From: utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!info-terms
Newsgroups: fa.info-terms
Title: Re: cheap terminals
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.11
Posted: Mon Mar 14 23:45:41 1983
Received: Fri Mar 18 02:26:43 1983

>From UCBVAX.@MIT-MC.decvax!genradbolton!linus!security!tfl@BERKELEY  Mon Mar 14 23:42:50 1983
Received: from MIT-MC.ARPA by UCBVAX.ARPA (3.327/3.15)
	id AA05591; 14 Mar 83 23:42:50 PST (Mon)
Received: by UCBVAX.ARPA (3.327/3.15)
	id AA05612; 14 Mar 83 23:44:11 PST (Mon)
To: info-terms@BERKELEY

Having done a bit of research on this, here's some info. First, I 
wouldn't buy Hazeltine, since they are having some coporate
problems. Also I've heard bad things about the reliability of
their stuff (also about Soroc stuff).  Pournelle and other more
informed sources have bad stuff to say about the field failure rate of
televideo.  ADM3a is too dumb for the money, and so is ADDS.  My
personal choice (this week) would be either Liberty's Freedom 100
($595 list) or Nabu 4503 ($495 list). Now, disclaimers:
1) This opinion is not necessarily that of my employer's.
2) The information gathered was on my own time, at my own expense,
   and is totally unrelated to any project on which I'm working.
3) This info does not constitute an endorsement.
4) This info is subject to change.

Now, to modulate my opinions above, the way to choose a terminal
should be based on cost/features estimates combined with an
assessment of the degree of difficulty in getting service.  A used
ADM may be more cost/effective than a new Freedom 100 (there are
a lot of them around), while the most reliable terminal in the
world is worthless if, the one time that it does go down, there
is no one to service it. Remember folks, we all work for companies
and or universities that have maintenance contracts; it's a much
different problem when you buy a terminal for your own.
                 cheers.