ken@turtlevax.UUCP (Ken Turkowski) (02/18/85)
In article <16100002@hplabs.UUCP> iles@hplabs.UUCP writes: >Have you gotten any response to this? I am interested in NAPLPS decoders also. > >Michelle Lassagne, Hewlett Packard ----------------------------------------------------------------- From seismo!harvard!ijs Tue Jan 22 17:39:35 1985 DEC offers a NAPLPS package for its VMS video workstation, but I am interested in possibly using NAPLPS as a device independent intermediate language for some of our unix graphics applications. We have nothing yet, but are interested if you find something. Anyhow, the S at the end is for NAPLP Syntax. ----------------------------------------------------------------- From seismo!harvard!hound!han Wed Jan 30 15:46:31 1985 I presume that you're looking for a public domain (i.e., free) NAPLPS Decoder software package. Otherwise, there are quite a few NAPLPS packages available commercially with prices in the range of $100-$200. Videolog themselves offer one for $150. Most of those packages for the IBM-PC compatibles however (with the exception of the Videolog's package) are implemented to work with high-resolution graphic adapters (e.g., Plantronic's Color-Plus) which cost at least another $400. If one's PC already has a regular color graphic adapter card, one would be quite reluctant to shell out money to get a higher-quality card. Also, I have found out that high quality cards make very pretty graphic display, but the graphic display even in monochrome is quite acceptable (I tried this by hooking a monochrome display to my high-resolution graphic card). It seems then that a NAPLPS decoder that works with regular color graphic cards, e.g., the standard IBM color graphic adapter, would be quite attractive. Thus, I myself am looking for one of these -- but so far without any luck. The Videolog package, I was told, only implements a subset of NAPLPS features, thus you might not be able to use it to access videotex databases such as Viewtron in Florida. ... By the way, the complete specification for NAPLPS can be obtained from ANSI Sales Office in NY City (the document is titled X3.110-1983). There are also some good tutorial articles around: in the MicroSystems Journal July issue last year, and also in the IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications February issue of 1983. ----------------------------------------------------------------- From seismo!harvard!hound!han Thu Jan 31 12:19:46 1985 I doubt that any of the NAPLPS Decoder packages currently on the market is also available in source-code form (at least not in the few hundreds of $$$ range). You can call up and check with the various vendors (the July'84 issue of MicroSystems Journal I mentionned before also has a survey article on various packages which lists addresses and phone numbers of the vendors). AT&T Consumer-Products also has a NAPLPS Decoder which was originally developed for the Sceptre(R) videotex terminal and recently rewritten (cost $100) for their newly announced high-resolution Video Display PC Adapter card ($495). We are currently using this package and it works like a charm. I don't know whether they would be willing to license the source code to outside people (we do not have free access to it ourselves). Their address: AT&T-CP Electronic Photography and Imaging Center 2002 Wellesley Boulevard Indianapolis, Indiana 46219 ----------------------------------------------------------------- From spar!decwrl!decvax!allegra!gamma!pyuxww!pyuxv!nvuxr!nvuxb!bob2 Tue Feb 5 02:20:07 1985 I have found in the February Unix/World the following: "Sanford Computer Systems Inc. has introduced Videopro, claimed to be the only software decoder that transforms a Unix microcomputer system into a fully interactive NAPLPS terminal. "The decoder, which lists for $149, allows a Unix system user to access any NAPLPS videotext system such as Viewtron, Keyfax, Gateway, Teleguide, and Grassroots. It can be configured to any Unix system on any microcomputer and for any color card. Because it is not device-dependant, it can also be used with any resolution screen. "For more information contact Sandford Computer Systems, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 416/962-3828." -- Ken Turkowski @ CADLINC, Menlo Park, CA UUCP: {amd,decwrl,nsc,seismo,spar}!turtlevax!ken ARPA: turtlevax!ken@DECWRL.ARPA