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From: erik@westworld.esd.sgi.com (Erik Fortune)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Re: 24-bit graphics card inquiry
Keywords: 24-bit, true-color
Message-ID: <9924@odin.corp.sgi.com>
Date: 3 Jul 90 18:18:35 GMT
References: <13042@shlump.nac.dec.com>
Sender: news@odin.corp.sgi.com
Reply-To: erik@westworld.esd.sgi.com (Erik Fortune)
Organization: Silicon Graphics Inc.
Lines: 32

In article <13042@shlump.nac.dec.com>, kevin@hiatus.enet.dec.com (Kevin
D. Baranski-Walker) writes:
> BTW:  Can anyone explain why 1024x768x8 non-interlaced cards are available on
> the Mac for <$600 and the equivalent for the PC is closer to $2K (some
> as outragous
> as $3-4K?)

Huh?!   I paid $273 for my 1024x768x256 (8 bit) non-interlaced super VGA.
It's made by Ahead systems and is pretty speedy for a VGA.   If you want
more of a name brand, I've seen similar cards from Orchid (the pro-designer II)
for $329 and clone cards using the same chip set as the orchid for $299.
I'm not sure if the orchid card is non-interlaced or not...

I've seen the paradise 8514/A clone (also 1024x768x256) for $599 -- the 
original 8514 is interlaced, but I'm not sure about the paradise version.
The 8514 has (relatively simple) accelerator hardware to help with 
clipping/rects/lines etc.

The multi-thousand dollar cards for the PC include hefty graphics
accelerator hardware (by PC standards) -- usually TMS34*0 based
(uses the TIGA library).    You're getting a fair amount of hardware 
assistance for your money.

-- Erik
   (erik@sgi.com)

p.s.  Ahead Systems is in Fremont (415)623-0900, I bought the VGA wizard
      from Hi-Tech USA in Milipitas, CA (408)262-8688.
      The pro-designer II (and the other clone) was at Access computers 
      in Santa Clara (408)247-4444. I think they sell the paradise 8514/A
      clone, but I'm not sure of their price -- the one I saw for $599 was
      at a computer swap meet.