frank@odetics.com (Frank Merrow) (10/25/90)
Hi, I have sent several messages on the net asking about monitors and cards. The word I get is that a 2A is OK for VGA, but not for SuperVGA. A 3D is good for both VGA and SuperVGA, but for VGA1K I really need a 4D. Hey guys, we are getting into some bucks here. What is really NEEDED to run a reasonable windows environment? I gather EGA is NOT enough. Would the average programmer type be happen with VGA? or is SuperVGA (or VGA1K) "really" needed these days? Frank P.S. I consider myself a medium to high end user. For instance I would probably not buy a 33MZ or 486 machine because they are still too pricey. I might buy a SX, but would probably prefer a 20 or 25MZ if the cost delta was not too big. What is the similar logic for monitors?
mikel@pyrps5.pyramid.com (Mike Lipsie) (10/25/90)
In article <1990Oct25.005216.3211@odetics.com> frank@odetics.com (Frank Merrow) writes: >I have sent several messages on the net asking about monitors and cards. The >word I get is that a 2A is OK for VGA, but not for SuperVGA. A 3D is good >for both VGA and SuperVGA, but for VGA1K I really need a 4D. Hey guys, we >are getting into some bucks here. What is really NEEDED to run a reasonable >windows environment? I gather EGA is NOT enough. Would the average programmer >type be happen with VGA? or is SuperVGA (or VGA1K) "really" needed these days? What is *really* NEEDED? I'll give you a low-end data point. We just got 386/25 systems here and (unfortunately) the stated reason for the systems had no graphics requirement (game playing was not considered "work related"). So we ended up with Hercules Monochrome. Does Windows 3.x work? Yes. Is it pretty? No. Color combinations that some programmer hardwired into his game are awful. For example, ALMANAC has a "clock" in their desktop. It is supposed to look like a regular digital clock with red LED segments on a black background with a flashing colon to show the seconds. Red on black maps to black on black. Not real useful. Similarly for a lot of the icons that are floating around. Taipei is a black blob, ICONDRAW has only 2 (of the 4) letters visible. But it works fine and does outstanding at what we claimed was the purpose. ----------- Mike Lipsie mikel@pyramid.com Pyramid Technology Corp, Mountain View, CA +1 415 335 8657 "Toto kansasoseum non est cognito" -- Phil Frank
marshall@wind55.seri.gov (Marshall L. Buhl) (10/26/90)
frank@odetics.com (Frank Merrow) writes: >Hi, >I have sent several messages on the net asking about monitors and cards. The >word I get is that a 2A is OK for VGA, but not for SuperVGA. I guess I'm not sure what you mean by SuperVGA. It means 800x600 to me and a MultiSync 2a will work fine. If you mean 1024x768, you are correct, it will not work. A Paradise VGA Plus 16 should cost about $200 and a 2a costs about $500. This will give you 800x600 capability which is really quite nice. I don't think standard VGA is good enough. You just can't get enough information on the screen. EGA really sucks. > A 3D is good >for both VGA and SuperVGA, but for VGA1K I really need a 4D. Hey guys, we >are getting into some bucks here. What is really NEEDED to run a reasonable >windows environment? I gather EGA is NOT enough. Would the average programmer >type be happen with VGA? or is SuperVGA (or VGA1K) "really" needed these days? If you mean 1024x768x16 when you say VGA1K, then I think you really need to get into a 16" monitor. I use a Dell GPD-16C which works fairly well and isn't too outrageously pricey. Dell wants $1100 for it. A NEC 4D is $1200 at Soft Warehouse. It's supposed to have some advantages over the Dell (which is a Nanao 9070S). I think the 4D memorizes settings for switching modes. If you meant 1K of RAM on the card when you said VGA1K, you can (I think) get 256 colors at 1024x768. I don't believe this changes monitor requirements. Having a 16" monitor is really nice at the higher resolutions. Even at 800x600, it really helps you read the smaller letters. It's not really huge like a 20" monitor. Those seem just too big to me. If you're on a tight budget, stick to standard VGA and a single sync monitor. You can get that setup for about $550. Get a 16-bit card for speed. If you're on a not too tight a budget, I recommend something like the Paradise VGA Plus 16 (256K) and the NEC 2a for a total of about $700. It will give you a decent 800x600x16 screen. For a professional in a commercial environment, I recommend the Video 7 VRAM VGA w/ 512K and the Dell GPD-16C or NEC 4D. This will give you 1024x768x16 for about $1500. The VRAM VGA is a fairly fast card with a good picture quality. I haven't used the 4D, but have heard good things about it. If your heavily into CAD in addition to Windows, get one of the fancy intelligent graphics cards with the TI 340x0 chip and a 20" monitor. You're talking $2500-$3500 now. A coworker is happy with his 8514a card (with 16" monitor), but it is interlaced and IBM had to increase the phosphor persistense to eliminate the flickering. This can cause streaking while scrolling text. Whatever card you choose, MAKE SURE IT HAS DRIVERS TO SUPPORT WIN3. There's no sense in getting 1K of video RAM if they don't have a 256 color driver at 1024x768. Also beware of slow boards. I have a VGA Wizard w/ 512K, and it is intolerably slow at 1024x768. The VRAM VGA is MUCH faster. If you can, try before you buy. >Frank >P.S. I consider myself a medium to high end user. For instance I would probably >not buy a 33MZ or 486 machine because they are still too pricey. I might buy >a SX, but would probably prefer a 20 or 25MZ if the cost delta was not too big. >What is the similar logic for monitors? In your situation, I'd go with VGA or SVGA (800x600x16) if you can afford the extra $150. The next step up is a MAJOR one. Good luck! -- Marshall L. Buhl, Jr. EMAIL: marshall@seri.gov Senior Computer Missionary VOICE: (303)231-1014 Wind Research Branch 1617 Cole Blvd., Golden, CO 80401-3393 Solar Energy Research Institute Solar - safe energy for a healthy future