Unusual software carriers. (Was :Vinyl Data- Classic Computers )

[Pete Turnbull]

On 07/10/2008 22:36, John Foust wrote:

> In the early 80s, I think there were some very low-speed data stream systems
> via teletext ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teletext ) that could send
> the stream out RS-232.  Is my memory correct?

I don't know of any exactly like that, but here in the UK, the BBC 
provided some "telesoftware" on high-numbered teletext pages, encoded 
using the CET (Council for Educational Technology) standard, the same as 
for Prestel (see wikipedia).  There were some trials with software for 
other machines, but almost all the broadcast telesoftware was for the 
BBC Microcomputer, not surprisingly, for which there were at least two 
teletext adapters (the original Acorn one and later one from a third 
party company called Morley Electronics).  The teletext adapters connect 
to a BBC Micro via its 1MHZ expansion bus.  Most of the BBC telesoftware 
was linked to their "Making the Most of the Micro" TV series.

There was much more telesoftware on PRESTEL, which was a dial-up 
viewdata-based information service; 1200 baud downstream and 75 baud 
upstream.  Much of it was on Micronet800 (the home pages, to use a 
modern term, were 3-digit numbers) and Viewfax258 -- I had some on both, 
as well as some development pages of my own a few levels under page 500 
(IIRC) -- but quite a lot of it cost money.  Pages could carry a charge, 
and even "free" programs cost (in terms of the telephone charges, albeit 
at low local call rates) but it was quite popular amongst micro users.

-- 
Pete						Peter Turnbull
						Network Manager
						University of York