feinberg@acsu.buffalo.edu (john a feinberg) (02/16/91)
Ever since I got my IIsi a couple of months ago, all I ever did was leave it in 256 colour mode. However, I tried out a game called Star-Roids, and after noticing that it was simply too slow, I tried it's suggestion of putting the computer in black & white mode. The game went a *lot* faster! I then tried out a lot of other programs in black and white mode. Sure enough, the computer seems to be up to five times faster than in 256 colour mode! So if you're one of those out there who feels the need for speed, and haven't really had the common sense to try this out before (like me!), try out the black & white mode! I recently traded my MacRecorder & miscellaneous stuff for an Apple video card, which I hope will substantially speed things up, since b&w white, to be frank, sucks. Does anybody have a IIsi with a separate card? Does it help? Finally, does anybody know the name of a program/DA/FKey that allows you to switch from one color depth to another, without having to call up the Control Panel? I thought I saw it posted on Comp.Binaries.Mac once, but I didn't bother downloading it. John Feinberg SUNY Buffalo
ireland@ac.dal.ca (02/16/91)
In article <60103@eerie.acsu.Buffalo.EDU>, feinberg@acsu.buffalo.edu (john a feinberg) writes: > Finally, does anybody know the name of a program/DA/FKey that allows you to > switch from one color depth to another, without having to call up the Control > Panel? I thought I saw it posted on Comp.Binaries.Mac once, but I didn't > bother downloading it. > > John Feinberg > SUNY Buffalo There are several utilities which do this. The best know is Switch-A-Roo, but it only allows toggling between two states. I'm currently using DepthMenu, which is an init/cdev combo that allows fast switching between any of the possible color/gray setups. I'd recommend it highly to anyone. The version I have is 2.0.1B and is probably available by anonymous ftp from sumex. Keith Conover ireland@ac.dal.ca
ireland@ac.dal.ca (02/16/91)
In article <norton.666717331@extro>, norton@extro.ucc.su.oz.au (Norton Chia) writes: > ireland@ac.dal.ca writes: > >>There are several utilities which do this. The best know is Switch-A-Roo, but >>it only allows toggling between two states. I'm currently using DepthMenu, > ^^^^^^^^> > >>Keith Conover >>ireland@ac.dal.ca > > Do you mean DepthGauge? > > Norton Yes, it is DepthGuage. Sorry about that. Keith Conover ireland@ac.dal.ca
norton@extro.ucc.su.oz.au (Norton Chia) (02/16/91)
ireland@ac.dal.ca writes: >In article <60103@eerie.acsu.Buffalo.EDU>, feinberg@acsu.buffalo.edu (john a feinberg) writes: >> Finally, does anybody know the name of a program/DA/FKey that allows you to >> switch from one color depth to another, without having to call up the Control >> Panel? I thought I saw it posted on Comp.Binaries.Mac once, but I didn't >> bother downloading it. >> >> John Feinberg >> SUNY Buffalo >There are several utilities which do this. The best know is Switch-A-Roo, but >it only allows toggling between two states. I'm currently using DepthMenu, ^^^^^^^^^ >which is an init/cdev combo that allows fast switching between any of the >possible color/gray setups. I'd recommend it highly to anyone. The >version I have is 2.0.1B and is probably available by anonymous ftp from >sumex. >Keith Conover >ireland@ac.dal.ca Do you mean DepthGauge? Norton
ingemar@isy.liu.se (Ingemar Ragnemalm) (02/17/91)
feinberg@acsu.buffalo.edu (john a feinberg) writes: >Ever since I got my IIsi a couple of months ago, all I ever did was leave it >in 256 colour mode. However, I tried out a game called Star-Roids, and after >noticing that it was simply too slow, I tried it's suggestion of putting the >computer in black & white mode. The game went a *lot* faster! I then tried >out a lot of other programs in black and white mode. Sure enough, the computer >seems to be up to five times faster than in 256 colour mode! So if you're one >of those out there who feels the need for speed, and haven't really had the >common sense to try this out before (like me!), try out the black & white mode! There are two reasons for the slowdown you experience in 8-bit mode. 1) The amount of data written to the screen is 8 times more. Nothing you can do about that, except using less pixels per pixel. However, this seems *not* to be the major problem... 2) The IIsi has a strange memory configuration. Basically, the first 1 meg is on the board, and it is used as video ram *but also as general ram*. This means that when the work is made in this memory, the CPU and video both must access the same memory, and therefore wait for each other. The measurements I've made imply that it is slowed down by almost 50%! (You say 5 times. That sounds like too much to me, unless they are *very* graphic intensive.) Two solutions to 2): a) Find a setup where your application is, for any reason, not placed in the video ram. For me, it works just fine if I use 4-bit mode. It is also ok with 8 bit and UniFinder. (Why?) Note that I experience no speed difference between 4-bit and 1-bit mode! b) Buy a video card. Expensive, but it solves the problem. (I don't have one, but my brother reports no slowdown for his Mac, with a 21" monitor.) c) Load some application before the one you want to see run fast. The first might take the "slow "memory, and the next "fast". Works for me, at least... A larger system heap might help too. >I recently traded my MacRecorder & miscellaneous stuff for an Apple video >card, >which I hope will substantially speed things up, since b&w white, >to be frank, sucks. Does anybody have a IIsi with a separate card? >Does it help? Yes, it does help - at least, so they say. -- Ingemar Ragnemalm Dept. of Electrical Engineering ...!uunet!mcvax!enea!rainier!ingemar .. University of Linkoping, Sweden ingemar@isy.liu.se
