fulton@comet.DEC (Cathy Fulton -- CXO Technical Training) (04/06/86)
I am about to receive as my home computer the following system: - Zenith Z-200 (AT compatible) with 1.2M floppy drive - 30M Seagate full-height internal hard drive - Zenith ZVM-1240 high res monochrome monitor (DB9, TTL) I need suggestions from those of you who have experience with various video cards. My requirements are the following: 1) Hercules high res monochrome compatible 2) DB9 TTL interface 3) Able to translate signals intended for the IBM CGA into appropriate signals for my Zenith monitor 4) All video modes software selectable I have perused several PC-oriented magazines for an extensive review of video cards, but have found none. In reading the ads for various cards (Tecmar Graphics Master, Paradise, Everex, Persyst, etc.), I am led to believe that each card is the greatest thing since sliced bread. What I need is input from experienced users who can tell me how compatible a given video card is with, say, programs written with a Hercules monochrome software driver. A card may provide great looking output, but if few programs incorporate software drivers for it, it's pretty useless (kind of like the present state of the enhanced mode of the EGA card). Regarding point 3) above, I have seen advertised several cards which supposedly convert signals intended for the CGA into 16 shades of gray for TTL monitors. Does anyone have experience with such a card? Thanks in advance. - Cathy Fulton uucp: ...decvax!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-comet!fulton ARPA: fulton%comet.DEC@decwrl
mdf@osu-eddie.UUCP (Mark D. Freeman) (04/08/86)
Summary: In <2136@decwrl.DEC.COM> fulton@comet.DEC (Cathy Fulton -- CXO Technical Training) writes: >I need suggestions from those of you who have experience with >various video cards. My requirements are the following: > > 1) Hercules high res monochrome compatible > 2) DB9 TTL interface > 3) Able to translate signals intended for the IBM CGA > into appropriate signals for my Zenith monitor > 4) All video modes software selectable I have been using an Everex Graphics Edge card for a few months and think that is is quite wonderful. It runs all my CGA-expecting software just fine on my monochrome monitor. It runs all my Hercules-expecting software just fine. I have run Hercules' software that comes with their (Hercules) board, and even HBASIC works fine. All modes are software selectable. If you ever buy a color monitor, this card will then emulate a CGA, or in fact a Plantronics Color Plus card (hi-res, lots of colors). Everex also markets an inexpensive internal 300/1200 BAUD modem which comes with a software package called BITCOM. You can tell BITCOM that you have a Graphics Edge Board, and it will emulate 132 column terminals. It shows all 132 columns at once! Everex gives you .COM files that give you 132x25 in dos and 132x44 in dos. 132x44 is great for editing large programs (my editor, Epsilon, allows you to specify screen size, as does most relatively modern editors and word processors). All in all, I like it a lot. However, I now have my heart set on an EGA-clone, so I am interested in selling my Everex Graphics Edge card. I will let it go for $255+shipping. It lists for $399. Email an offer! I also have a genuine IBM Monochrome monitor which I will let go for $195, including a swell anti- glare screen. -- < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < <> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Mark D. Freeman mdf@osu-eddie.uucp StrongPoint Systems, Inc. mdf@osu-eddie.arpa Guest account at The Ohio State University ...!cbosgd!osu-eddie!mdf mdf@Ohio-State.EDU May the farce be with you! < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < <> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
wieder@masscomp.UUCP (Scott Wieder) (04/18/86)
I also own an Everex Graphics Edge card and am quite happy with it. I use it with a Princeton MAX-12E Monitor. I am able to run CGA software and Hercules software, both on a monochrome screen. However, the results would be less acceptable if I did not have a Princeton Monitor. Although the Everex is capable of emulating color software on a monochrome screen it does so by doulbing the CGA resolution of 320x200 to 640x400. On a 748x348 monochrome screen this mean the picture is narrower than usual and you loose the top 50 pixels. The Princeton can change scan rates to display color software in monochrome. So the trick is to switch between hercules graphics on a monochrome screen and color graphics on a monitor that looks color. Its that simple. What do other Everex owners, who don't have switchable monitors Do? ch