Abstract
Telephone-based videotex systems are slowly changing from systems that permit only information retrieval and limited message sending based on numeric, menu-type access methods to more sophisticated, multi-user, interactive, transactional systems. This is partly due to the concept of adding external computers to the videotex network and partly due to the emergence of more intelligent terminals.
In this paper, four major application areas, which have been made possible by these developments but have not yet received the attention they merit, are discussed in some detail: teleplaying, telegambling, telesoftware, and telecomputing. The authors maintain, and try to demonstrate, that these four areas will significantly influence the market-penetration and social impact of videotex systems.