One way it may have differed is commercially. The Minitel was a huge economic success generating > $1 billion/year of revenue and presaged the online commerce we see today. Monetization was a piece of cake as "sites" charged per minute. Companies like La Redoute made tons of money selling stuff "online". And, of course, there was plenty of porn. I still remember the suggestive billboard ads for the 3615 CUM -- or something like that.