This is Hacker Public Radio Episode 3,815 for Friday the 17th of March 2023.
Today's show is entitled, The UniVac Uniscope, The First Terminal with a Video Monitor.
It is hosted by Delta Ray and is about 39 minutes long.
It carries a clean flag.
The summary is, here about the Uniscope 300 Main Frame Terminal from 1964.
On the computer history website, I found a brochure for an old computer terminal system
called the Univac Uniscope 300.
I found it interesting because it talks about computers in a way that we take for granted
now.
The Uniscope 300 may have been one of the first terminal systems that actually had a monitor
and was designed to actually fit on an office desk.
Instead of other terminals at the time, which were mostly printout only, this actually
had a screen that had many functions that terminal users, for instance, like people
who used T-Mox and Screen, use on a regular basis.
The brochure itself also pioneers some of the concepts used in later computer advertising.
So the Univac system of computers, I guess, started with the Binac, which was built
by a corporation called Eckert-Mockley Computer Corporation.
This was actually, I can share the first general purpose computer for computer use, and
the Univac badge that followed that went on until 1986, and now has been continued through
the Uniscope Corporation, which was, I guess, the company that came after the Remington
Rand and Spary Corporation that took over for EMCC.
So this brochure maybe looks like it's, I don't know, an 8-inch by 8-inch brochure or something
like that in PDF form, and it starts out with the slogan, see the now facts now with
the Uniscope 300, has typical 1960s kind of artwork, dots on a green dot on blue background
and array of dots, followed by a full page picture of an elderly executive man looking
off in the distance in his office, I guess checking, maybe having a conversation with somebody,
meanwhile, his secretary is taking notes, I guess, in the foreground, but in between them,
and in the background is this Univac Uniscope 300 system, and since then, I've seen several
you know, computing ads that kind of have this arrangement of people around the computer
kind of showing how it's a typical part of an office environment, but this may very,
well, be the very first place where that kind of arrangement was used, and so this could
be, you know, very pioneering advertisement.
It goes on to say Univac Uniscope 300, visual communication terminal is what calls it.
See the now facts now, and then there's several bullet points, a wide variety of uses
and easy to operate, unmatched versatility, edit, analyze, review, compare, and update information.
Accurate communication of information, characters recognized at a glance on all parts of the
screen, economically utilizes full capabilities of computer and telephone lines, instant
applications, instant results, decisions based on now facts, plus continuous instant updating
of information.
The choice of two models, self-contained single station and a multi-station available
in groups of two to 48 units, plus more features at no extra cost.
Now the description of this brochure on the computer history museum mentions that it
has a handwritten and pen on the top of the back cover are various notes outlined in boxes,
such as 14 to 15 k dollars.
So I assume that means that either one of these terminals, or maybe several, then we're
14 to 15 thousand dollars, probably salesperson gave this person a quote or whatever, or
the person who's considered buying it was taking notes from a salesperson on the phone.
But that's a considerable amount of money even considering back in the 60s.
That would be the equivalent of something like $60,000 in today's money, or maybe even
more than that.
I'm not sure I'd have to check.
Then it goes on to show a picture of a large mainframe computer with a front console
control panel system in the front, it doesn't actually show the uniscope in this picture,
but I guess it's showing what the uniscope can connect with.
So then it goes on to say, type out a question about the now and it puts now in double
quotes, status of any aspect of your business, on your desktop and desktop is hyphenated,
univac uniscope 300 visual communication terminal, depress a few keys or type at over 80
words per minute, your computer or one at a univac data processing center will send you
an immediate answer and your uniscope will display it in a crisp clear type on a flicker
free screen, revise it, add, subtract, update it, compare it to other information, formulate
new questions and think up new approaches as you observe your new answers, take action.
You can get this now action simultaneously from any number of your nearby or widely dispersed
offices, plants, schools, stores, or warehouses, even if they are thousands of miles apart
and you can reduce the cost and time of updating your computer by applying transactions
and other input data to it directly.
Besides the uniscope 300 and the computer, all you need is a telephone line and interconnecting
equipment at the selected locations.
