Sure, but all these links (like the 2KB link) seem a bit coincidental. Of course, 2KB would fit other combinations of columns and lines, and typewrites (I thin

Sure, but all these links (like the 2KB link) seem a bit coincidental. Of course, 2KB would fit other combinations of columns and lines, and typewrites (I think? I don't have one at hand!) probably do manage to fit more than 25 lines of single-spaced text with normal margins... My guess is that matching typewriter (and/or punchcard) width was more important than matching length, so with 1KB and 2KB, terminal manufacturers used as many lines as they could fit while using 80 column lines. Display width is probably more important than display length for us humans.