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Article #1551Re: Brain-damaged Terminal Contest
From: Stuart D. Gathman
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1986 03:18
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1986 03:18
28 lines
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1615 bytes
Many of the so-called "brain-damaged" terminals were quite intelligent for their time. My vote for "worst for its time" is the IBM3101. a) Various keys don't work in various modes. There is no mode in which all the keys can be used. b) The caps-lock "key" is a switch under the cover . . . c) When in caps-lock mode, you can't type "`" or "|" (you pry open the little cover . . .) d) Accidentally pressing one the keys arbitrarily defined as "invalid" for the particular mode you are in results in a LOCK error. A special 2 key combination is required to reset it. e) In block mode, only a transmit of the entire screen can be initiated by the host (data / modified data only does work). The user, however, can send in message, line, or screen mode. f) It weighs a least 50 pounds (well maybe I'm exaggerating.) g) All these problems required massive firmware programming effort to create. Any quick & simple emulator on a PC is quite usable! -- Stuart D. Gathman <..!seismo!dgis!bms-at!stuart>
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Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!utzoo!mnetor!seismo!vrdxhq!bms-at!stuart From: stuart@bms-at.UUCP (Stuart D. Gathman) Newsgroups: comp.terminals Subject: Re: Brain-damaged Terminal Contest Message-ID: <308@bms-at.UUCP> Date: Tue, 9-Dec-86 22:18:27 EST Article-I.D.: bms-at.308 Posted: Tue Dec 9 22:18:27 1986 Date-Received: Wed, 10-Dec-86 10:57:16 EST References: <3078@cbosgd.ATT.COM> <58000001@smu> <880@sfsup.UUCP> <429@viper.UUCP> Organization: Business Management Systems, Inc., Fairfax, VA Lines: 28 Summary: IBM 3101