Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!pacbell!ames!nrl-cmf!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!bloom-beacon!gatech!purdue!decwrl!sun!pitstop!sundc!seismo!uunet!idsnh!ben From: ben@idsnh.UUCP (Ben Smith) Newsgroups: comp.terminals Subject: Re: No more Lear-Sieglers -- What is good? Summary: Against PCs as terminals Keywords: Help us find a terminal family! Message-ID: <19@idsnh.UUCP> Date: 12 May 88 12:03:03 GMT References: <296@fedeva.UUCP> <1185@maccs.UUCP> Reply-To: ben@.UUCP (Ben Smith) Organization: Integrated Decision Systems, Inc. - NH Lines: 16 I am against recommending PC's as terminals. My arguments are as follows: (1) Only the more expensive and complex emulation programs (such as Softerm) give fairly complete emulation of the terminals. (2) Many programs require the ability of the terminal to switch between 80 and 132 columns. PC's do not do this well if at all. (3) The users must now learn the communication program as well as the appli- cation programs on the central machine. When a problem arises, it may not be as simple to determine if it is with the application program or the emulation program. (4) Terminals are still cheaper, easier to set up, easier to service, quieter. As to families of terminals, Wyse has fine design but their quality control sucks rotten eggs. Also, they will have the same model with many different ROMs with extraordinary differences. Televideo makes a good terminal, but more expensive and not as aesthetic.