"Televideo Systems"

From: John Chris Wren <jcwren_at_jcwren.com>
Date: Sat May 4 01:58:04 2002

        The TS-806 wasn't a multi-user system, per se. It had up to 6 attached
TS-800A's, which had their own Z-80s, memory, and video circuitry. The
TS-806 was basically a file server and comm-hub. Depending on what O/S you
were running (there were at least 2, and possible 3), you could lock files,
perform inter-terminal communications via mailboxes on the TS-806, etc. At
least one of the companies that produced an OS for it was based in Atlanta,
GA, in the basement of a photography store. I spent a lot of time debugging
for them.

        I believe the TS-816 was still Z-80 based, but had 16 ports instead of 6.
I am not positive about this, as I never had one.

        I used to write medical software (patient care plans, accounts receivable,
mailing lists, etc) on these beasts, using Microsoft compiled BASIC.

        The TS-800As are the same form factor as the TVI-900/TVI-950. They do have
nice keyboards, some of the better ones, at the time. Although in my book,
nothing compares to the Cherry keyboard that was on the SOL-20. Oh, how I
covet a SOL-20 at a reasonable price...

        --John


> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org
> [mailto:owner-classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org]On Behalf Of Pat Finnegan
> Sent: Saturday, May 04, 2002 2:07 AM
> To: ClassicCmp List
> Subject: RE: "Televideo Systems"
>
>
> On Fri, 3 May 2002, Douglas H. Quebbeman wrote:
>
> > > Just pinging out there... I was wondering if anyone had a
> Televideo TS 806
> > > or TS 816 they would be willing to give to a 'good home'. I
> have a bit of
> > > an attachment/longing for one, it was that computer at my Dad's office
> > > (he's an Optometrist) that I never got to play with until it broke and
> > > (since I was rather young at the time) I took it apart. The
> pieces have
> > > since been tossed by my parents in the interest of 'cleaning up'.
> >
> > Wasn't the 816 the 8086/8088 version? The TS-803 had a Z-80.
>
> Aparently so, but the TS-806 was a Z80 version also, with support for up
> to 6 terminals on RS-422 (if the TS-806 is the system I took apart). I
> remember it worked like a boot-server to TS-800's (or was it TVI-800's?)
> as diskless workstations that connected back to the TS-806. It was fairly
> cool, I always liked the shape of the things and the keyboards for some
> reason... perhaps becuse it was the first 'multiuser' system I got to
> see. I'm still amazed at how one could run 6 user sessions off a
> processor that lacked 'protection' between tasks. I guess code was just
> better written back then (no major MicroSoft apps to screw the system
> up :).
>
> After realizing that the 816 was an 8088 box, I'm a bit less interested in
> it...
>
> > We had 25 of the TS-803 at RETS, and I've been haggling
> > for the only one I know is left from the guy who has it,
> > so far, to no avail. I have manuals and lots of software
> > for it, including TELE-WRITE and TELE-DRAW. We had a
> > MouseSystems optical mouse on ours that worked with TELE-DRAW.
>
> Cool. I'm pretty sure the TS-806 and TS/TVI-800's were text-only, but if
> the text-mode software still is compatible, that'd be awesome.
>
> -- Pat
>
>
Received on Sat May 04 2002 - 01:58:04 BST