todd@ivucsb.sba.ca.us (Todd Day) (08/13/90)
I was going thru my stuff today and found some sales literature for our good ol' friend, the UNIXPC, circa 1985. It's quite a hoot! True, the UNIXPC was a powerful machine back in '85, but it shows how far we've really come. "The AT&T UNIXPC Model 7300 is simply today's most advanced, user- friendly, and versatile desktop computer system. It offers the best of the three worlds of microcomputing: easy-to-use on-screen menu prompts that you select with a mouse; power and speed that make it one of the most powerful computers you can buy; plus built-in voice and data communications so sophisticated, yet easy to use, that you know only AT&T could bring them to you. The AT&T UNIX PC - the first personal computer that has it all and does it all!" "The AT&T UNIX PC provides you with a friendly interface between you and its UNIX System V operating system." Am I the only one who still uses the windowing system? A picture shows the versatility of the movable monitor. Another one shows a UNIXPC in the lab right next to nasty looking chemicals, attatched to two terminals. However, they put the picture in backwards, as the flashing red LED shows up on the right side (the disk drive too)! "The power means processor speed - 10 MHz of it; loads of built-in memory - 512k, with possible expansion to 2MB... high speed modem... Data storage is on a choice of 10- or 20-MB hard disk and 1/2-MB floppy disk." It seems that the ad agency dosn't know what unformatted capacity is. Thank goodness we can go to 4MB RAM and 100s of MBs disk now. "It uses multiple windows to make multi-tasking easier, so that no matter what file or kind of work you're doing, an interruption won't force you to close up shop and start a new file. Instead, just select a window for a memo pad, or to make a phone call. When the interruption is finished, you can go back to doing wheat you were doing before - all without missing a beat." Unless, of course, you open more than 11 windows. Well, I guess at least one good thing did come out of AT&T diversification. I always wondered why AT&T tried to push something as complicated as UNIX into desktop business applications, but I guess it kinda makes sense since, of course, they own the license on UNIX. Still, I guess we're all lucky this mishmash of a machine didn't quite make it out in the real world, as it allowed all of us to make quite a steal on a machine that is almost perfect for running news and mail leaf nodes. I think AT&T would have sold more machines had they targeted at that market. Okay, well, that's enough for now. In a future article, I will relate tales of the early years of the UNIXPC and my dad's experience with it at Convergent. I will also tell you about the summer I tested keyboards for this beast as a well paid temporary worker and all about the little known telephone keyless touchscreen terminal that's supposed to accompany these machines (and my little trip to Dow Chemical in Michigan, but that's another story)... -- Todd Day | todd@ivucsb.sba.ca.us | ucsbcsl!ivucsb!todd "I believed what I was told, I thought it was a good life, I thought I was happy. Then I found something that changed it all..." --- Anonymous, 2112
lenny@icus.ICUS.COM (Lenny Tropiano) (08/13/90)
In article <1990Aug13.032211.3575@ivucsb.sba.ca.us> todd@ivucsb.sba.ca.us (Todd Day) writes: |>I was going thru my stuff today and found some sales literature for |>our good ol' friend, the UNIXPC, circa 1985. It's quite a hoot! |>True, the UNIXPC was a powerful machine back in '85, but it shows |>how far we've really come. [...] |>Data storage is on a choice of 10- or 20-MB hard disk and 1/2-MB |>floppy disk." Are you sure it just said 1/2 MB? I seem to remember the humor of seeing 1 1/2MB 5.25" double sided/double density floppy drive (unformatted) - 48TPI. Sure, right .. tell me another. |>telephone keyless touchscreen terminal that's supposed |>to accompany these machines (and my little trip to Dow [...] Well I forget the model, but AT&T had a telephone, computer terminal pair (was it the 510?) that looked like a minature PC7300, with a builtin-phone. They (CT) even had a version of "TAM" called "Touch TAM", that would convert the touching of the screen on that machine to TAM-equivalent escape codes. Imagine that, touching the "Filecabinet" to open it up, and then touching the "file" to edit that ... Reminds me of the days of light-pens! ;-) -Lenny -- | Lenny Tropiano ICUS Software Systems lenny@icus.ICUS.COM | | {ames,pacbell,decuac,sbcs,hombre,rayssd}!icus!lenny attmail!icus!lenny | +------ ICUS Software Systems -- PO Box 1; Islip Terrace, NY 11752 ------+
