Viewtron
Encyclopedia
Viewtron was an early online service offered by Knight-Ridder and AT&T
. It started as a videotex
service requiring users to have a special terminal, the AT&T Sceptre
, then became a computer-based service as Commodore
and other personal computer
s became important in the marketplace. Viewtron used the NAPLPS
graphics language to provide a user interface that was graphically sophisticated by the standards of the time.
Viewtron began offering its service on October 30, 1983, featuring news from the Miami Herald and Associated Press
. It also offered airline schedules from the Official Airline Guide
(OAG), and limited online banking
services. Viewtron expanded to include all of Florida in 1984 and to other U.S. cities by 1985. At its height, Viewtron was operated in at least 15 cities by various newspaper companies. After an investment reportedly in excess of $50 million, Viewtron closed on March 31, 1986, after a final attempt by the Independent Commodore Users Group to save the service failed.
American Telephone & Telegraph
AT&T Corp., originally American Telephone and Telegraph Company, is an American telecommunications company that provides voice, video, data, and Internet telecommunications and professional services to businesses, consumers, and government agencies. AT&T is the oldest telecommunications company...
. It started as a videotex
Videotex
Videotex was one of the earliest implementations of an "end-user information system". From the late 1970s to mid-1980s, it was used to deliver information to a user in computer-like format, typically to be displayed on a television.In a strict definition, videotex refers to systems that provide...
service requiring users to have a special terminal, the AT&T Sceptre
AT&T Sceptre
The AT&T Sceptre was a graphical terminal launched by AT&T in October 1983, used for the two largest deployments of videotex in the United States: Knight Ridder's Viewtron service in Florida, and the Los Angeles Times' Gateway service in Southern California...
, then became a computer-based service as Commodore
Commodore International
Commodore is the commonly used name for Commodore Business Machines , the U.S.-based home computer manufacturer and electronics manufacturer headquartered in West Chester, Pennsylvania, which also housed Commodore's corporate parent company, Commodore International Limited...
and other personal computer
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
s became important in the marketplace. Viewtron used the NAPLPS
NAPLPS
NAPLPS is a graphics language for use originally with videotex and teletext services. NAPLPS was developed from the Telidon system developed in Canada, with a small number of additions from AT&T...
graphics language to provide a user interface that was graphically sophisticated by the standards of the time.
Viewtron began offering its service on October 30, 1983, featuring news from the Miami Herald and Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
. It also offered airline schedules from the Official Airline Guide
Official Airline Guide
OAG, formerly Official Airline Guide, is a United Kingdom based business providing aviation information and analytical services sourced from its proprietary airline schedules, flight status, fleet, MRO and cargo logistics databases....
(OAG), and limited online banking
Online banking
Online banking allows customers to conduct financial transactions on a secure website operated by their retail or virtual bank, credit union or building society.-Features:...
services. Viewtron expanded to include all of Florida in 1984 and to other U.S. cities by 1985. At its height, Viewtron was operated in at least 15 cities by various newspaper companies. After an investment reportedly in excess of $50 million, Viewtron closed on March 31, 1986, after a final attempt by the Independent Commodore Users Group to save the service failed.
External links
- Understanding Viewtron (flash)
- Henry Urrows, Floridians experiment with videotex buying, InfoworldInfoWorldInfoWorld is an information technology online media and events business operating under the umbrella of InfoWorld Media Group, a division of IDG...
, April 9, 1984