On 8/20/10, Teo Zenios <teoz at neo.rr.com> wrote:
How well would a VT525 work with a MicroVAX 3100
series model 80?
Just fine.
The local
scrapper has about 8 of that model terminal and a pile of DEC keyboards
(mostly ps2 type ends, a couple with what looks like a 4 pin mini phone
jack).
Those would likely be LK201s (with the 4-pin handset jack) or perhaps
a newer variant, and some variety of LK401s. From time to time, I
have use of pretty much any variety. The real LK201s first shipped in
the early 1980s with VT220s and contemporary gear and are somewhat
wider than PC keyboards. Newer keyboards tend to look more like PC
keyboards with a key or two that looks odd ("Do", etc).
The guy in charge at the time needed to talk to the
owner about price
(meaning he will try to ream me on one after he looks it up on ebay).
A quick check shows a wide variety of BIN OBO pricing, but the real
question is what are they *selling* for.
I guess I can rig up a laptop to be a
terminal with the cables I have, or hope he lets the VT525's go cheap (what
is a fair price for one anyway?).
I don't have a good feel for the present prices for terminal gear, but
the base VT525 isn't saddled with a CRT and is newish kit, so a
partial answer is "more than some terminals, less than others".
Recently, for example, I've had several genuine VT220s w/LK201
keyboards pass nearby, but I couldn't drum up enough interest for free
or nearly free units (plus shipping, of course). I get a VT220 or
three per year offered to me. VT320s less often (though I did get a
couple this year) and VT4xx less often. VT525s, though, seem to still
attract commercial interest.
I personally wouldn't spend $100 on one, but I have plenty of dumb
terminals to pull off the shelf, so I don't _need_ one. I wouldn't
mind having one to play with, but it would have to be free/cost of
dinner to entice me. If you don't have another terminal or you don't
have an affinity for a particular model (my first terminals were the
VT52, VT10x, and VT220, for example) then you might be more motivated
to pony up a few bucks.
-ethan