Vector displays (was Re: CDC 6600 - Why so awesome?)

[Swift Griggs]

On Fri, 24 Jun 2016, Paul Koning wrote:
> By contrast, a Tex 401x is a storage tube, which puts it at the other 
> extreme: once you draw a character or line, it would stay without any 
> further action.  You can't erase it; the only erase available is a full 
> screen erase.

That reminds me vaguely of RIP at the end of the BBS era. It probably 
could do a partial-refresh/erase, but if you watched it "paint" images, 
that's how it appeared. I was glad that the Internet-era came along, but 
it's sad RIP didn't come along earlier. 

I also remember some kind of BBS terminal emulator that I only saw over 
someone's shoulder. It was for the Amiga and appeared that it could 
transmit/receive sprite-based graphics over the modem connection. I just 
remember watching a friend of a friend connect to a BBS overseas and I 
they had some kind of welcome screen with a little sprite-based unicorn 
running across the screen. I dunno, maybe it was a rigged demo, but it 
showed me that "terminal emulation" could be all kinds of awesome stuff.

-Swift