pjd (11/09/82)
The GTIA chip implements three additional graphics modes: 1. 16 colors, 1 intensity level 2. 1 color, 16 intensity levels 3. 9 color and intensity combinations. All modes use 4 bits per pixel. Each pixel is one scan line high, so there are 192 pixels vertically. However, each pixel is two (four ?) color clocks wide. So, a pixel is four dots wide! You get pixels that are elongated horizontally -- they are not square. There are 80 pixels per scan line. Player/missile graphics is the same as before. Atari will probably continue to produce software for the 400/800's that have the CTIA chip. Conversion is probably worth it since it lets you do some interesting things. Or wait for the 600, junk the 400, and get the GTIA chip, 48K and a real stroke keyboard. pj drongowski decvax!cwruecmp!pjd