Path: utzoo!censor!geac!torsqnt!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!apple!portal!sv!daven
From: daven@svc.portal.com
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.system
Subject: Re: Support for various monitor pixel densities??
Message-ID: <1990Dec9.212436.20795@svc.portal.com>
Date: 9 Dec 90 21:24:36 GMT
References: <27667@cs.yale.edu>
Organization: Software Ventures
Lines: 35

In article <27667@cs.yale.edu> favorini-francis@CS.YALE.EDU (Francis Favorini) writes:
>I've been wondering for a while whether or not the is any current provision
>(or future one) in Mac system software for monitors with pixel densities
>other than 72 dots per inch.
>
>As fas as I know, there is no provision for such varied densities.  There
>are monitors (including the new 12" jobs from Apple) with slightly worse or
>better resolutions (~64-80? dpi), but I am assuming no attempt is made to
>rescale fonts and such by system or add-on software.  Is this true?  
>
>Anyhow, the point is, it seems like an important and not terribly complicated
>problem to be solved.  We don't want to be stuck with 72 dpi forever.  Even
>the NeXT's have 90 dpi monitors.;-)  Anyone at Apple or a hacker who has some
>real info on this care to clue me in?

Francis,

I haven't heard any rumors of resolution independancy sneaking out of Apple
in awhile. However, TrueType being based on mathematical curves and not bitmaps
should itself be resolution independant. Whether Apple will take advantage of
this fact remains to be seen.

From a programmer's standpoint, it seems to me that with QuickDraw being based
on the pixel plane, descisions on drawing text and line would be invalidated
if the MacOS started scaling fonts behind the applications's back.
Applications are likely to produce some wild looking text displays should the
MacOS start drawing the text in ways that consume more, or less, pixels than
the application thought it would.


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Dave Newman - Sofware Ventures        | daven@svc.portal.com | AppleLink: D0025
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