iav1917@ritcv.UUCP (alan i. vymetalik) (04/15/87)
[...................................................................] In article <896@maynard.BSW.COM> campbell@maynard.UUCP (Larry Campbell) writes: >In article <547@neoucom.UUCP> wtm@neoucom.UUCP (Bill Mayhew) writes: >> ... The new IBMs >>even run MS-DOS that is *somewhat* usable with current software, >>just like the Rainbow. The Rainbow even offered stunning graphics: >>800 * 480 in 16 colors, RGB analog. > >Not quite. The Rainbow has two graphics modes -- 384x240x16 and >800x240x4. It is analog RGB (this RGBI stuff is stupid) and the DEC >monitor is of very high quality, so the effect is superb. However, >there's one fatal flaw. Rainbow graphics aren't memory mapped, so they >are s-l-o-w. OK for still pictures, useless for interactive graphics. > >(If you go back and look at the earliest pictures of Microsoft Windows >published in magazines two years ago, you'll notice that they were all ^^^^^^ TWO YEARS!!! >done on a Rainbow, since in those pre-EGA days that was the best PC >graphics available...) >-- >Larry Campbell The Boston Software Works, Inc. >Internet: campbell@maynard.BSW.COM 120 Fulton Street, Boston MA 02109 >uucp: {alliant,think,wjh12}!maynard!campbell +1 617 367 6846 A couple of points... Earlier postings of this article compared the Rainbow and the new PS/2s. Take a close look at all the ergonomic "improvements" that IBM has added. Including the thumbscrews, the lack of dip-switches on the motherboard, the VT-220-like keyboard, the well-designed system unit casings and monitor housings (however, I like DEC's VR241 monitor style better...picky), and the ease of access to the insides, they also moved the power switch to the front of the unit! Damned if I didn't think the low-end PS/2 units looked like improved Rainbows. So, I think IBM owes DEC either some royalities or at least a "thank you" or two. Right! Fat chance! The comment here is that it's nice to know that IBM is finally following some of the real standards DEC laid down back in 1983. IBM will win, however, with this design whereas DEC didn't simply beause of the marketing muscle and presence of IBM. Ok.. Graphics.. I have to disagree, in part, with Mr. Campbell's statement that Rainbow graphics are slow in interactive mode. True, if you try to make the graphics board do bit-mapped-like displays, yes, it's on the slow side. Still pictures look wonderful (See Chris LaRosa's DRAW V1.4 graphics editor and graphics pics for the Rainbow). However, if you treat the graphics board as it was designed (basically a vector graphics display), you can produce animation and interactive graphics that can be faster than what you can do on an IBM PC/XT (such examples are some of the DEC demos: DESK, COLORMAP, SCRAM and a not-public-domain-not-released editor called XPRESS, not to mention my own GALLERY demo I released to the FIDO world a-ways back). The DEC demos I mentioned may not be the fastest graphics ever seen but, remember, no one has released a "turbo" board for the Rainbow (yet) to help out the graphics chip. Also, DEC hasn't created another graphics board for the machine. That's a real shame! [BTW. I have seen GW-BASIC games and demos that aren't all that bad when placed next to IBM PC/XT machine.] [If anyone wants the GALLERY demo for their Rainbow, e-mail me.] Other thoughts... Why is DEC sitting on its hands regarding DOS 3.10 and Windows for the Rainbow? They exist. Why are they going to make us buy the Ethernet card and package just to get the software? I foresee a VERY BIG underground pirating problem if DEC doesn't afford another route for current Rainbow users. Recently, I came across a library of CI-C86/MASM source routines for doing MS-DOS graphics on the Rainbow. Called the MS-DOS Graphics Library Version 3.0, the routines allow a lot of functionality for producing decent graphics for the Rainbow. The aforementioned DESK and COLORMAP programs use this library to a nice effect. Why has DEC refused to release this as an 'unsupported' or otherwise product? (Why has DEC refused to release a lot of needed info for the Rainbow?!) (Do you know DEC has allowed GSX for MS-DOS to fly from the the caverns at Digital and that they are basically 'looking the other way'?) The library's authors are with DEC, Ltd. Hampshire, England. From the docs, it appears they wish to freely disseminate the routines. (Don't e-mail me for them... The ARCed sources come to about 130K... They're currently circulating around the FIDO network). There appears to be a lot of useful info in this package. [BTW. The code has revision dates going back to July, 1984! I have heard that the beta-test versions of MS-DOS 3.10/Windows date back to May, 1986 and earlier!!] This all bugs me. DEC had a wonderful piece of hardware on it's hands but it preferred to leave it with no support (PRO owners can sympathize). I still like using the Rainbow for something more than just a terminal. Oh well... I am glad I wasn't the marketing director for the DEC PC group. I would've gone somewhere and quietly disappeared. Alan ================================================= alan i. vymetalik uucp: {allegra,seismo}!rochester!ritcv!iav1917 ================================================= Prism Software Designs, 44 Arborwood Crescent Rochester, New York, 14615-3807, (716)-458-4932 ------------------------------------------------- Vice-Chairman, Rainbow Special Interest Forum Greater Rochester Area Local Users Group (GRALUG) A DECUS Group ================================================= Std. Disc.: The above comments are my own and do not reflect the opinions, ideas, or goals of DECUS.