[[File:Minitel terminal.jpg|thumb|right|Minitel 1B]][[File:Minitel Amcharge.jpg|thumb|right|3615 AMCHARGE]] The Télétel (usually called Minitel, officially known as TELETEL, named after the terminal) was an interactive a videotex online service accessible through telephone lines. Videotex is a modified interactive version of the Teletext protocol that existed in TV broadcast.
Launched commercially in 1982, it was the world's first and most successful mass-market online service prior to the World Wide Web.
Only the Minitel service, which used on-demand access through the telephone network, was commercially successful for a long time. Subscription-based services like Prestel (UK), Bildschirmtext (Germany), Videotel (Italy), Télidon (Canada), and Captain (Japan) failed commercially and were stopped soon after testing. In the United States, there was a stalled attempt by USWest to bring this service to two test markets: Minneapolis and Omaha. [https://fullempty.sh/posts/exeltel2.html Source] <br> == Amstrad CPC services == In the CPC era, multiple services existed to download games for the Amstrad CPC via Minitel, like 3615 AMSTRAD, 3615 AMCHARGE and 3615 MICROCHARGE. [[File:Minitel terminalCPC kits.jpg|800px]] <br>
== Nowadays ==
The Minitel can still be used today to access your Amstrad news.
[[File:Minitel MiniPAVI.jpg|500px400px]][[File:Minitel Amstrad News.jpg|500px400px]][[File:Minitel DarkArcade Server.jpg|500px400px]] <br>
== Links ==
*[https://minitel.darkarcade.fr/index3.php DarkArcade Minitel (FR)] Videotex Amstrad news service
*[https://xn--multipli-i1a.fr/minimit/ Minimit] To connect your Minitel to servers as the PSTN has been retired
*[https://youtu.be/BpDrWriI7lo Je teste le Minimit] [https://youtu.be/F2mgDSBWOxI Le Minitel en 2023, petit tour sur des Micro-serveurs] [https://youtu.be/WVX69zegK2c Le Minitel en 2025] by [[Kaspius Le Vrai]]
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[[Category:Non CPC Computers]]
[[Category:Peripherals]]
[[Category:Network]]