iand@mullian.ee.mu.oz.au (Ian Robert DOBSON) (02/18/91)
>2) The IIsi has a strange memory configuration. Basically, the first 1 meg >is on the board, and it is used as video ram *but also as general ram*. This >means that when the work is made in this memory, the CPU and video both must >access the same memory, and therefore wait for each other. The measurements >I've made imply that it is slowed down by almost 50%! (You say 5 times. That >sounds like too much to me, unless they are *very* graphic intensive.) When I bought my IIsi, I found 8 bit mode to be extremely slow compared to 4 bit mode (and b/w etc.) This problem can be alleviated somewhat by getting a RAM upgrade to 5mb if you have a 2mb machine at present. This reduces the chance of your application being in the shared RAM bank and speeds up the machine considerably. The other thing you should do is run MultiFinder. When MultiFinder is running, it tries to avoid using the video switched RAM as much as possible, while uniFinder doesn't know about it so uses it first. I have used a speed test program and found that the general CPU speed will increase by about 60-70% by upgrading from 2Mb to 5Mb RAM (in the 256 colour mode), although graphics intensive applications would probably not find that order of performance increase. As a side point, the b/w mode using the built-in video is faster than using a NuBUS card, because there isn't a whole lot of conflict with memory usage with 1 bit/pixel, and a direct write to built-in video RAM is much faster than going through NuBUS. Ian R. Dobson University of Melbourne iand@mullian.ee.mu.OZ.AU
ack@wings.dartmouth.edu (Andy J. Williams) (02/19/91)
ireland@ac.dal.ca writes: >In article <norton.666717331@extro>, norton@extro.ucc.su.oz.au (Norton Chia) writes: >> ireland@ac.dal.ca writes: >> >>>There are several utilities which do this. The best know is Switch-A-Roo, but >>>it only allows toggling between two states. I'm currently using DepthMenu, >> >> Do you mean DepthGauge? >Yes, it is DepthGuage. Sorry about that. I just switched back to Switch-A-Roo. Too many weird crashes and strange CLUT goings ons with DepthGauge. Also, you can switch between any depth with SAR, you just hold the control key down to bring up a selector. Normally, I switch between 256 and 16 color for SimEarth's benefit. But when I want to go to B/W mode (to make my si actually run quickly) I just hold the control key as well. -A -- Andy J. Williams sNail: RFD 1 #268 echo "Hello." Consultant Guy Lebanon NH, 03766 setenv NAME 'Inigo Montoya' Kiewit Computation eMail: ack@wings.dartmouth.edu user>kill -9 my ppid Dartmouth College pHone: 603-646-3417 Prepare to vi.
hardin@dino.cad.mcc.com (John Hardin) (02/20/91)
John A. Feinberg (feinberg@acsu.buffalo.edu) writes: > Nntp-Posting-Host: autarch.acsu.buffalo.edu > Ever since I got my IIsi a couple of months ago, all I ever did was leave it > in 256 colour mode. However, I tried out a game called Star-Roids, and after > noticing that it was simply too slow, I tried it's suggestion of putting the > computer in black & white mode. The game went a *lot* faster! I then tried > out a lot of other programs in black and white mode. Sure enough, the computer > seems to be up to five times faster than in 256 colour mode! So if you're one > of those out there who feels the need for speed, and haven't really had the > common sense to try this out before (like me!), try out the black & white mode! > I recently traded my MacRecorder & miscellaneous stuff for an Apple video card, > which I hope will substantially speed things up, since b&w white, to be frank, > sucks. Does anybody have a IIsi with a separate card? Does it help? > Finally, does anybody know the name of a program/DA/FKey that allows you to > switch from one color depth to another, without having to call up the Control > Panel? I thought I saw it posted on Comp.Binaries.Mac once, but I didn't > bother downloading it. > John Feinberg > SUNY Buffalo John, Have you tried using HandOffII? It's similar to OnCue, but allows you to associate a color depth (and sound level) with each application in the launch menu. That is, when an application is launched from the HandOffII menu, the color depth and sound level are set to the indicated levels. HandOffII also has Categories and Briefcases. Each of these allows the application launch menu to be hierarchical. Briefcases are neat because you can (optionally) launch *all* of the applications in the Briefcase at once! (I do not know if hierarchy is limited to one level (i.e., Briefcases/Categories within Briefcases/Categories). I have no affiliation with HandOffII or The HandOff Corporation (or Connectix, who has purchased THC) other than as a satisfied customer! -jwh -- John Hardin MCC CAD Program AT&T: 512/338-3535 3500 W. Balcones Center Drive ARPA: hardin@mcc.com Austin, TX 78759-6509 UUCP: {harvard,gatech,uunet}!cs.utexas.edu!hardin%mcc.com
hampel@demon.siemens.com (Ken Hampel) (02/21/91)
In article <1991Feb18.160633.8483@dartvax.dartmouth.edu> ack@wings.dartmouth.edu (Andy J. Williams) writes: > >I just switched back to Switch-A-Roo. Too many weird crashes and strange CLUT >goings ons with DepthGauge. > Yeah. I got a lot of crashes with DepthGauge also. I never bothered to try to find out if it was incompatible with another INIT I have. I'll give Switch-A-Roo a try. _______________________________________________________________________________ |_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_|_|_Ken_Hampel|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_| |_|_|_|hampel@demon.siemens.com_|_|_|_"I'm having an old friend for dinner."|_| |_...!princeton!siemens!demon!hampel|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_| |_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|