AT&T Sceptre
Encyclopedia
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. The Sceptre was the basic bit of home kit needed for the services, to paint NAPLPS
-standard geometrically-specified pages to the screen.
The set top
unit came with a separate battery-powered infrared wireless keyboard
and an integrated 1200/75 baud 7-bit modem
, and used a domestic television set for display. Internally it was based on an Intel 8088
processor, the same as used in the original IBM PC
, with 127K ROM and 48K RAM, and display circuitry based on a 6845 CRTC. These provided a high resolution raster display, in 16 colors chosen from a palette of 256 – rather more than could be supported by the Commodore 64
, Atari 800 or Apple IIe
home computers of the time. However, unlike those machines the Sceptre was strictly a dedicated terminal. There was no possibility of using it for independent computing.
The Sceptre was initially offered at $600, an "introductory discount" on an intended list price of $900. (It was said that each one cost AT&T $1200 to manufacture). Specifying the Sceptre gave the videotex services the advantage of a single graphics standard to design their pages to, and it positioned the services squarely as aiming for the more general domestic consumer-electronics customer, rather than a more specialist computing sector. But there were few takers at the price, and sales were not helped by the further subscription and access connection charges, the leisurely speed of the system, and the relatively uninvolving nature of the information on the service. In May 1984 Viewtron responded by offering combined rental of the Sceptre and subscription for $39.95 a month, but take-up was still slight, and in May 1985 Viewtron belatedly opened the service to microcomputers.
Both Viewtron and the Times-Mirror's Gateway service folded in March 1986. It was estimated that between them the two services had cost the ventures' owners and their partners in the region of $80 million. Keyfax, a third NAPLPS-based service, based in Chicago, had offered its users an alternative Honeywell
Synertek
design, somewhat sleeker in appearance than ATT's Sceptre, initially for $750, later reduced to $350; or to use their own computers. Its service was also closed down, in May 1986.
The NAPLPS protocol was later re-used for the basis of the graphics of the Prodigy online service, which began in 1988. But this was wholly directed at microcomputer owners running special software. It made no attempt to seek users with dedicated terminals.
Computer terminal
A computer terminal is an electronic or electromechanical hardware device that is used for entering data into, and displaying data from, a computer or a computing system...
launched by AT&T
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
in October 1983, used for the two largest deployments of 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...
in the United States: Knight Ridder
Knight Ridder
Knight Ridder was an American media company, specializing in newspaper and Internet publishing. Until it was bought by The McClatchy Company on June 27, 2006, it was the second-largest newspaper publisher in the United States, with 32 daily newspapers sold.- History :The corporate ancestors of...
's Viewtron
Viewtron
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 computers became important in the marketplace...
service in Florida, and the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
' Gateway service in Southern California. The Sceptre was the basic bit of home kit needed for the services, to paint 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...
-standard geometrically-specified pages to the screen.
The set top
Set-top box
A set-top box or set-top unit is an information appliance device that generally contains a tuner and connects to a television set and an external source of signal, turning the signal into content which is then displayed on the television screen or other display device.-History:Before the...
unit came with a separate battery-powered infrared wireless keyboard
Keyboard (computing)
In computing, a keyboard is a typewriter-style keyboard, which uses an arrangement of buttons or keys, to act as mechanical levers or electronic switches...
and an integrated 1200/75 baud 7-bit modem
Modem
A modem is a device that modulates an analog carrier signal to encode digital information, and also demodulates such a carrier signal to decode the transmitted information. The goal is to produce a signal that can be transmitted easily and decoded to reproduce the original digital data...
, and used a domestic television set for display. Internally it was based on an Intel 8088
Intel 8088
The Intel 8088 microprocessor was a variant of the Intel 8086 and was introduced on July 1, 1979. It had an 8-bit external data bus instead of the 16-bit bus of the 8086. The 16-bit registers and the one megabyte address range were unchanged, however...
processor, the same as used in the original IBM PC
IBM PC
The IBM Personal Computer, commonly known as the IBM PC, is the original version and progenitor of the IBM PC compatible hardware platform. It is IBM model number 5150, and was introduced on August 12, 1981...
, with 127K ROM and 48K RAM, and display circuitry based on a 6845 CRTC. These provided a high resolution raster display, in 16 colors chosen from a palette of 256 – rather more than could be supported by the Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
, Atari 800 or Apple IIe
Apple IIe
The Apple IIe is the third model in the Apple II series of personal computers produced by Apple Computer. The e in the name stands for enhanced, referring to the fact that several popular features were now built-in that were only available as upgrades and add-ons in earlier models...
home computers of the time. However, unlike those machines the Sceptre was strictly a dedicated terminal. There was no possibility of using it for independent computing.
The Sceptre was initially offered at $600, an "introductory discount" on an intended list price of $900. (It was said that each one cost AT&T $1200 to manufacture). Specifying the Sceptre gave the videotex services the advantage of a single graphics standard to design their pages to, and it positioned the services squarely as aiming for the more general domestic consumer-electronics customer, rather than a more specialist computing sector. But there were few takers at the price, and sales were not helped by the further subscription and access connection charges, the leisurely speed of the system, and the relatively uninvolving nature of the information on the service. In May 1984 Viewtron responded by offering combined rental of the Sceptre and subscription for $39.95 a month, but take-up was still slight, and in May 1985 Viewtron belatedly opened the service to microcomputers.
Both Viewtron and the Times-Mirror's Gateway service folded in March 1986. It was estimated that between them the two services had cost the ventures' owners and their partners in the region of $80 million. Keyfax, a third NAPLPS-based service, based in Chicago, had offered its users an alternative Honeywell
Honeywell
Honeywell International, Inc. is a major conglomerate company that produces a variety of consumer products, engineering services, and aerospace systems for a wide variety of customers, from private consumers to major corporations and governments....
Synertek
Synertek
Synertek, Inc. was an American semiconductor manufacturer founded in 1973. The initial founding group consisted of Bob Schreiner , Dan Floyd, Zvi Grinfas, Jack Balletto, and Gunnar Wetlesen. The manufacturing technology was MOS/LSI...
design, somewhat sleeker in appearance than ATT's Sceptre, initially for $750, later reduced to $350; or to use their own computers. Its service was also closed down, in May 1986.
The NAPLPS protocol was later re-used for the basis of the graphics of the Prodigy online service, which began in 1988. But this was wholly directed at microcomputer owners running special software. It made no attempt to seek users with dedicated terminals.
External links
- Picture of an AT&T Sceptre
- 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. Includes discussion of the Sceptre.