
Deccafax Viewdata terminal, 1979-1994





Deccafax Viewdata Terminal Model VP1, Serial No 170948, manufactured by Decca Radio and Television, London, England, 1979-1994
Deccafax Viewdata Terminal Model VP1, manufactured by Decca Radio and Television, London, England, 1979-1994.
Prestel was the brand name for the Post Office's Viewdata system. Viewdata enabled subscribers to access information from a remote database. Users typed text commands to navigate through pages of information and communicated using 'Prestel Mailbox'. Viewdata was developed by Samuel Fedida, an engineer in the Post Office Research Department. Prestel itself was commercially launched in 1979, and achieved a maximum of 90,000 subscribers before it was eventually sold in 1994. This Prestel unit was used by the House Of Commons until 1994.
Details
- Category:
- Telecommunications
- Object Number:
- 1994-1169 Pt1
- Materials:
- electronic components, glass, metal (unknown) and plastic (unidentified)
- Measurements:
-
overall: 420 mm x 450 mm x 450 mm,
- type:
- television receiver
- taxonomy:
-
- component - object
- credit:
- Donated by the House of Commons Library