[GreenKeys] The last days of the serial terminal

Sat Jan 23 17:39:52 EST 2021

The PC killed off many dedicated graphics terminal.

Where I worked there were several industrial computer types, some called PLCs, and lab  test equipment. They needed a display and the terminal often had just certain dedicated keys for changing the data stream.   They were very expensive.  As the PC evolved they found out they could do away with the expensive hardware and just sell the companies expensive software.   

In the past 15 or so years the hams have found out that the PC can take the place of the hardware for RTTY and then other modes of ‘written’ communications.   The software can do things that are only dreamed about in hardware.  However, they do not get the pleasure of hearing and seeing the mechanical machinery work.  Instead of building things, it is just buy a computer and interface cable and you are on the air with the computer.

Ralph ku4pt

From: greenkeys-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:greenkeys-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Eric Moore
Sent: Saturday, January 23, 2021 4:13 PM
To: Greenkeys
Subject: [GreenKeys] The last days of the serial terminal

I wanted to share my video of a color graphics terminal from the 80s with you all. I realized in some ways this was one of the final and most advanced descendants of teletypes.

https://youtu.be/SvO5k9Cwt88

What killed the lineage largely was personal computers. Once you had something that could act as a terminal emulator sitting on your desk, plus it could help do the taxes and keep the kids entertained, the value of standalone terminals declined. 

Terminals remained a thing for a bit longer, acting as basically 3d graphics cards on the end of a serial, DMA, or ethernet link, but by the 90s as graphics adapters improved and shrunk they were pretty much dead.

-Eric

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