dave@westmark.UU.NET (Dave Levenson) (08/14/90)
In article <1244@icus.ICUS.COM>, lenny@icus.ICUS.COM (Lenny Tropiano) writes: ... > Well I forget the model, but AT&T had a telephone, computer terminal pair > (was it the 510?) that looked like a minature PC7300, with a builtin-phone. > They (CT) even had a version of "TAM" called "Touch TAM", that would > convert the touching of the screen on that machine to TAM-equivalent > escape codes. Imagine that, touching the "Filecabinet" to open it up, and > then touching the "file" to edit that ... Reminds me of the days of > light-pens! ;-) Yes, it was the 510. Two models: the 510-A and the 510-D. The -A model was analog, and could connect with two telephone lines. One was normally used for speaking, the other with the internal modem. The -D was the digital model, which would connect only with the AT&T System 85 and System 75 PBXs. It uses DCP (a proprietary digital link similar to but not compatible with ISDN) and provides 64 kbit voice and data connectivity with other PBX endpoints. It could provide up to four call-pickup buttons, and a number of feature buttons, as well. The screen (and optional keyboard) emulated a VT-100, including 132-col mode, and smooth-scroll. The handset and internal speakerphone emulate a 2500 set on the 510-A, and a 7400 digital set on the 510-D. On the -D, if your PBX had all of the optional features working, the screen normally shows pictures of line, hold, conference, and speed-dial buttons. You touch them, and place a call. When someone calls you, a button-symbol blinks and the caller's number or name are displayed next to the blinking button. If you invoke the internal directory, names are displayed on the screen. You "reach out and TOUCH someone" and it dials their number. And yes, if you used it to log into a UNIX-PC running TAM, you got "Touch Target TAM" on your 510 screen. The touch screen, actually, used optical techniques very much like a light-pen. When you touched the screen, your finger-pressure dimpled a transparent flexible piece of plastic. Some transparent jelly was sandwiched between this piece of plastic and another, against the CRT face. The dimple would reflect light from the CRT screen toward some photo detectors at the corners of the screen. The sense electronics connected thereto would receive a pulse of light and correlate it with the position of the raster scan, and determine what you had touched on your screen. A very neat terminal, as I recall. Probably one of the most expensive telehpones ever offered for sale. Also, a rather costly VT-100 emulator. But, like the flying submarine, it was a better telephone than most data terminals, and a far better data terminal than most telephones! -- Dave Levenson Voice: 908 647 0900 Fax: 908 647 6857 Westmark, Inc. UUCP: {uunet | rutgers | att}!westmark!dave Warren, NJ, USA AT&T Mail: !westmark!dave [The Man in the Mooney]
todd@ivucsb.sba.ca.us (Todd Day) (08/14/90)
lenny@icus.ICUS.COM (Lenny Tropiano) writes:
%Are you sure it just said 1/2 MB? I seem to remember the humor of seeing
%1 1/2MB 5.25" double sided/double density floppy drive (unformatted) - 48TPI.
That's on the back. It says
1 1/2 MB 5-1/4" double-sided double-density drive (unformatted) -48 TPI
Most people read that as
(1 + 1/2) MB
but I think they meant
1 (1/2 MB)
%Well I forget the model, but AT&T had a telephone, computer terminal pair
%(was it the 510?) that looked like a minature PC7300, with a builtin-phone.
