ABSTRACT
The terminal has evolved as the primary means by which users perform the functions, particularly when they are working at a site remote from the computing hardware. The hardware that allows terminals to perform most automated office functions either exists currently or will be available soon in the form of low-cost optical storage that promises to radically alter the way computer users work with documents. Two factors must be considered, however, with respect to terminal technology. First, the microcomputer has become extremely popular as a terminal device when it is connected to a remote mainframe or minicomputer over a communications network. Second, the forces affecting the growth of large systems depend mostly on the need for rapid access by large numbers of users in real time. Besides the internal electronics, the components that make up the terminal include displays, printers, input devices, and communications interfaces.
