Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!snorkelwacker!bloom-beacon!mmshah
From: mmshah@athena.mit.edu (Milan M Shah)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms
Subject: Re: Video 7 bug in Codeview for Windows
Keywords: codeview
Message-ID: <1990Sep18.194810.2713@athena.mit.edu>
Date: 18 Sep 90 19:48:10 GMT
References: <6577@sugar.hackercorp.com> <1990Sep18.165215.22281@jdyx.UUCP>
Sender: daemon@athena.mit.edu (Mr Background)
Organization: Massachvsetts Institvte of Technology
Lines: 43

Since the topic was brought up by someone other than myself, I feel
inclined to recount my experience with Video 7 and their SVGA (Shit
VGA) cards.

Company where I did some contract work this summer has a good mix of
Northgate Elegance/33, AST Premiums/33, and any number of compatibles.
Most have Video 7 1024i in them. They all have the same problem - if 
you try to use Codeview for Windows (and therefore have a second mono
card in your system), your VGA screen will go black and white. Bad.
Bad. Bad.

I have tried n number of compatible mono cards, an original Hercules
card, and an original IBM PC MDA card (yes, the original one). Same
problem on all machines. No can debug.

I took up the matter with them 2.5 months ago, and have since dealt
with a trio of programmed droids names Dave, Angela, and Roger. Very
smart machines, they are - they can tell exactly when you are away 
from your desk, call back, and leave the message "We are aware of the
problem - a solution will be available in 2 to 3 weeks". 

On most machines, even the standard VGA driver that comes with Win 3
does the same thing. We tried a Paradise 1024i and, as a control, a
PS/2 with built in VGA. Of course, they worked flawlessly. The Paradise
worked in all VGA and SVGA modes.

As far as I am concerned, the Video 7 1024i is not fully IBM compatible
(note that it screws up even in standard VGA mode). I want a full 
refund. The new drivers do not work. In fact, they come with no 
documentation and only with a Windows program called V7setup. You 
guessed it - V7setup dies when you try to run it in either Real,
Standard, or Enhanced mode. Their first promise to me was given on or
about the 1st of June. I believe several 2-3 week periods have elapsed.

But I cannot get past Dave-Angela-Roger. So, I ended up purchasing a
Paradise 1024i, one for company, one for myself, and have half a mind to
include code in my programs that detects a Video 7, tells the user to
get a Paradise/other, and then quits.

Moral: GO WITH PARADISE.

Milan
I don't work for any of the companies mentioned above...