Smart Terminal

What Does Smart Terminal Mean?

A smart terminal can mean various things in the world of computer science. In the times of early personal computers, people used the term “smart terminal” to describe auxiliary components that would work with a mainframe system. Since then, smart terminals have done many things, including supporting a thin client functionality that works with an external server setup.

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Techopedia Explains Smart Terminal

These days, what most people mean when they talk about smart terminals is a terminal that has some type of auxiliary functionality. For instance, if a company made a terminal to fit over a programmable logic controller or other control plane hardware piece, and that component helped with communications or configuration or calibration or anything else, it could be considered a smart terminal. Other smart terminals help hardware setups to process payments in retail situations. The phrase “smart terminal” really just means that there is functionality added to an auxiliary hardware piece in some way, shape or form.

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Margaret Rouse

Margaret Rouse is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical, business audience. Over the past twenty years her explanations have appeared on TechTarget websites and she's been cited as an authority in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine and Discovery Magazine.Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages. If you have a suggestion for a new definition or how to improve a technical explanation, please email Margaret or contact her…