Old laptops as cheap terminals (was Re: Old Macs = cheap terminals)

From: Geoff Roberts <geoffrob_at_stmarks.pp.catholic.edu.au>
Date: Mon Jun 19 03:10:34 2000

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ethan Dicks" <ethan_dicks_at_yahoo.com>
To: <classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org>
Sent: Friday, June 09, 2000 5:23 AM
Subject: Old laptops as cheap terminals (was Re: Old Macs = cheap
terminals)


>
> --- "Zane H. Healy" <healyzh_at_aracnet.com> wrote:
> > Another good solution for the terminally challenged is
> > *old* laptops, also a good solution when space is a big problem.
The only
> > real use I keep my ancient Twinhead 386sx laptop around for is to
use as a
> > terminal when nothing else is handy...
>
> I bought an ancient Zenith XT laptop (dual 720K floppies) for $10 at a
local
> box shop explicity for a terminal. I have a DOS 3.3 boot disk in it
with
> Kermit, and away I go. If I could lay my hands on a cheap Xircom PE3
(no
> flames, please), I'd use the laptop as an IP "terminal", too (for the
> Kermit-ly challenged, modern versions contain an IP stack; just add
packet
> driver; that's how my Commodore Colt is on my network).

I was playing with a Toshiba T1200 XT laptop today. It has a PureData
PDT8023 ethernet card that fits in an expansion slot, card is similar to
a WD8003. Found some drivers on the Puredata website and have managed to
get KA9Q NOS running on it. Telneted into the Vax at work from the shop
via the ICS gateway on a 98SE box. Very cool. TRACE 111 gives you
pretty much a packet sniffer too...

Cheers

Geoff Roberts
Computer Systems Manager
Saint Mark's College
Port Pirie,
South Australia
geoffrob at stmarks dot pp dot catholic dot edu dot au
ICQ: 1970476
Received on Mon Jun 19 2000 - 03:10:34 BST