You might, for example, cut and paste the week's film distribution numbers into your company's general ledger without having to key down through 15 levels of mainframe text screens.
In the world of HR software, the market has steadily evolved from back-office "system of record" type applications ("mainframe green screen") to "system of engagement" apps which are used by employees, recruiters, candidates, managers, and customers.
Fassbinder realized a universe of alluring and chilling futurism that's imbued with the glossy stylistic excesses of the day, as well as with the whirling wonders of wall banks of mainframe computers, glowing television screens, and green-eyed video terminals.
This is an IBM mainframe 3270 VM/CMS login screen from Temple University.
Mr Engelbart's dream still centred on the giant, time-sharing, mainframe-based computer, with individual screens remotely linked to it.
Once that's done, the information can be viewed and manipulated as actual objects on any computer platform and will no longer appear as just mere lines of code spit out on the hideous "green screens" associated with mainframes.
But do all game fans truly need the raw, hulking power of a mainframe computer sitting beside their TV screens?
The user must screen the list generated by the mainframe to find the cheapest fares; if the user wants to know if there are cheaper fares at 9 a.m. or 2 p.m. that day, another mainframe search must be generated.
Pritt created a program, called Extra, that turns a PC's screen into a facsimile of the mainframe's old terminal.
Presumably those same naysayers want us to use green-screen monitors, have a crusty old mainframe in the basement and use telex machines for communications... but I digress.
