When Suburban Parisians Jean-Francois and Catherine Mayaux ordered a Minitel plugged into their telephone line 18 months ago, they planned to use the toaster-size computer console as an electronic telephone directory. But they soon found the Minitel terminal equally convenient for paying bills, purchasing airline tickets and making theater reservations. Lately they have started shopping a la modem, issuing on-line orders for everything from foie gras to fine wines. "Each wine has a numeric code," explains Mayaux, as if buying a Burgundy electronically were the most natural thing in the world. "We punch it into the Minitel, and ten days later...
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