Terminals...

[Johnny Billquist]

Dave McGuire <mcguire at neurotica.com> wrote:

> On 8/11/10 11:21 PM, William Donzelli wrote:
>>> >> Of course, shipping for, say a hundred VT520s is significantly higher than for those modern replacements - even when you add in the (now LCD) screen.  Oh that's right, you can just go down to Best Buy (which rarely is) to buy the screens....
>> >
>> > I doubt shipping costs would be so much of an issue - VT520s, if they
>> > are anything like VT420s, are not very heavy. If company X needs
>> > several hundred dumb terminals spread around in their system, I bet
>> > they would have enough of their own shipping going on, and the VTs
>> > could hang on the sides of the trucks for free.
>> >
>>> >> That's not to say I don't have a personal preference for the originals - I have mostly VT420s at home, and we're refurbishing a bunch of VT100s and VT52s here at work.  -- Ian
>> >
>> > OK, I will say it - VT420s suck.
> 
>    What don't you like about VT420s?  They're my favorite of the line, 
> followed closely by VT320 then VT220.  I don't like VT520s at all.

I like the VT5xx series, just as I like all other VT-terminals. However, 
I've had problems with power supplies of VT320, and VT340 terminals, and 
have had problems with the displays going weak on VT420 terminals.

In a way, I think the VT525 is pretty optimal. External screen with VGA 
connection, so I can use any PC screen, including flat screens. The fact 
that the VT5xx terminals use a PC keyboard connection sucks some, but I 
can live with that, since I atleast have proper DEC layout keyboards 
anyway. And color, in addition to that. The only thing missing is ReGIS 
and SIXBIT graphics.

But, to make a comment on the original topic here - I don't really think 
that new VT terminals are more expensive than buying a PC. Yes, the 
initial cost is larger, but I definitely expect a VT520 to last way 
longer than a PC, and buying two or three PCs, and additionally to have 
to service, update, install, and work on the machines will make them 
cost way more than a new VT520 within just a year or two.

	Johnny

-- 
Johnny Billquist                  || "I'm on a bus
                                   ||  on a psychedelic trip
email: bqt at softjar.se             ||  Reading murder books
pdp is alive!                     ||  tryin' to stay hip" - B. Idol