Texas Instruments Silent 700
[Vin204]
The Texas Instruments Silent 700 was a line of portable data terminals, not a standalone computer, best known for making quiet, suitcase‑style remote access to mainframes and time‑sharing systems practical over ordinary telephone lines in the 1970s. Its claim to fame was combining an integrated acoustic‑coupler modem, solid‑state thermal printing (the “silent” 5×7 dot‑matrix head), and reasonable cost into a highly popular, rugged device that traveling “road warriors” and professionals could carry to dial into remote computers from homes, hotels, or offices long before laptops or CRT terminals were common.
- Manufacturer: Texas Instruments
- Type: Portable Electronic Data terminal, keyboard‑and‑printer terminals with serial and/or acoustic‑coupler modem interfaces
- Release Date: 1971
- Cost at release: ~$12,000 adjusted for inflation
- Donated by: Dr. Arlen Michaels