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From: Ciccarelli.pa@PARC-MAXC.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.micro.pc
Subject: Combined Graphics/Monochrome Boards
Message-ID: <16661@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 14-Feb-84 14:00:16 EST
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.16661
Posted: Tue Feb 14 14:00:16 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 18-Feb-84 04:13:57 EST
Lines: 36

Lauren,

Look into the Tecmar Graphics Master.  I'm investigating it myself for a
color application.  No mouse input, but supports both the IBM color and
monochrome modes, with substantial enhancements on both.  The board uses
the Motorola 6845 (same as the IBM Color board, I think) and a 2764
EPROM as a character generator (supports both 9x14 and 8x8 character
sets).  It has on-board 14.3 MHz and 16.2 MHz dot clock oscillators for
the two IBM-compatible modes. $695.

The User's Manual that comes with the board is only minimally useful; it
describes only a graphics terminal emulator which Tecmar provides with
the board -- no low-level access information.  However the release of
the Technical Reference for the board is imminent (I obtained a
preliminary version by calling Tecmar customer support at their plant in
Ohio).  The Tech Ref is excellent, full of information about programming
modes, and frank in its explanation of the board's limitations.

Other around-$1K PC-compatible color graphics boards:

Graphics Dazzler, from Sigma (Santa Clara, CA) which has a
640x400x4-color window on a 1024x1024 display space (with hardware pan
and 1x..16x integer zoom -- I've seen it and it's amazing; uses the NEC
7220 chip).  The board looks like two I/O ports to the PC, unlike the
IBM boards which are memory-mapped, so Sigma includes programs to use
the board as the main DOS display.  $895.

I just learned of several boards called the Revolution series, from
Number Nine Computer Corp., 691 Concord Ave., Cambridge MASS 02138,
(617) 492-0999.  They are described on pages 87 and 98 of the latest
(Feb. 13) E.E.Times.  The boards use the new Intel 82720 Graphics
Display Controller for displays from 512x512 up to 1720x1200 (!).  $945
to $1395.


/John