The Zenith Z-19 serial terminal is equivalent to the Heathkit H-19 terminal. This is a dumb terminal. It has no local processing functions. It communicates with a minicomputer or mainframe over an RS-232 serial interface. For remote operation, this was often used with a modem. This is late 1970s, early 1980s technology. The monochrome green screen is standard 24 lines x 80 columns, text only, upper/lower case.
Nearby is the TECO editor reference card, and a PDP-8/i reference card.
The classic source code on screen is from www.pdp12.org/ (no affiliation).
This was around $600 new. When I bought this, the serial port didn't work. When I called Zenith, they said I was entitled to on-site support! They sent someone out from the nearest office, about 60 miles away. He found that the baud-rate oscillator was running at the wrong speed. The motherboard was replaced, and it was good to go.
This photo has received quite a few views from various blogs. This photo is on Creative Commons license, and this is how it's supposed to work. I'm encouraged by this sort of behavior to allow more of my stuff to be used on Creative Commons license.
If you're visiting from a blog, welcome, and I appreciate Flickr comments. If you like this photo, you may want to have a look at my other old computer photos in my Computer History set (Link on the right).
Anonymous X™, lukask, podsix, and 17 other people added this photo to their favorites.
junkyard.dogs 52 months ago | reply
Hi, I'm an admin for a group called • flashback •, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
podsix 40 months ago | reply
Great old serial terminal. I miss the ASCII only days
Hanyi® 36 months ago | reply
It's so nice!
IanAnthonySmith 36 months ago | reply
Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Robots, Automatons, Mainframes and the Silicon Revolution, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
Jack Everett [deleted] 31 months ago | reply
Lifehacker used your photo here:
lifehacker.com/5706475/five-best-text-editors
(I have no affiliation with Lifehacker.)
ajmexico 31 months ago | reply
LeftClicker...ntly: Thanks for the notice. They are using my photo with correct attribution per the Creative Commons license, and a link. All is well. I like seeing my stuff used in interesting ways.
Rue89 10 months ago | reply
Hi,
We're a French news website called Rue89 (www.rue89.com) and are about to use this picture (with link and credit) to illustrate a story on our site, observing the Creative Commons conditions mentioned in this page.
If you do not want us to reproduce your work on our site, just email us webmaster[at]rue89.com.
Congratulations for this photo.
juliauna 8 months ago | reply
I would like to use this photo on my website, but am not certain the type of attribution necessary or if I would simply be able to purchase it. Please email me as soon as you're able mommi_dearest@hotmail.com. Thanks! (I'm an old "framer" btw)
ajmexico 8 months ago | reply
Juliauna, this photo is on Creative Commons license, which means it is available for you to use. On-Line, the best attribution is a link back to this Flickr page. "Photo by Jamie Cox" would be good attribution-link text. Thanks and enjoy!
andreabeltran 7 months ago | reply
Thanks for this! Used it on my blog that will post here: andreakbeltran.wordpress.com/2012/12/01/weekly-wrap-up-5/
yannhervy 5 months ago | reply
Thank you for sharing! We used your photo to illustrate our vacancy: www.wipcore.se/Vacancies/Detail/Kundfokuserade-systemarki...
Pixel-Pusher 2 months ago | reply
I remember these well; although it's been a long time since I've seen one.
Nice shot and story.