So some interesting features there that we really take for granted now being hyped as
something new and the thought of being able to connect over thousands of miles over telephone
line, obviously, like a completely new concept at that point, I guess.
Then it goes to show a full page picture of the elderly man is now talking on the telephone
where I was secretary, I guess, is typing away at the terminal with some kind of text display
on the terminal and he's talking on an old school Western Bell telephone, I guess, and then
it goes on to the next page with a section called choice of two.
The uniscope 300 is a keyboard operated visual communication terminal with a precision display
screen, it is available in two versions, the uniscope 300S and the uniscope 300M.
The 300S is a completely self-contained single station.
The 300M is a multi-station comprised primarily of a keyboard and display unit from two to
48, 300M terminals can be used in a system with a single control unit.
So I'm guessing that the uniscope 300S says that self-contained single station, maybe
that implies that it's a full working computer independent of a mainframe, which really
would be something for 1964, but I'm wondering if just the terminology they use there
may be a little bit misleading from RIs, you know, the eyes of people who are used to
personal computers and desktop computers, I think it goes on to say the basic keyboard
with 61 keys is similar to the keyboard of an electric typewriter for specific applications
up to 40 function keys can be added.
By using special overlays, you can have 128 combinations of 35 of these keys.
The display has a 10-inch by 5-inch viewing area, 16 lines of information with up to 64
characters in each line, totaling 1,024 characters can be presented at one time.
So that's interesting that it's actually 16 lines and not like 24, so kind of a different
aspect ratio than we're used to with terminals by default these days, so a few lines
less.
Obviously they hadn't really standard yet, standardized yet on 80 by 24 type display.
And 61 keys, you know, I'm wondering what it's missing, you know, it's not like 101 key
keyboard with a numpad and so on.
And 61, it doesn't even, I guess, I don't know, I had to look at a picture of the keyboard
you see if I can find a picture of the keyboard.
So the keyboard has arrow keys, you know, you're standard off-beck keys and query configuration,
colon, question mark, comma, period, a question mark with slash below it, a return key that's
actually, you know, kind of a few rows below where you normally use it now, a tab key and
then a backspace key that's underneath the tab key and then underneath that a character
erase and then so what, you know, it's like, it's the backspace, a character erase those
are those are split into two separate functions here, which is kind of interesting.
And then underneath that is a blank key that has nothing written on it all, so one has
to wonder what that is.
The number keys across the top with your, you know, standard exclamation point double
quote, you know, pretty much how it is on a normal keyboard to the right of the zero you
have a asterix and no asterix above the eight.
So they're missing a character, where does it cut off?
So instead of, oh, I see, so instead of a hat symbol or a carrot symbol being above a
six, it's actually an ampersand and above the seven is a single quote, so they move
the single quote over and then the eight nine are the parentheses.
So the zero doesn't actually have anything tied to it and then the asterix is to the
right of the zero, that's unusual, you know, by modern standards, it looks like it does
have some kind of math symbols in the place where you'd expect the keypad to be, you
know, it has like a square root symbol and a summation symbol.
And then I don't know what that is, it's like they almost looks like the symbol for
yen, Japanese yen or something. And then there's a few other function keys that shows around
over on the right and across the top, very, you know, message waiting and maybe some of the
maybe some of the type of asky characters that you see in the control area of the asky
table that are below space, you know, it's like those other characters that you see
there like called, you know, like SOH, STX and so on, those might be these keys extra
function keys that you're seeing around the keyboards. That's kind of interesting, actually
seeing them as actual keys because these days we don't really see that kind of thing.
So going back to the actual text, it goes on to say simple to operate. If you can operate
an electric typewriter, you can quickly learn to operate a UNESCOP 300 Visual Communication
Terminal. The same instant, a character's typed, it is displayed. A completed message
can be visually verified, quickly edited and sent to the computer. Each message and its
reply from the computer are independent of those on any other UNESCOP terminal. As a
result, you in management or operating personnel, at any number of UNESCOP locations,
can make inquiries, obtain immediate replies and send input data continuously and simultaneously.
