What did computers without screens do?

[Jon Elson]

On 12/14/2015 06:31 PM, Mike wrote:
>
>
>
>    What would you do with a home no screen computer? I mean what could be
> done with one that would benefit your work / hobby. I mean NO DISREPECT
> by asking this question.
>
Well, that would severely limit things.  But, it could still 
be useful.  I have one app that runs on my home 
everything-server, that doesn't have a normal screen.  It 
takes temperature, humidity and energy consumption 
measurements and records them to a file every 15 seconds.  
it also puts time, date, temp and humidity on some 
20-character LCD screens around the house.  So, that is SORT 
OF a screen, but not in the traditional sense of an 
interactive terminal.

My laser photoplotter has no screen or other HMI connected 
to it, just a network cable.  So, I log into it from another 
computer to make artwork films.

A lot of people have 3D printers with no screen at all, or a 
very limited LCD screen that lets them set a few options and 
shows the percentage progress of the build.

Oh, for the lowest possible case, I have a 
computer-controlled air compressor.  This is an AVR chip 
which manages starting/stopping the motor and 
loading/unloading the compressor valves.  (This is called 
automatic dual-mode control, when the tank is full, it 
unloads the compressor and leaves the motor running for a 
minute to see if there is more demand for air before 
shutting it off.)

Jon