Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!NIC.GAC.EDU!scott
From: scott@NIC.GAC.EDU
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next
Subject: Re: Monochrome display on color NeXTstation
Message-ID: <9009250554.AA00226@mcs-server.gac.edu>
Date: 25 Sep 90 05:54:09 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Lines: 32

lane@sumex-aim.stanford.edu (Christopher Lane) writes:
>For functionallity and economy purposes, does anyone know if it is possible to
>purchase the color NeXTstation CPU with the monochrome MegaPixel display in
>order to have 12 bits of grayscale (& 4 of alpha) instead of the standard 2
>bits and in the process save $2K list on the price of the color system?
>
>I asked this question of some NeXT marketing folks but they neither knew the
>answer nor even understood why I would want to do such a thing.  We don't need
>color (yet) but don't want to rebuy the machine(s) when we do and we could
>make use of the extra bits of gray for displaying monochrome images.

Same here.  Actually, what I would want would be something a little less
ambitious.  Say, 4 bits gray, 4 alpha.  Or 6 bits gray, 2 alpha.  Our NeXT
rep. didn't understand the question, either (well, the question was more
like "Is there going to be an i860 board running monochrome at something
like 12 bits?", which I would like).  Obviously, he's never had a 12+
hour programming session, after which even the MegaPixel gets a little
bleary, and headache-inducing.

I don't _need_ color.  I'd like the high performance, and with monochrome,
the cost should be about halved, or even cut to a third, compared
to color.  That would be nice.  Should be faster to boot.

How about DPS running on a 2-processor i860 board with 8 bits of gray . . .

sigh.

scott hess
scott@gac.edu
Independant NeXT Developer	(Stuart)
NeXT Campus Consultant		(Not much, really)
GAC Undergrad			(Horrid.  Simply Horrid.  I mean the work!)