A very minor yet very major correction (not often I get to do this!)...

Alfredo wrote...

>I would like to add that, in addition to Java (and not "instead of
>Java"), Wirt's QCTerm was quite a jump forward in technology (even
>though it was written in 30-year-old BASIC -- this, precisely, was
>the whole point :-)

but actually, QCTerm is not written in HP Business BASIC; its source
language(s) is/are unmentioned,  but it's a Windows client, and I don't
think HPBasic has been ported to Windows.

Rather, HP Business BASIC was used to demonstrate QCTerm's basic (sorry)
function (accurate 2645 emulation using a different wire scheme (and
price tag!)), as well as the fancy new "backplane" enhancements (pretty
much fancy user-dazzle functions), which can be invoked with very little
host code, but actually use very modern stuff such as .BMP, .WAV, .MID.

Why?  My impression is (and I'm quite sure Wirt will correct me) that
BASIC was used for this demo because that's what Wirt uses to play with
(read 'test') QCTerm, and because even non-BASIC players such as myself
could easily envision implementation of said usage in any other language,
such as COBOL.

IMHO, the real point is that QCTerm and Advanced Telnet enable stretching
the 100-foot 2645 connection to unlimited lengths (12k miles a great
example, but certainly not a limit), while adding fancy stuff (read
unnecessary but very user-pleasing) to the user interface, and
recognizing that the application under the hood has already been written,
enhanced for years, and runs on a reliable HP3000 which uses basically
TTY, but probably uses 2645 escape sequences which are difficult to
remove.

This makes e-services (formerly known as time-sharing) a thing of today,
rather than a razzle-dazzle buzzword describing the "even better" future.

(seems to remove 'ancient' from the description of 'terminal', too!)

A most excellent presentation and product, Wirt!


BTW, Alfredo - I missed your presentation, but just read your paper:
excellent, as always.


K Tracy Pierce (just couldn't resist the temptation of actually gettting
to correct Alfredo!)
Golden Gate Bridge