delay,
which is fine for UNIX machines from getting too confused, but a character
delay is really needed.  It seems to me to be a pretty basic feature, but
I've been waiting for about two years and several incarnations of VT, and
it hasn't appeared yet.  

I feel that VT Pro is overpriced in relation to Versaterm.  Either Versaterm
should be more expensive, or VT Pro should be much cheaper.  Preferably, 
Versaterm should come in one flavor: VT Pro, which should ideally cost $100
or less.

InTouch (InTalk) has been highly rated in the past as well, although I've never
used it.  It seems to offer many of the features of VersaTerm.

One program you should keep away from at all costs is MacTerminal.  It's gar-
bage.  Took forever to write, and they STILL haven't gotten it right.  But
it has that Apple logo, so of course sells quite well.   



-- 
Robert Dorsett                          {allegra,seismo}!sally!ngp!walt!mentat
University of Texas at Austin           {allegra,seismo}!sally!ngp!mentat
                                        mentat@auscso.UUCP