Before the internet as we know it came to be, there were other services that delivered news and information to homes via computers and TVs. Like AT&T’s failed Viewtron system, which required content creators to shell out $US34,000 for this Frame Creation Terminal that produced crude computer graphics even by Mario Paint standards.
For that much money — which would be equal to about $US81,000 today — the system at least included a drawing tablet which let artists work more naturally. Or as naturally as an artist can work when limited to simple shapes, minimal font options, and just a 16-shade colour palette. It’s no wonder the results weren’t exactly digital Rembrandts, and that AT&T wasn’t able to entice enough consumers to keep the service fiscally viable for longer than just fous years. [AT&T Tech Channel]