Computer terminal: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 22:53, 28 June 2019

Revision as of 09:18, 29 July 2019

Line 1:

{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2019}}

[[File:DEC VT100 terminal transparent.png|thumb|The [[Digital Equipment Corporation|DEC]] [[VT100]], a widely emulated computer terminal]]

[[File:IBM_2741_(I197205).png|thumb|right|[[IBM]] 2741 terminal<br>(keyboard/printer)]]

A '''computer terminal''' is an electronic or electromechanical [[computer hardware|hardware]] device that is used for entering data into, and displaying or printing data from, a [[computer]] or a [[computing]] system.<ref>similar to a paraphrase of an [[Oxford English Dictionary]] definition. {{cite web

|url=https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/131511/what-is-the-etymology-of-computer-terminal

|title=What is the etymology of "[computer] terminal"?}} Based on OED, B.2.d. (terminal), the paraphrase says that a terminal is a device for feeding data into a computer or receiving its output, especially one that can be used by a person for two-way communication with a computer.</ref> The [[Teleprinter|teletype]] was an example of an early day hardcopy terminal,<ref>{{cite web

|url=http://www.samhallas.co.uk/repository/telegraph/teletype_story.pdf

|title=The Teletype Story}}</ref> and predated the use of a computer screen by decades.<ref>[[Whirlwind I|Project Whirlwind]]; it also had a light-pen. {{cite book |title=Project Whirlwind: The History of a Pioneer Computer |year=1980

|publisher=Digital Equipment Corporation/Digital Press |isbn=978-0-932376-09-1 |first1=Kent C. |last1=Redmond |first2=Thomas M. |last2=Smith}}</ref>

A '''computer terminal''' is an electronic or electromechanical [[computer hardware|hardware]] device that is used for entering data into, and displaying or printing data from, a [[computer]] or a [[computing]] system.<ref>similar toThe a paraphrasewas an example of an [[Oxfordearly Englishday Dictionary]]hardcopy definition.terminal, {{citeand webpredated the use of a computer screen by decades.

The acronym CRT<ref name=CRT.VDU>{{cite web

|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/07/16/opinion/l-the-irreplaceable-book-in-our-libraries-to-the-editor-039479.html

|date=16 July 1983 <!--July 16, 1983-->

|quote=Next year's VDU (or last year's CRT)

|title=The irreplaceable book in our libraries}}</ref> (cathode-ray tube), which once referred to a computer terminal,<ref>{{cite book

|title=The New York Times Almanac 2002

|url=https://books.google.com/books?isbn=1135455856 |isbn=1135455856

|quote=1970 ... cathode ray tube (CRT) terminal

|author=John Wright |date=2006}}</ref> has come to refer to a type of screen of a personal computer.<ref>{{cite newspaper

|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]

|date=31 October 2002 <!-- October 31, 2002 -->

|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/31/technology/news-watch-monitors-old-dog-new-tricks-a-brighter-crt-screen.html

|title=MONITORS; Old Dog, New Tricks: A Brighter C.R.T. Screen

|author=J. D. Biersdorfer}}</ref>

The acronym CRT |author=John(cathode-ray Wrighttube), which |date=2006}}</ref>once referred to a computer terminal, has come to refer to a type of screen of a personal computer.<ref>{{cite newspaper

Early terminals were inexpensive devices but very slow compared to [[punched card]]s or [[paper tape]] for input, but as the technology improved and [[video display]]s were introduced, terminals pushed these older forms of interaction from the industry. A related development was [[timesharing]] systems, which evolved in parallel and made up for any inefficiencies of the user's typing ability with the ability to support multiple users on the same machine, each at their own terminal.

Early terminals were inexpensive devices but very slow compared to [[punched card]]s or [[paper tape]] for input, but as the technology improved and [[video display]]s were introduced, terminals pushed these older forms of interaction from the industry. A related development was [[timesharing]] systems, which evolved in parallel and made up for any inefficiencies of the user's typing ability with the ability to support multiple users on the same machine, each at their own terminal.

The function of a terminal is confined to display and input of data; a device with significant local programmable data processing capability may be called a "smart terminal" or [[fat client]]. A terminal that depends on the host computer for its processing power is called a "[[#Dumb terminal|dumb terminal]]"<ref name=DicDumb>{{cite web |website=BusinessDictionary.com

|title=What is dumb terminal? definition and meaning

The function of a terminal is confined to display and input of data; a device with significant local programmable data processing capability may be called a "smart terminal" or [[fat client]]. A terminal that depends on the host computer for its processing power is called a "[[#Dumb" terminal|dumbor a . A personal computer can run software that replicates the function of a terminal]]"<ref, name=DicDumb>{{citesometimes weballowing concurrent use of local programs and access to a distant ''terminal host'' |website=BusinessDictionarysystem.com

|url=http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/dumb-terminal.html}}</ref> or a [[thin client]].<ref>Thin clients came later than dumb terminals</ref><ref>the term "thin client" was coined in 1993) {{cite web

|url=https://www.ft.com/content/dc70f841-54b7-3ef1-abf0-d6f32b270f76

|title=Is this, finally, the thin client from Oracle?

|date=June 2, 2009 |author=Richard Waters}}</ref> A personal computer can run [[terminal emulator]] software that replicates the function of a terminal, sometimes allowing concurrent use of local programs and access to a distant ''terminal host'' system.

==History==

Line 144 ⟶ 119:

===Dumb terminals===

Dumb terminals<ref name="DicDumb">{{cite web|url=http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/dumb-terminal.html|title=What is dumb terminal? definition and meaning|website=BusinessDictionary.com}}</ref> are those that can interpret a limited number of control codes ([[Carriage return|CR]], [[Line feed|LF]], etc.) but do not have the ability to process special [[escape sequence]]s that perform functions such as clearing a line, clearing the screen, or controlling [[cursor (computers)|cursor]] position. In this context dumb terminals are sometimes dubbed ''glass Teletypes'', for they essentially have the same limited functionality as does a mechanical [[teleprinter|Teletype]]. This type of dumb terminal is still supported on modern [[Unix-like]] systems by setting the [[environment variable]] ''TERM'' to ''dumb''. ''Smart'' or ''intelligent'' terminals are those that also have the ability to process escape sequences, in particular the [[VT52]], [[VT100]] or [[ANSI escape code|ANSI escape sequences]].

===Graphical terminals===