🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1729@otello.sublink.org> venta@otello.sublink.org (Paolo Ventafridda) writes:
>From article <29D69200.6E33@telly.on.ca>, by evan@telly.on.ca (Evan Leibovitch):
>
>Why using a real terminal instead of a PC ? 
>You talk about Wyse, which is also what i use.
>
>1- Cost. A Wyse costs less then a 8088 pc.

Marginal these days I think

>2- Screen. Try using a pc monitor (b&w or colour) for 10 hours,
>   and then try using a Wyse. The only difference is that on a good,
>   hi-refreshed screen you don't loose your eyes.
>   You can buy a good monitor for PC, but it costs money.
>   See number 1-.

I have seen Wyse terminals WY120/WY60 that lose brightness to the extent that
the terminal is unusable within a few months. Tweaking an internal pot
can fix this temporarily but a new monitor or terminal is the only real 
fix. The screen alignment on the majority of Wyse's is very poor. Some
have a >5 degree tilt on the image.  

>3- Speed. You switch on your wyse, in 5 seconds you're ready.
>   A PC does not support emulation/baud rates/flow controls/gadgets/
>   graphic the way a serious terminal does. Not Kermit, at least.
>   You need a serious communication program, which costs money.
>   See number 1- .
>4- Keyboard. Wyse keyboards are super. PC keyboards are toys compared
>   to a Wyse one.  You may find a very good keyboard around, but they
>   costs money. See number 1-.

I am not to impresses with  Wyse keyboard. Better than a really cheap 
PC one maybe but I've used some good PC keyboards.

>5- Noise. No noise on a terminal. Lots of noise on a pc.
>6- Breakdowns. No Wyse broke in the past 3 years. Two PC did.
>   One was a nice Compaq/33.
>

I have worked with ( am working with ) 2 large government department that
have between them thousands of Wyse terminals. Power supplys catch fire 
regularly. :-) 

>A 'little' Wyse costs around 350$-400$. A Wyse 160, which is what
>i am using right now, might cost twice as much. But that's because it does
>a bunch of things (like two connection at the same time, switch with
>ctrl+enter). 
>In any case, i personally think that the monitor is the most important
>thing. I spend usually 10 to 12 hours in front of it every day. Last week
>i spent 2 hours in front of a VGA monitor made by Compaq: i went home
>with a terrible headache! Never more; i connected to the compaq a Wyse 185.
>
>Before buying a printer, get a terminal for your pc-based unix.
>You cannot buy new eyes, you know ;-)
>

Jim