So I guess, you know, this, this brochure might be talking to people that don't normally have,
maybe it's, it's trying to advertise to people who don't normally have a terminal
in their office and it's trying to break into kind of a new market by advertising to people who
don't normally have access to a terminal directly or, you know, have resisted, working with a
printer like terminal. I suppose, you know, the big draw for a terminal with the screen is that
it's quieter, you know, it does not so loud and so on and also, of course, you know, instantaneous
results you can see a lot of data at once. Then it goes on to say unmatched versatility,
by means of a small cluster of conveniently located editing keys, you can quickly erase or insert
characters or lines or an entire message. You can also review or analyze information by requesting
the computer to subtract and add lines to give the effect of rolling the information either
upper down in scroll fashion or you can compare information by splitting the screen. A technique of
deleting selected groups of lines and inserting information into the vacated space and you can
roll and scroll the new information. When using a UNESCOP terminal to update your computer,
you can interrupt at any time and send a query and you can visually review and compare your answer
to the recently entered updated transaction or other input data. So it's, you know, it's interesting
to read what they were advertising is as being possible here. A lot of the things that, you know,
we think of as maybe being new on a PC, you know, when they came out on the PC, obviously they were
kind of copying some of the functionality that they saw in the office environments, but sometimes
we attribute those, those functions and things to, you know, like say an Intel 386, you know, running
DOS or or a Sun OS system with a terminal, you know, it's like we, we think of these things
as maybe being attributed to, to UNIX systems or DOS systems or amigas or Windows or Linux,
but, you know, a lot of this functionality had its origins back in the 50s and 60s. And so this,
you know, is a great example of how it's advertising it. First hand, like it's a new thing.
I remember back in the, you know, in the 80s when you got a computer, the computer came with a
whole 20 page manual or something on how to use the mouse, but now they wouldn't even think of
telling you how to use a mouse. Everybody just kind knows how to do it. It's also interesting to
think about how it's advertising splitting the screen. You know, this is something that we use in
programs like T-mox or screen to act as a terminal multiplexer and so on. So it's kind of interesting
to see it advertised here. It goes on to show a man, middle-aged man, maybe in a factory,
can't quite tell, but it looks like he's maybe in a factory and he's referencing this UNIX scope
300 system to check some data in real time. And then it lists some various places where you might
use this, including manufacturing firms, retailers, insurance companies, schools, communication
companies, transportation companies, distributors, savings and loan companies, public utilities,
wholesalers, banks, hospitals, federal, state and local government agencies. Sounds like a
Sally Strother's commercial. Okay, so instant results, dialogue with a computer. Manage, okay,
here we go, interesting. So in bold face, it says management information systems, which, you know,
tells you how old that term is, you may want to know how well any one of your products is selling
and in what sizes. You may want to know this information by area and by salesmen as of this
morning, last month and this month one year ago, with UNIX scope terminals connected to a computer,
you and other members of the management team of the management team, right? Can get this
information within a few seconds by the split screen technique you can compare it to significant
related information, such as sales effectiveness of a newly designed package or how competitive
products are selling in particular, geographical areas. By using a UNIX scope terminal to also update
your computer, the answers you receive and the action you take at 230 pm, for example,
may be based on all inclusive information that is as up to the minute as of 229 pm.
As a result, you can recognize problems much sooner than any previous method and you can quickly
revise and more accurately forecast your sales and marketing trends. Just, you know, it's amazing that
that was such a new concept, you know, just up to the minute information being accessible at your
fingertips. I think goes on to say, money saving inventory control with the UNIX scope at each of
your locations, you can get the now facts now on the quantity and location of every item in stock,
or the number and type of personnel facilities reserved, seats, hotel rooms, etc. available now
and it specified future dates. Orders can be verified and entered immediately. If desired,
you can acquire information or on substitute items or immediately initiate action to correct
a shortage. Additionally, you can immediately update the overall inventory. So, you know, in between
this, it shows like a picture that I'll talk about in a second. But you can think of all those,
you know, movies and times that maybe you were, if you were live back at that era,
60s and 70s, when you went to go to like a hotel or reserve a plane ticket or something,
that they probably had one of these types of terminals behind the scenes that was actually
giving this up-to-date information. So, you know, you'd, you'd go up to the checkout desk at the hotel
and you'd, you know, say, do I have any charges or anything like that? They could pull up right away.
