Graphics Systems

The Chief Editors of Computer Graphics Forum have decided to establish, among others, a chapter on “Graphics Systems”. People when asked about their understanding of the term “Graphics System” normally give very different answers, because no generally accepted definition exists. Depending on their working environment, some consider raster terminals with primitive graphics capabilities as a Graphics Systems, post office administrations offer their videotext services as Graphics Systems, whilst a draftsman would think of his high precision plotter as a Graphics System. Only a few people would associate the term with the highly interactive, real time display systems marketed by companies such as Evans & Sutherland, Adage or Vector General (to name but a few). The reason for this is that those highly sophisticated and expensive systems are not in widespread use.