bob@tty3b.UUCP ("Bob Bolotin"320 97320) (01/22/85)
[ no clever saying in this line ] (was that clever?) I am shopping for an IBM PC and after much investigation I am still very confused about what to do for a video display card. The difficulty in obtaining information is frustrating. The thing I am having trouble with is the old monochrome/color board decision. I expect that most of my applications will be character based, but would like to have some graphics capability so I have at least some capability to run programs that need it. The following are the options as I can see it: +) Get the standard IBM monochrome board. Advantage is good resolution for characters. Disadvantage is inability to run graphical software that requires the color card. +) Get the standard IBM color card. Advantage is that you can run ALL software without compatibility worries. Disadvantages are that resolution for characters is (in my opinion) not acceptable, and that this costs more because the board has no printer port and a color monitor is more expensive than a monochrome monitor. +) Whats wrong with monochrome graphics? It is what the designers of the AT&T PC and Compact chose. Isn't this a good cost compromise? Well, whats wrong is possible compatibility problems. Both hardware compatibility problems (ie programs not working) or software compatibility where applications depend upon there being color (ie say menus in color). There seems to be two approaches to monochrome graphics. The first approach is to design an incompatible board and hope software vendors will design software for it. This is what Hercules did (with a surprising amount of success). But the Hercules board does not fulfill my criteria - it is great if all you want is Lotus 123, but will not run all off the shelf software. The other approach is to attempt to design a monochrome graphics board that is compatible with the IBM color/graphics board but simply displays graphics in monochrome. Not a bad compromise to my way of thinking. This is what the AT&T PC and Compact have. The Paradise Modular Graphics board has done this according to their ads. They simulate colors with grey textures. So here starts the questions. Does anyone have any experience with the paradise board? Does it run all off the shelf color/graphics software as they advertise? Is the quality in character mode as good as with the standard IBM monochrome board? More questions. What do the AT&T PC and Compact have inside them. Is it a paradise type board? This is important because enough of these computers are sold to insure some software base. +) Possibility number four. Get both a standard IBM monochrome board AND a standard IBM color/graphics board. This is what a salesman recommended to me. He says he has heard of compatibility problems with the paradise board and has to say buyer beware. He says it is possible to plug in both boards and switch back and forth with a DOS command. At retail prices, the combination of both boards is almost exactly the same price as the paradise board. The difference is the cost of a second monitor. He says if I really wanted to go a low cost route, I could get a quite inexpensive black and white composite monitor to attach to the color board. He says it is not possible to have one monitor which can be used with both the monochrome and color board because the monochrome board uses weird signals. Comments? Has anyone plugged in both a monochrome and color board? +) Other possibilities? ihnp4!tty3b!bob
mr@isrnix.UUCP (michael regoli) (01/24/85)
> I am shopping for an IBM PC and after much investigation I am still > very confused about what to do for a video display card. The > difficulty in obtaining information is frustrating. Well, then you should be pleased to know that "PC Magazine" (February 19, 1985) has devoted its entire issue to "Focus on Video - 25 Eye- Catching Boards for your IBM." Surely you will appreciate the mega-charts of physical characteristics, performances and other features for both color and monochrome screens; "some are good, some bad, and some are just pain ugly." Check it out! -- .:. /.\ michael regoli '|-|` ...ihnp4!inuxc!iuvax!isrnix!mr indiana university
jimla@tekig.UUCP (James G. Larsen) (01/24/85)
> I am shopping for an IBM PC and after much investigation I am still > very confused about what to do for a video display card. The > difficulty in obtaining information is frustrating. > > The thing I am having trouble with is the old monochrome/color board > decision. I expect that most of my applications will be character > based, but would like to have some graphics capability so I have at > least some capability to run programs that need it. > We have several IBM PC's in our group equipped with Everex Graphics Edge Color/Monochrome boards. We bought them because they claim to be compatible with IBM mono, IBM color, and Hercules software. I have run Framework in Hercules mode on an IBM direct drive monochrome monitor with excellent results. The board operates with "IBM" color software driving a Taxan RGB monitor. Everex supplies a BASIC program that demonstrates 640 X 200 resolution in 16 colors. We have also used it to drive an Amdek 300 composite monochrome monitor in either color or monochrome mode. The Amdek horizontal hold and vertical height controls must be readjusted when switching between modes. The Amdek monitor did not work properly in Hercules mode for unknown reasons. The manual indicates 16 level grey scale display is possible on a composite monochrome monitor driven in color mode, but we have not verified this. Jim Larsen
geller@rlgvax.UUCP (David Geller) (01/26/85)
> > I am shopping for an IBM PC and after much investigation I am still > > very confused about what to do for a video display card. The > > difficulty in obtaining information is frustrating. > I would strongly recommend the TECMAR Graphics Master as a display card for your IBM PC or compatible system. I've used one of these cards for more than a year and have been VERY pleased with its performance. Although it is true the setup procedures you do the FIRST (and in most cases last) time are not very simple they aren't all that difficult either. The card supports many color modes. I use the board in 640 x 400 x 16 colors with DR HALO and it looks great (get a good monitor as well - PGS is a fine one). David Geller {seismo}!rlgvax!geller (all this stuff is mine - all mine - don't construe it as an original work or idea of anyone else...)
hgp@houem.UUCP (#H.PAGE) (02/01/85)
I just purchesed a disk drive from IDE Associates in Billerica, MA. I'm extremely happy with the drive and the assistance they were able to give me. I've never used their graphics board, but, quoting from their sheet, here some specs: Pixel Clock: 24 or 40 Mhz Display Memory: 128K or 256K on-board RAM Configuration: from 4 planes, 16 colors 512 x 512 pixel resolution (256K model) to 2 planes, 4 colors, 1024 x 1024 pixel resolution (512K model) Output: analog (RGB), digital(RGBI TTL), or composite video (NSTC with Genlock) Prices are a bit stiff, though. Call 'em for more info: (800) 257-5027 Cheers! H.G. Page ..!ihnp4!houem!hgp