Or you'd go to the airline terminal and you'd say, do you have it kind of get a ticket to Milwaukee?
And, you know, they could check using the system and so on and so they probably had one of these
behind each one of those desks. So, the picture that's in between this text, it kind of takes
up a whole page and breaks up the paragraph, shows, you know, basically like bank information,
I guess, it's showing transaction, it kind of cuts off the screen so I can't see everything.
But, you know, across the top it has headers for transaction, loan account, reserve account,
and that has some of my information, you know, like loan account numbers and so on,
maybe this is like, you know, prices, I don't know, it doesn't have a dollar sign in front of them.
And then it shows at the bottom, you know, Samuel L. Benson, 1922 Madison Road, any town, USA.
So, obviously they made some fake data for the brochure.
Then it goes on to say prompt customer services. The UNESCOP can help to significantly improve
your service to customers. For example, salesmen can immediately determine if requested items or
their substitutes are available, along with prices, shipping costs, etc. Why are the customer
is still on the phone? Dynamic programed instruction besides the normal advantages of programed
instruction primarily, individualized instruction and each student progressing at his own rate.
The UNESCOP has the added advantages of fast access to and visualization of the vast
store of information in the computer. So, using this in a classroom situation, kind of interesting.
Information retrieval, this is a new section. You can use your UNESCOP to ask the computer to search
for and pinpoint exactly the information you need and immediately display it in role and scroll
fashion if desired. On one or more UNESCOP terminals, the displayed information can be derived
from numerous sources such as stock market quotations, chemical abstracts, personnel or student records,
legal precedents, and citations, medical data or economics statistics. So, I would assume that
you'd load some kind of database or you'd have your own database. Surely, if you're interesting
if they one place had access to all those databases, you'd have to wonder what they're doing.
And then the next section, direct input of data to computer. And you know, it's funny how they,
you know, they say roll and scroll fashion. So, you know, it's like the first time you used
the more command or actually last, I guess, where, you know, you could look at a bit of output.
No, my goodness, you can scroll backwards. You know, it must have been just a revolutionary thing
to be able to scroll backwards at this time. Direct input of data to computer. You can eliminate
many of the time consuming and error-prone steps generally associated with key punching
by typing in transaction and other input data directly on your UNESCOP. Since you see what
you type, you can immediately verify and if necessary, correct it. The computer will act as a
double check by validating format and other elements associated with input data. And outstanding
use of the UNESCOP, for example, is to prepare a production report. Fixed information from the
computer is displayed on the UNESCOP. The operator merely fills in the type of job, employees number,
hours worked, and other variable data. The computer then automatically prepares a labor
distribution report and associate documents. The same method of direct data input can be used
for sales, purchasing, financial statements, and other aspects of your business.
Yeah, being able to correct information, you know, we really take this for granted. But if you've
ever written or typed anything and you had to go back and like erase and rewrite a whole paragraph
because you messed up one section. Those were the days, right? Or use white out to get rid of a
section that was written in pen or use a special cartridge on your typewriter to strike out and white
parts that you want to rewrite. You know, those things are kind of unknown to current generations.
And so it's really something that we take for granted that's being highlighted here as a brand new
feature. Accurate communication of information. The entire display is flicker free. All characters
are sharp and crisp and closely resemble conventional printed characters. Each one is made up of
continuous lines without any separations, even at the corners. And all lines are equal thickness
and brightness. The size and shape of a character is the same on all parts of the screen.
And spacing between characters and between lines of information is consistently equal. Result,
excellent legibility, and accurate communication of information at all times. No confusion,
for example, between the numeral 5 and the character s. Or between the numeral 2 and the character
z. It's funny. We still have these kind of problems depending on the kind of font that you use.
But obviously, that was a big problem for them back then. And then it shows a couple more pictures
of people using it. Man in a woman looking at this screen with some information on it with the
caption saying one control unit controls two to 48 300 m terminals. So I don't know where this is.
