Great Britain&rsquo;s videotext Prestel was the first viewdata system in the world and is considered a prototype to the Internet. It was a planned, technological wonder for online information and communication that other countries adopted. After a whirlwind of demonstrations and promotions, it failed to achieve a mass market in its own country and its creators&rsquo; dreams of a networked world. This article analyses why and how Prestel was developed and marketed, and its public reception, using the framework of platform studies and adding systems theory.

Davenport, L.D. (0AD) ‘The Viability of Viewdata as a Mass Medium: A Case Study of Prestel, the Prototype for Computerized Information Systems, the Internet’, TMG Journal for Media History, {volume}({issue}), p. {page}. Available at: https://doi.org/10.18146/tmg.845.

Davenport, L D. “The Viability of Viewdata as a Mass Medium: A Case Study of Prestel, the Prototype for Computerized Information Systems, the Internet”. TMG Journal for Media History, vol. {volume}, no. {issue}, 0AD, p. {page}, doi:10.18146/tmg.845.

Davenport, L. D. (0AD). The Viability of Viewdata as a Mass Medium: A Case Study of Prestel, the Prototype for Computerized Information Systems, the Internet. TMG Journal for Media History, {volume}({issue}), {page}. https://doi.org/10.18146/tmg.845

Davenport, Lucinda D. 0AD. “The Viability of Viewdata as a Mass Medium: A Case Study of Prestel, the Prototype for Computerized Information Systems, the Internet”. TMG Journal for Media History {volume} ({issue}): {page}. https://doi.org/10.18146/tmg.845.

1. Davenport LD. The Viability of Viewdata as a Mass Medium: A Case Study of Prestel, the Prototype for Computerized Information Systems, the Internet. TMG Journal for Media History. 0AD;{volume}({issue}):{page}. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18146/tmg.845

1. Davenport LD. The Viability of Viewdata as a Mass Medium: A Case Study of Prestel, the Prototype for Computerized Information Systems, the Internet. TMG Journal for Media History. 0AD;{volume}({issue}):{page}. doi:10.18146/tmg.845

Davenport LD, ‘The Viability of Viewdata as a Mass Medium: A Case Study of Prestel, the Prototype for Computerized Information Systems, the Internet’ (0AD) {volume} TMG Journal for Media History {page} DOI: https://doi.org/10.18146/tmg.845

[1]L. D. Davenport, “The Viability of Viewdata as a Mass Medium: A Case Study of Prestel, the Prototype for Computerized Information Systems, the Internet”, TMG Journal for Media History, vol. {volume}, no. {issue}, p. {page}, 0AD, doi: 10.18146/tmg.845.

<img src="https://account.tmgonline.nl/public/site/images/ewolda/cover-tmg-26-2-small-44ce41f70cbe5613c1e8fb3fcef9f7a2.png" alt="Cover image" width="223" height="316" align="right">This special issue aims to spur a concerted effort to explore the media landscapes of the 1980s and 1990s and elevate these decades to a prominent position on our research agenda. Dubbed the 'wonder years,' this period saw the integration of technologies like Teletext, the Walkman, the fax, and answering machines into daily life. Additionally, it was a time of significant societal change, with the rise of neoliberalism being a notable example. Despite the potential of media to provide insights into these developments, there has been a lack of attention to this era in existing media-historical studies. Therefore, this special issue serves as an intervention, aiming to encourage much-needed research into media histories of the eighties and nineties.
Edited by Jesper Verhoef and Tom Slootweg.
Cover image: <a href="http://hdl.handle.net/10648/ace66c66-d0b4-102d-bcf8-003048976d84" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Computer tv spel</a> by Dijk, Hans van / Anefo, Nationaal Archief, CC0

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The Viability of Viewdata as a Mass Medium: A Case Study of Prestel, the Prototype for Computerized Information Systems, the Internet

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