%They (CT) even had a version of "TAM" called "Touch TAM", that would
%convert the touching of the screen on that machine to TAM-equivalent
%escape codes. Imagine that, touching the "Filecabinet" to open it up, and
%then touching the "file" to edit that ... Reminds me of the days of
%light-pens! ;-)
Yep, I'm pretty sure it was the 510. I don't believe it had a keyboard,
though, only a telephone touchpad. I have some interesting stories about
that (see next couple articles). One of the options on the touch screen
was to bring up a picture of a keyboard so you could use that for data
entry. The reason you don't see these machines in surplus land is that
most of them ended up in AT&T internal (including a large chunk of the
UNIXPC inventory). I actually did see ONE of these guys hooked up to
a UNIXPC, with the UA running. Come to think of it, there MUST have been
some kind of external keyboard interface...
--
Todd Day | todd@ivucsb.sba.ca.us | ucsbcsl!ivucsb!todd
"I believed what I was told, I thought it was a good
life, I thought I was happy. Then I found something
that changed it all..." --- Anonymous, 2112dt@yenta.alb.nm.us (David B. Thomas) (08/14/90)
Here's some humorous quotations from a brochure I got from Technology Resource Center (TRC) in California in 1988, when I bought my unix pc. These are REAL!! "The data communications components deliver REAL DEC VT-100 emulation [their emphasis] (in 80 or 132 columns!)" "Remember, [TRC] is selling this unit at horrific savings." "That's our price for an exhaustive four user system." "The UNIX PC comes standard with AT&T's three button mouse -- ideal for selecting, pulling, stretching, and clicking." "For those of you who refuse to eat quiche, simply turn off the window environment and work directly with the Unix operating system." "If you prefer talking to computers instead of people, the UNIX PC offers full VT100 terminal emulation [...]. If your friends prefer to talk to your computer instead of you, the UNIX PC supports dial-in VT100 terminals." "If you get the occasional Intel itch, the UNIX PC can scratch it. [...] Imagine, with this option you get the best of both worlds: Unix _and_ MS-DOS" David
cjc@ulysses.att.com (Chris Calabrese[mav]) (08/14/90)
todd@ivucsb.sba.ca.us (Todd Day) writes: % lenny@icus.ICUS.COM (Lenny Tropiano) writes: % [stuff about floppy disk drive deleted...] % % %Well I forget the model, but AT&T had a telephone, computer terminal pair % %(was it the 510?) that looked like a minature PC7300, with a builtin-phone. % %They (CT) even had a version of "TAM" called "Touch TAM", that would % %convert the touching of the screen on that machine to TAM-equivalent % %escape codes. Imagine that, touching the "Filecabinet" to open it up, and % %then touching the "file" to edit that ... Reminds me of the days of % %light-pens! ;-) % % Yep, I'm pretty sure it was the 510. I don't believe it had a keyboard, % though, only a telephone touchpad. I have some interesting stories about % that (see next couple articles). One of the options on the touch screen % was to bring up a picture of a keyboard so you could use that for data % entry. The reason you don't see these machines in surplus land is that % most of them ended up in AT&T internal (including a large chunk of the % UNIXPC inventory). I actually did see ONE of these guys hooked up to % a UNIXPC, with the UA running. Come to think of it, there MUST have been % some kind of external keyboard interface... The keyboard was an optional accessory for the 510. I think they came bundled if you ordered the 510a. They're _real_ popular as gee-whiz phones around AT&T. The surplus was probably used up a long time ago. We're, getting ISDN phones that you can control from an RS232 port soon, which ought to be even better (a phone controlled from windows on my Sun perhaps?) Name: Christopher J. Calabrese Brain loaned to: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, NJ att!ulysses!cjc cjc@ulysses.att.com Obligatory Quote: ``pher - gr. vb. to schlep. phospher - to schlep light.philosopher - to schlep thoughts.''
