[mod.computers.vax] VT240 EMULATOR

S211LAUW@HTIKHT5.BITNET.UUCP (06/20/86)

We are looking for a VT240- or VT125-emulator for IBM-PC and/or
Olivetti PC. Does anyone know if one exists, and if so, where to
get information about it?

Thanks in advance,

Michiel Koren
Tilburg University
Tilburg
Netherlands
( S170MIKO@htikht5 or something like that)

art@MITRE.ARPA.UUCP (06/25/86)

Polygon Associates, Inc.
1024 Executive Parkway
Saint Loius, Missouri 63141
314/576-7709 TELEX 883245 TWX 910/997-0904

market a regis package for the Rainbow.  They also sell packages for the
IBM PC.  I do not know if they sell what you want but it seems a 99% probability
that they do.

Art McClinton

dolson@USC-ISIF.ARPA.UUCP (06/26/86)

Check the recently issued (July 86) Digital Review pages 105-108; they
ran a comparison against two 240-emulators for the IBM PC.  The
compared products are poly-COM/240 by Polygon, Inc, and SmarTerm 240
from Persoft Inc.  Review by Jeffrey Steinberg, extracted w/o
permission below:

"...allows the user of an IBM PC,XT or AT...with color graphics
adaptor, EGA or Hercules card...to emulate a VT240.  SmarTerm also
extends Tektronix 4010 and 4014 compatibility...Minimum hardware,
...256KB for poly-COM, 512KB for SmarTerm.  poly-COM ...640 x 200
pixels in high-res mode, 320 x 200 in medium res...SmarTerm can
display 256 x 800 pixels with the Hercules card, only 200 x 640 with
the IBM card.  File transfers...poly-COM, ascii and poly-XFR..
SmarTerm, ascii, xmodem, Kermit and PDIP.
...Setting up the operating environment is where the two products
differ the most: SmarTerm has a far more advanced and user-friendly
interface than poly-COM does.

...[massive cut here...lots of product-use details]...

"While both SmarTerm 240 and poly-COM/240 give the user the same VT240
emulation, SmarTerm 240's expanded file-transfer capabilities,
advanced user interface, programming ability and extensive online help
make this package a far superior terminal emulator."

Of course, in a neat little box beside  the article, the magazine
included a product description of poly-COM's latest and greatest,
poly-STAR.  I don't think the magazine reviewed the product, and I
question their including the sales claims of a product ("...poly-STAR
*will* support...poly-STAR *will* also allow...") next to their
careful product review.  But hey, thats THEIR integrity on the line,
what do I care.

I briefly used a previous incarnation of the Persoft product, called
SmarTerm 100 (one guess, folks...) and found it very nice.  I haven't
used either of the two reviewed products and sorry, have very little
interest in anything on a big blue machine these days...

One other note of interest: I have heard of a program termed CALL, a
terminal emulator for the IBM-PC, which currently does VT100 emulation
and which the author is upgrading to do 240 emulation.  The author is
Captain Rich Blomseth, *on active duty in the air force* and stationed
at HQ AFOTEC, Kirtland AFB, NM.  I believe that his intention is that
this be available to AF activities free-of-charge...possibly to
others. 

Disclaimer: I have no financial, personal or other relationship with
the proprietors of these products or this magazine, etc, etc.

Doug (dolson @ Ada20.ARPA, soon-to-be @ Ada20.ISI.EDU)
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