Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ncar!dinl!noren
From: noren@dinl.uucp (Charles Noren)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc
Subject: Re: HERCULES Graphics
Keywords: vs. VGA, EGA, CGA, whatever.  What's the difference?
Message-ID: <1717@dinl.mmc.UUCP>
Date: 28 Aug 90 14:18:12 GMT
References: <39522@cci632.UUCP> <12703@netcom.UUCP>
Reply-To: noren@dinl.UUCP (Charles Noren)
Organization: Martin Marietta I&CS, Denver CO.
Lines: 33

In article <12703@netcom.UUCP> ergo@netcom.uucp writes:
>In <39522@cci632.UUCP> sjo@cci632.UUCP (Steve Owens) writes:
>And the only libraries for writing Hercules software were those
>programmers provided for themselves.  Since a minor mistake in such
>libraries could destroy your monitor, obviously people weren't
>anxious to experiment.

This reminds me of the time I was writing Hercules driver
software for my clone Hercules card, when Turbo C didn't yet
have graphics support.  The documentation was not clear at one
point, I could code it one way or another.  I wrote the function
up and sat for half an hour wondering if I should run it, knowing
the dangers of being wrong.  I finally decided to go for it.  The
screen went blank with a click, followed by a loud high-pitched
squeal with a bright dot in the center of the screen, which lasted
for about 2-3 seconds, followed by a pop and a blank screen.
I turned the computer and monitor off, and turned it back on and
I got some wierd scan lines on my monitor.  

Last rites for my monitor were held at the local T.V. repair shop.
I bought a new monitor, brought it home and hooked it to my
computer.  I changed my function ...and waited until the next
day to try it.  I entered my test program, hit return, the screen
went blank with a click ...and my little graphics drawing came up.
I was lucky that day.


-- 
Chuck Noren
NET:     dinl!noren@ncar.ucar.edu
US-MAIL: Martin Marietta I&CS, MS XL8058, P.O. Box 1260,
         Denver, CO 80201-1260
Phone:   (303) 971-7930