gnome@cbnewsj.att.com (ronald.l.fletcher) (08/15/90)
> In article <1244@icus.ICUS.COM>, lenny@icus.ICUS.COM (Lenny Tropiano) writes: > ... > > Well I forget the model, but AT&T had a telephone, computer terminal pair > > (was it the 510?) that looked like a minature PC7300, with a builtin-phone. > > They (CT) even had a version of "TAM" called "Touch TAM", that would > > convert the touching of the screen on that machine to TAM-equivalent > > escape codes. Imagine that, touching the "Filecabinet" to open it up, and > > then touching the "file" to edit that ... Reminds me of the days of > > light-pens! ;-) In article <652@westmark.UU.NET>, dave@westmark.UU.NET (Dave Levenson) writes: > > Yes, it was the 510. Two models: the 510-A and the 510-D. The -A > model was analog, and could connect with two telephone lines. One > was normally used for speaking, the other with the internal modem. > The -D was the digital model, which would connect only with the AT&T > System 85 and System 75 PBXs. It uses DCP (a proprietary digital > link similar to but not compatible with ISDN) and provides 64 kbit > voice and data connectivity with other PBX endpoints. It could > provide up to four call-pickup buttons, and a number of feature > buttons, as well. Well actually 3 models, the "D" model had an early vintage which did not have an EIA port. > > The screen (and optional keyboard) emulated a VT-100, including Was it optional? I never saw one without it. > 132-col mode, and smooth-scroll. The handset and internal > speakerphone emulate a 2500 set on the 510-A, and a 7400 digital set > on the 510-D. On the -D, if your PBX had all of the optional > features working, the screen normally shows pictures of line, hold, > conference, and speed-dial buttons. You touch them, and place a > call. When someone calls you, a button-symbol blinks and the > caller's number or name are displayed next to the blinking button. > If you invoke the internal directory, names are displayed on the > screen. You "reach out and TOUCH someone" and it dials their > number. > > And yes, if you used it to log into a UNIX-PC running TAM, you got > "Touch Target TAM" on your 510 screen. The touch screen, actually, > used optical techniques very much like a light-pen. When you > touched the screen, your finger-pressure dimpled a transparent > flexible piece of plastic. Some transparent jelly was sandwiched > between this piece of plastic and another, against the CRT face. > The dimple would reflect light from the CRT screen toward some photo > detectors at the corners of the screen. The sense electronics > connected thereto would receive a pulse of light and correlate it > with the position of the raster scan, and determine what you had > touched on your screen. > > A very neat terminal, as I recall. Probably one of the most > expensive telehpones ever offered for sale. Also, a rather costly > VT-100 emulator. But, like the flying submarine, it was a better > telephone than most data terminals, and a far better data terminal > than most telephones! Any idea what these things retailed for? Funny a 510 discussion should start now, the lab next door just trashed 4 of these. I walked by them for a week and the hardware hacker in me got the better of me. There must be some neat application for a touch-screen. It took 3 of them to get 1 fully functional 510D with EIA port. I hooked it up DCP-wise to a System 75 and ran its internal tests and played awhile. Pretty neat. I havent had a chance to hook it up to a UNIXPC yet, but I will soon. These were a hot item internally for a while, but with the advent of PC-PBX (DCP interface for UNIXPC or PC6300) they became passe'. I was told that a number of retiree's got 510A's for a going away present. Ron Fletcher att!mtgzy!rlf
nigel@isgtec.UUCP (Nigel Burnett) (08/16/90)
yes the 510 is a weird beastie - you used to be able to buy the opt ional keyboard for it - it came with a 'garage' to keep it in. I tried using it as a unix terminal once with only the squishy keyboard. What a drag - the '/' was on the alternate keyboard! Never could find a keyboard for it even though Convergent made it (I think) - amde a pretty fancy telephone to impress your friends and neighbours. Nigel (ex CT - victim of the Unisys "merger" )