Date   : Sat, 17 Jan 2009 17:36:03 +0000
From   : pete@... (Pete Turnbull)
Subject: Prestel

On 17/01/2009 12:27, gARetH baBB wrote:
> I'm pretty much now devoid of stuff to help him (apart from a few printed 
> bits and pieces), but I suspect one of you lot may be able to.
> 
> I think he's on a tight deadline - 1980 happens on February 6th. I've 
> suggested that using BBCs would be easier than real Tandata/Prestel 
> terminals, but they're doing a seperate BBC v Spectrum bit so something 
> which was around doing Prestel in 1980 is I think what he's really after.

I was involved with Micronet and Viewfax258 in the early 80s so I'd love 
to support this if I could.  Alas, pretty much all the things I did 
involved BBC Micros.  Getting most other things to do much wasn't 
common, though there were systems for PETs and 380Zs.  I've got an Acorn 
Prestel adaptor (which IIRC I got from Jules -- thanks!) but apart from 
that the oldest modem I still have is a WS2000 (and a few other brands 
of similar vintage).  I've often wished I still had my agnostic 
complicator, if only to show it off to disbelievers.  Somebody somewhere 
must surely still have a Tantel unit or a Bank of Scotland unit (very 
similar but more blue!).  My Dad had a BoS unit but he chucked it out 
years ago.  The host side should be easy; I expect there are plenty of 
people who could set up a CommunItEL system or a Poseidon system.  Both 
can handle message pages.  Hmm... anyone got a Telecom Gold emulator?

-- 
Pete                                           Peter Turnbull
                                               Network Manager
                                               University of York