Oh, I see. One of the pictures shows like a cabinet computer, I guess, a rack, like a rack.
But it says Univac at the top. And I guess that's the control unit that they would all hook up to.
Maybe something like a, you know, we'd think of as a network switch.
But I don't know. I don't know much about like all the mainframe stuff, all the components
of the mainframe, whether there was some intermediary middleman. If you know, maybe you can
mention in the comments after you read this. That goes on to say easy to use. It shows a picture
with a woman typing at blonde hair with her hair back in a, you know, bread to hold her hair back
or whatever. I can't remember the name of that thing. So extra attention is given to comfort
morale and efficiency of the operator. The UNISCOPE is unusually quiet and pleasing and even
fascinating to operate. Extensive tests prove that an experienced operator of an electric typewriter
can operate the UNISCOPE at over 80 words per minute for long periods of time. The high-speed
reaction of the keys to the touch makes it virtually impossible to lock them or type a double letter.
And the editing keys enabled the operator to easily make all corrections at any time even after
completing a full page. If you're unfamiliar with typewriters, one of the common problems that you
could have is where you type two different letters at the same time or two fast and succession,
and the striking hammers that make it up would get locked together or something. I can't.
Is it striking hammers? I think that they're cold or something. Anyways, the lever arm
that actually has the print of the character that you want to type and actually hits the page,
you know, those things can get tied up and locked together if you hit to make keys at the same time.
So obviously that gets this kind of system gets rid of that problem. And that was obviously
speaking to people who run into that problem all the time. Then it goes on to say economically
utilizes full capabilities of computer. Both versions of the Uniscope 300 visual communication
terminal were designed as integral devices of a computer communication system. Many of their unique
capabilities are based on new concepts for obtaining optimum interaction between computers and
associated communication devices, while minimizing telephone line costs. Typical examples are
role and stroll of information, efficient and economical transmission of usable data only.
And use of only one control unit and one telephone line for up to 48 UNiscope
visual communication terminals. These concepts were derived from extensive experience and design,
production and installation of numerous computer communication systems compromised of Univac,
medium and large-scale computers and a variety of other Univac computer communication devices.
Today, many of these systems are installed or being installed in large savings banks with many
branches, manufacturing, organizations, leading domestic and worldwide airlines and large computer
service bureaus. A contract for Univac computer communication system for Univac Airlines is the
largest commercial contract of its type. In this system, several large-scale Univac computers
are interconnected to thousands of general purpose Uniscope visual communication terminals.
So, yeah, I was right. So, it's likely the thing that people were using behind the scenes
when they were making reservations for you and so on. But one part of this section that's interesting
is that they talk about the use of 48 UNiscope visual communication terminals being hooked up through
one telephone line back to a central computer somewhere. So, you have to keep in mind, this brochure
was published in 1964. And I guess this one this UNiscope came out. So, 1964 is a full three years
before ARPANET, which became the modern internet, got its kickoff that got started.
And so, obviously, they're doing some kind of multiplexing of these terminals and maybe some kind
transmission of packet data or something back to a central computer. So, this predates the internet
as even not as we know it, but the very origins of the internet. But obviously, they were doing
some type of networking activity here over long distances. So, that's kind of interesting.
I mean, 1964, this is almost 60 years ago by this current recording, quite a long time ago,
predates UNIX and all that. But this was all cutting-edge new technology at the time.
And then on these final page of information is kind of a summary of different things.
And has a green background and says, more features at no extra cost. So, I guess this is some
extra features, not a summary, but. So, besides Roland's scroll and split screen and what
you're both in double quotes, the UNIScope 300 includes more features at no extra cost than any
other visual communication terminal. So, the first bullet point is transmission of only useful data.
Only characters and significant spaces are transmitted. You pay only for the transmission of
useful data. So, that's interesting. So, it's maybe, you know, if nobody's actually typing something,
isn't it still kind of using up the phone line, so wouldn't you be paying for like a
least-line situation? I don't know. That's interesting. Simultaneous broadcast to all stations.
