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From: jcksnsr@nmt.edu (Jeffrey C. King)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Purchase decision, to STe or not?
Summary: A few corrections!
Message-ID: <1990Sep25.021056.1425@nmt.edu>
Date: 25 Sep 90 02:10:56 GMT
References: <4619@crash.cts.com> <1990Sep24.054555.624@ecst.csuchico.edu>
Organization: New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Lines: 51

In article <1990Sep24.054555.624@ecst.csuchico.edu> ekrimen@cscihp.UUCP (Ed Krimen) writes:
> 
>As for sound, there are only PD stuff available that use the stereo 
>sound.  There are some great demos and a couple utilities, but that's 
>about it.  I've heard that MicroDeal, makers of ST Replay, have a 
>stereo version in the works.
>
  Actually, if I remember right, the important thing about the STe is that it
is using 8-bit PCM stereo.  If this is true then the STe may well have the best
sound of any machine around.  (PCM is one on the D to A techiniques used by
CD players (though CD's are more often 16 bit)  ALso I think the STe is 
supposed to be tri-aural as opposed to just simply stereo (I know the Tweety
board is.)

>- 2. What sort of good (ie real time, 640x400x4)4 or 5 or 6)
>- animation/painting software is there for the STe
> 
>There's no such thing as 640x400x4 on any of the ST models.  It's 
>monochrome.  There's a company called Lexicor, which is some of the 
>authors that wrote the Cyber series for Antic, and they are coming 
>out with some great animation and drawing stuff.
>
  Thats wrong!  The STe incorporates an extra bit plane in several new graphics
modes.  The extra bit plane is what allows 32 colors without resorting to a
seperate color map (ALA Spectrum, GIF's and I belive VGA).  As I recall, the
graphics modes on the STe are 320x200x16, 640x200x4, 640x400x1 (to remain
compatible with the ST) as well as 320x200x32, 640x200x16 and 640x400x4 plus
  I believe there is also a new Hi-Rez mode somethink like 1280x800x1  
  (One spec I saw listed in Current Notes stated that the STe and TT were to
have remarkably similar graphics..)

>- 3. If I want to run DTP stuff, do I need the monochrome monito{ ?
> 
>Calamus requires a monochome monitor.  Pagestream does not.  
>
>- BTW does STe have high res color, or is it the same as the ST,
>- 640x200is the highest color resolution?
>
>Yes.  It's the same as the other ST's, only 4096 colors to choose 
>from instead of 512.
>

    No - I already talked about this...


  (Now I'm just waiting for some obvious STe developements (SPectrum 512 in 
640x200 mode, an Amiga Emulator, etc, before I buy mine..)  
   Plus the price is VERY competitive (1 Meg STe with internal 720K drive for
less than $600 ($558 I believe))
  
JEff