IBM 3279 Terminal: Pioneering Color Display in Mainframe Computing

The IBM 3279 is a high-performance, color-capable computer terminal introduced by IBM in 1979 as part of the 3270 Information Display System. It was designed for use with IBM mainframe computers, primarily for interactive time-sharing and data entry applications in business and enterprise environments.

Key Features:
Color Display: One of the first IBM terminals to support color text. The 3279 allowed up to four colors on screen (standard models), which improved readability and visual organization of data on the screen compared to earlier monochrome terminals like the IBM 3277.

Screen Formats: It supported multiple screen formats and could handle large amounts of structured text, commonly 24 rows × 80 or 32 rows × 80 characters.

Character Cell Resolution: Each character was displayed in a 12x7 pixel matrix, providing clear and readable text even on complex screens.

3270 Data Stream: The 3279 used the 3270 data stream protocol, which is a block-oriented communication method optimized for IBM mainframe interactions, reducing the data sent between the terminal and host.

Model Variants:

Model S2A and S3G, among others, provided different screen sizes and memory capacities.

Some models supported programmable function keys, cursor control, and various highlighting attributes like blinking, underlining, or reverse video.

Keyboard: It came with a robust and tactile typewriter-style keyboard, including Program Function (PF) keys and Program Attention (PA) keys, critical for mainframe operations.

Use Cases:
Commonly used in banking, insurance, airline reservation systems, and government agencies.

Ideal for applications requiring quick access to structured data forms (e.g., account management, inventory control).

Legacy:
The 3279 and its protocol (3270) became foundational to mainframe terminal emulation, and modern systems still emulate 3270 terminals to access legacy applications.

It marked a major transition point in terminal design by integrating color, advanced screen formats, and more interactive features.

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