[175] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
X-Windows
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (ULTM%cc.newcastle.edu.au@RICEVM1.R)
Wed May 6 10:18:54 1992
Date: Wed, 6 May 1992 09:16:29 CDT
Reply-To: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L%UHUPVM1.BITNET@RICEVM1.RICE.EDU>
From: ULTM%cc.newcastle.edu.au@RICEVM1.RICE.EDU
To: Multiple recipients of list PACS-L <PACS-L@UHUPVM1.BITNET>
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
I am an enthusiastic advocate of X-Windows having recentlty
put in 30 X-terminals at Deakin University in Australia. To
my mind it is the logical answer to the use of networks,
particularly in libraries where staff may want access to
many systems at the same time -- acquisitions system, local
catalogue, other OPACs, OCLC or equivalent, word-processing
etc. The X-terminal (especially the larger screen versions)
allows the staff member to display a number of "terminals"
on the one screen and to work in any of them by the wave
of a mouse. Cut and paste from one screen to another is
another piece of magic that these things perform. The staff
love them and are finding new ways of changing the workflow
daily because of them.
Of course this is making only a rudimentary use of X -- to
make sense of multi-system network access by proliferating
dumb terminals on the one screen. I believe the tools now
available allow you to tailor individual applications to
give them an X face -- we can all design our own OPACs
without reference to our system supplier -- a rather
tempting prospect.
Tony Mays
Deputy Librarian
University of Newcastle.
