While earlier terminal systems included "smart" editing features, notably the IBM 2260, the Hazeltine 2000 was the first that used a standard RS-232 interface and sent its control sequences in the data stream.
One advanced feature of the design was the concept of "batch mode" that cached data being typed by the user and sent it all at once to the host.
The base model displayed 27 lines of 74 characters, uppercase only, while an expansion added lowercase and 80-by-25 layout.
The development team was unhappy with the support they received from the corporation, and the division was spun off to form Esprit Systems.
The system weighed 62 pounds (28 kg) and required at least 24 inches (610 mm) of depth on a desk, and drew a massive 350 W in operation.
[5] The system also had outputs for a printer, cassette storage, and the video signal so it could be mirrored on up to three additional screens.
The connectors were complex, HDR panel mounts based on those used in avionics, Hazeltine's primary business.
[9] A key feature of the 2000 was its ability to be put into "batch mode", either by pressing the appropriate lamp/button on the right of the keyboard, or by sending the appropriate command as ASCII codes from the host computer.
[10] In batch mode, typing on the keyboard was not immediately sent to the host, but was instead buffered into the 2 KB of internal core memory.
[13] Once sent up in this fashion, the user's input would only be into those portions of the screen that were in foreground mode, and only their entries would be sent back to the host.
[15] The command set also included basic editing and cursor positioning typical of other smart terminals.