Article 45570 of comp.sys.cbm: Xref: undergrad.math.uwaterloo.ca comp.sys.cbm:45570 Newsgroups: comp.sys.cbm Path: undergrad.math.uwaterloo.ca!csbruce From: csbruce@ccnga.uwaterloo.ca (Craig Bruce) Subject: Re: Power Users! Sender: news@undergrad.math.uwaterloo.ca (news spool owner) Message-ID: Date: Tue, 28 Nov 1995 01:15:09 GMT References: <8057295288802@ccsnet.com> <498sun$320@news.paonline.com> <49abd3$rd7@globe.indirect.com> <1995Nov27.135753.1@ubmail.ubalt.edu> Nntp-Posting-Host: ccnga.uwaterloo.ca Organization: University of Waterloo, Canada (eh!) In article <1995Nov27.135753.1@ubmail.ubalt.edu>, TODD ELLIOTT wrote, at maybe less than my current 115,200 bps :-) : >Uh, I think the point here is to upgrade to a VIC-III chip equivalent. I mean, >let's keep compatibility with the current VIC-II chip, but only add more >sprites, permit more color definition within a 8x8 pixel square, etc. I do not >advocate introducing an entirely different standard such as porting a VGA >equivalent to the C= platform. That's an interesting idea, but it seems that there's only a handfull of VIC-III chips in existence and no more to be made. >So, imagine a card that permits 64 sprites onscreen at once, 16 colors within >a 8x8 pixel square with bit-wide resolution (No two-bit wide resolution due to >extra colors), and we've got a winner, grafix-wise, for this would still be >able to run existing c64 programs. Also, this would still be on a composite >output, so no needed expense is warranted, for most of us already have TV >hook-ups or composite monitors. Remember the unused shadow register addresses? >Let's use them. Sixteen colors in an 8x8 pixel doesn't cut it for me. If a new graphics card cannot display a full-color image, then it's of limited marginal utility. The new card should also give C64 users a hardware 80-column text screen; does the VIC-III do this? To do this clearly would probably require at least an RGBI monitor, which is a new monitor anyway for a C64 user. You also don't want to chew up all of the memory in the C64 when in graphics mode. What are the general capabilities of the VIC-III? Using a VGA card does necessitate a VGA monitor, but they are widely available at reasonable cost; used, too. Although, this may or may not be a camel's back problem (people may not buy it since they might rather invest the additional cost into an actual PC). >But you may be right- The time, expense and a limited market would be a bar >to development of a SuperVIC or a VIC-III equivalent. Just that we don't >lose focus by mentioning that the c64 should be 'upgraded' to a VGA >standard, where we just simply do not compete. Instead, let us 'upgrade' >within the c64 perspective, and we can still proudly call it a c64! :) As I understand it, CMD is not in the business of fabricating new _CHIPS_; they produce new cards and devices that use standard, mass-produced chips and mechanisms. Keep on Hackin'! -Craig Bruce csbruce@ccnga.uwaterloo.ca "Hype springs eternal." --Fisher