Prestel facts for kids
Prestel was an early online service in the United Kingdom. It was like a very old version of the internet, but you used your TV instead of a computer! The UK Post Office created Prestel in the late 1970s. It officially started in 1979.
At its most popular, Prestel had about 90,000 users in the UK. It was eventually sold by BT in 1994. Prestel was a big step towards the online world we know today.
How Prestel Worked
Prestel used a special system called "Viewdata." Instead of a modern computer, you needed a regular television set. This TV was connected to a special box, which was called a "terminal."
This terminal then connected to a telephone line. Through the phone line, your TV could get information from a huge, distant collection of data, called a database. It was a way to get information right into your home!
What You Could Do on Prestel
Prestel offered thousands of "pages" of information. These pages were like simple websites. You could find all sorts of things, from tips for shoppers to important financial news.
However, the pictures and designs on Prestel were very basic. They had "limited graphics" compared to what we see online today. It was mostly text with simple blocky images.
Related Pages
Images for kids
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Baynard House, Blackfriars, where some Prestel equipment was located.
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A Prestel terminal, used to connect a TV to the service.