Data displayed on a particular UNIScope terminal can be simultaneously broadcasted
to all of your other UNIScope terminals. So, I guess if you wanted to, you know, send out a message saying
stop all transactions or something like that or system is undergoing maintenance, you know, in five
minutes, you could let everybody know. Interleaving of messages, messages and two and from UNIScope
terminals are interleaved so that there is no waiting due to one or more UNIScope terminals
receiving lengthy replies. By this technique, you most economically utilize the computer and the
telephone lines. So, you know, there's a lot of features in here that are kind of reminiscent of
what you think of as like a multitasking operating system, you know, being able to do multiple
things at once and stuff. And that must have been pretty revolutionary, but I guess new at the time
it was pretty revolutionary when it came to the PC world, you know, back in the mid-80s.
Being able to do more than one thing at once. Blinking of message segments, portions of replies
of special interests will blink on and off. Oh, the horror. Those of you who live through the
late 90s of web design probably remember the blink tag, which doesn't really get used now
fortunately. Then the next point, insertion and deletion of lines. Any line can be deleted and
all information below it moved up. Correspondingly, copy can be spread apart so that a new line
can be inserted. Next point, UNSELICID messages, important, and UNSELICID, you know, like UNSELICID
email, I guess. Important information from the computer can override a message being typed or
displayed. Or a special message can indicate to the operator that important information is waiting.
So, you know, I guess you can say like, you know, you have a new message or something like that.
I guess it could also say like, you know, you missed typed something or whatever,
or maybe it's time to go on break or something. Okay. Next point, tabular format.
Data can be typed in column column or random tabular format. That's interesting.
What's random tabular format? This technique can be used for filling in data on form outlined
supplied by the computer. Then anytime after installation, you may add the following options.
Okay. So, it kind of broke the header across two columns of this page. Okay. Next point,
choice of multi-stations. Two types. One available in a system of two to 24 terminals,
each with full screen display. The other with two to 48 terminals, each with a half-screen display.
You can easily expand to hundreds or even thousands of UNISCOP terminals by adding one control unit
for one telephone line interconnecting unit for each group of 24 or 48. So, okay. So, yeah,
I mean, some of the features that they advertise kind of early in the brochure are maybe
being specified in the fine print here at the end that it may not behave exactly how we set it well.
So, obviously, you know, if you get 48 terminals, you're going to maybe get just a half-screen
display of data, which would be unfortunate. Anyways, next point, simultaneous dual transmission,
dual transmission. So, in a large busy system by adding a telephone line and associated
interconnecting unit, you can further increase the systems response time by either transmitting
or receiving or transmitting and receiving on two UNISCOP terminals at exactly the same time.
Or you can use one telephone line for normal traffic and the other for standby, so having
like some redundancy or something. So, if you need high availability, you know, you have an extra
telephone line. Over 4,000 possible functions, you can add up to 40 function keys to perform specialized
functions and increase the speed of interaction with the computer. The symbol on each of these keys
can stand for a query or for any purpose you designate. A group, for example, may be used as an
adding machine. You can have a choice of over 4,000 possible selections by selecting from up to
120 to different overlays for placement above 35 of these keys. And then, at the end, it shows,
you know, some three pictures, from brochure and says, see the now facts now with a UNISCOP 300
contact your UNIVAC representative. And then, you know, at the end, it just says UNIVAC, a division
of spary-rand corporation printed in the USA. Along with some difficult to read notes, you know,
some of my obviously talking about with 24 of these terminals, you can have up to
1,024 characters. It's kind of hard to read. But, you know, talking about the price, I guess.
So, yeah, this was a brochure from 1964. So, yeah, it's interesting to see how some of the
things that we take for granted when they're first introduced, you know, they were really
touting them as something revolutionary and new. So, I hope you enjoyed this. Please, please leave
a comment. I'd love to know if you enjoyed this type of episode and historical information.
And if you have any experience working with one of these systems, or working with the UNIVAC,
or something, and can provide more, I'd love to hear more comments from you if you can share your
experiences. Okay, thanks and take care.
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