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AlphaWindows was a proposed industry standard from the Display Industry Association (an industry consortium in California) in the early 1990s that would allow a single CRT screen to implement multiple windows, each of which was to behave as a distinct computer terminal.cite-ref-shuford-alpha-1-0[1]cite-ref-2[2] Individual vendors offered products based on this in 1992 through the end of the 1990s.cite-ref-announcement-3-0[3]cite-ref-4[4]cite-ref-microvitec-5-0[5]

These products were targeted at a low-end market.

The initial concept relied on custom (but low-cost) terminals which would support mouse interaction, (text) windowing support, and colored text.cite-ref-announcement-3-1[3] With that, plus special host software, the vendors proposed to support semi-graphical applications "transparently".

• Organization

• Software

• References

• See also

The Display Industry Association was at the same location as Cumulus Technology (the same street address in Palo Alto, CA).cite-ref-shuford-alpha-1-1[1]cite-ref-6[6] Cumulus was a manufacturer of displays since 1986.cite-ref-7[7]cite-ref-cumulus-delist-8-0[8] Cumulus was heavily involved with development of the AlphaWindows standard. The members of the association in 1993 were:cite-ref-shuford-alpha-1-2[1]

• AT&T / NCR / ADDS (partnership)

• Cumulus

• DEC

• Link / Wyse (partnership)

• Microvitec cite-ref-microvitec-5-1[5]

• Siemens / Nixdorf (partnership)

• TeleVideo

• Cumulus

• JSB

• Nutec

• SSSI

Only Cumulus was proposing both to develop the terminals and the host software. However, Cumulus did not survive: it went bankrupt.cite-ref-cumulus-delist-8-1[8]cite-ref-9[9]cite-ref-10[10]

JSB Software Technologies produced MultiView Mascot. As noted in Unix Review:cite-ref-11[11]

MultiView Mascot helps users access graphical applications, such as Web sites and e-mail systems, from a character-based browser. It does so by mapping graphical applications to a multiwindowed character system. Although there is the inevitable loss of graphics and formatting, the result is surprisingly workable. A hot-key feature allows any old character terminal to offer switching between multiple applications at the same time, with no programming required.

As of 2007, the product is owned by FutureSoft.cite-ref-12[12]cite-ref-13[13]

SSSI (Structured Software Solutions, Inc.) produced the FacetTerm session multiplexer.cite-ref-14[14]

cite-note-shuford-alpha-11. ↑ citerefrichard-shufordRichard Shuford (ed.). ""Alphawindows" -- a windowing setup for character-cell video terminals". Archived from the original on 2008-10-07. Retrieved 2007-09-22.

cite-note-22. ↑ Information Technology Standards Guidance — User Interface Services. Vol. 3 of 14. U. S. Department of Defense. April 7, 1997.

cite-note-announcement-33. ↑ "First AlphaWindows Character-Based Terminals Set For To Appear in May, At From $600..." CBRonline.com. 1992-02-14.

cite-note-44. ↑ citerefnew-products1992New Products (July–August 1992). "Cumulus Technology Announces Support for New AlphaWindow Standard". Sys Admin Magazine. Archived from the original on 2011-07-23. Retrieved 2007-09-22.

cite-note-microvitec-55. ↑ "Microvitec First Past Post in Europe with AlphaWindows Terminals; IBM OEM Pact in Prospect..." CBRonline.com. 1992-08-12.

cite-note-66. ↑ citerefbrad-myers1995Brad Myers (March 1995). "User Interface Software Tools".

cite-note-77. ↑ "Cumulus Technology Wins Contract from Unisys". CBRonline.com. 1988-01-18.

cite-note-cumulus-delist-88. ↑ "Company Summary — Cumulus Technology Ltd". March 1994.

cite-note-99. ↑ citerefdavid-kallman1997David Kallman (1997-05-21). "Did Cumulus drop off the face of the earth, again?? (HP3000-L mailing list comment)".

cite-note-1010. ↑ citerefhenry-keultjes2005Henry Keultjes (2005-05-04). "Small Box 'To End Digital Divide' (InterLUG mailing list comment)".

cite-note-1111. ↑ citereftim-parker1999Tim Parker (March 1999). "MultiView v. 4 — Breathing new life into old character-based UNIX applications is easier with MultiView". Unix Review.

cite-note-1212. ↑ "JSB reports record revenues increase". E-consultancy. 2000-07-05.

cite-note-1313. ↑ "SurfControl sells off MultiView". E-consultancy. 2001-02-19.

cite-note-1414. ↑ "Structured Software Solutions, Inc. Again Named to Fast Tech 50". FacetCorp. May 1996. Archived from the original on 2008-05-11. Retrieved 2007-09-28.

• X terminal

• Twin