Prestel (Was: Re: What is this??? - Update)

From: Tony Duell <ard_at_p850ug1.demon.co.uk>
Date: Tue Jun 15 18:25:33 2004

> > I'd love to see the server-side of things running somewhere again
> though.

There were viewdata servers for quite small machines -- I think there was
one that ran on the RML380Z, for example. Obviously not Prestel (there
wouldn't be enough disk space for all the pages), but it might be a start.

Pretel terminal adpaters existed for most micros. I have C64 one
somewhere, there was one for the Beeb (in the 'cheese wedge case' -- that
was one of the reasons for the teletext video mode (MODE 7) on the beeb,
of course), the ill-fated Tiger had all the hardware built in, and so on.

And of course there where the dedicated Viewdata terminals used for
things like home banking. Often based on the Philips SAA50x0 teletext
chipset for the diuplay and the SAA5070 LUCY chip for the modem. Philips
made their own Viewdata display unit too, and a right kludge it was (I
have one...)

For the real enthusiast, try to find the first 'networked TV'. This is a
Philips (what else!) G11 chassis with a plinth under the cabinet
containing a teletext decoder, the LUCY chip, phone line interface, etc.
Dates from around 1976/1977 IIRC...

Somewhere (and Bletchley are NOT GETTING IT), I have a Plessey modem (all
discrete components in the GPO case that's about 14" square and 6" high)
that doess 1200 baud transmit, 75 receive. Sounds like a viewdata host
unit to me...

-tony
Received on Tue Jun 15 2004 - 18:25:33 BST