AlphaWindows
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In the early 1990s the Display Industry Association (an industry consortium in California) defined a standard AlphaWindows that would allow a single CRT screen to implement multiple windows, each of which was to behave as a distinct computer terminal.[1][2] Individual vendors offered products based on this in 1992[3][4][5] and after,[6] through the end of the 1990s.
These products were targeted at a low-end market:[6]
for users that don't need the processing power of a personal computer or the complexity of an X Window terminal, the AlphaWindow terminals and software provides the same look and feel of windows-based graphical user interfaces on an Alphanumeric terminal
The initial concept relied on custom (but low-cost) terminals which would support mouse interaction, (text) windowing support, and colored text.[3] With that, plus special host software, the vendors proposed to support semi-graphical applications "transparently".
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[edit] Organization
The Display Industry Association was at the same location as Cumulus Technology (the same street address in Palo Alto, CA).[1][7] Cumulus was a manufacturer of displays since 1986.[8][9] Cumulus was heavily involved with development of the AlphaWindows standard. The members of the association in 1993 were[1], reading "/" as a partnership:
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Only Cumulus was proposing both to develop the terminals and the host software. However, Cumulus did not survive — it went bankrupt.[9][10][11]
[edit] Software
JSB Software Technologies produced MultiView Mascot. As noted in Unix Review:[12]
MultiView Mascot helps users access graphical applications, such as Web sites and e-mail systems, from a character-based browser. It does so by mapping graphical applications to a multiwindowed character system. Although there is the inevitable loss of graphics and formatting, the result is surprisingly workable. A hot-key feature allows any old character terminal to offer switching between multiple applications at the same time, with no programming required.
As of 2007, the product is owned by FutureSoft.[13][14]
SSSI (Structured Software Solutions, Inc.) produced the FacetTerm session multiplexer.[15]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Richard Shuford, ed. "Alphawindows" -- a windowing setup for character-cell video terminals.
- ^ Information Technology Standards Guidance — User Interface Services, vol. 3 of 14, U. S. Department of Defense, April 7, 1997, <http://sw-eng.falls-church.va.us/itsg/P03V31.htm>
- ^ a b First AlphaWindows Character-Based Terminals Set For To Appear in May, At From $600.... CBRonline.com (February 14, 1992).
- ^ New Products (July/August 1992). "Cumulus Technology Announces Support for New AlphaWindow Standard". Sys Admin Magazine.
- ^ Microvitec First Past Post in Europe with AlphaWindows Terminals; IBM OEM Pact in Prospect.... CBRonline.com (August 12, 1992).
- ^ a b Colour and Mono AlphaWindow Terminals from LINK (August 25, 1993).
- ^ Brad Myers (March 1995). User Interface Software Tools.
- ^ Cumulus Technology Wins Contract from Unisys. CBRonline.com (January 18, 1988).
- ^ a b Company Summary — Cumulus Technology Ltd. (March 1994).
- ^ David Kallman (May 21, 1997). Did Cumulus drop off the face of the earth, again?? (HP3000-L mailing list comment).
- ^ Henry Keultjes (May 4, 2005). Small Box 'To End Digital Divide' (InterLUG mailing list comment).
- ^ Tim Parker (March 1999). MultiView v. 4 — Breathing new life into old character-based UNIX applications is easier with MultiView.. Unix Review.
- ^ JSB reports record revenues increase. E-consultancy (July 5, 2000).
- ^ SurfControl sells off MultiView. E-consultancy (February 19, 2001).
- ^ Structured Software Solutions, Inc. Again Named to Fast Tech 50. FacetCorp (May 1996).
[edit] See also
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