Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!sdd.hp.com!news.cs.indiana.edu!att!pacbell.com!ames!dftsrv!drax!buck From: buck@drax.gsfc.nasa.gov (Loren (Buck) Buchanan) Newsgroups: comp.sys.sgi Subject: Re: Statement of Direction - IRIX 4.0 Message-ID: <4230@dftsrv.gsfc.nasa.gov> Date: 14 Dec 90 18:13:06 GMT References: <1990Dec12.220538.24846@odin.corp.sgi.com> <9012132005.AA26677@forest.asd.sgi.com> Sender: news@dftsrv.gsfc.nasa.gov Reply-To: buck@drax.gsfc.nasa.gov (Loren (Buck) Buchanan) Organization: Computer Sciences Corporation @ NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Lines: 29 In article <9012132005.AA26677@forest.asd.sgi.com> baskett@forest.asd.sgi.COM (Forest Baskett) writes: >While Jeff may not be able to see more than 6 or 8 bits per color >many of us can. Our most sophisticated and demanding customers use >12 bits per color in some of their work and it is clear that 10 bit >DAC's would more fully cover the color spectrum that you can see >even on today's monitors. I believe that systems will eventually >improve but it's hard to tell when. Eight bits per color is very >well established economically and is tough to displace. I agree with Forest that eight bits is going to be tough to displace, because for many applications that is enough. I disagree with Forest on today's monitors, I don't think all monitors are that good (but then Forest may only be familiar with those sold by SGI ;-). Another thing about all of this, is the environment the monitors are put in. I don't think a 10 or more bit system will do much good in brightly lit office environment (unless someone has developed brighter phosphors). I am not certain I would want a light valve based monitor just to have much brighter highs. In fact for my environment, I could not justify going beyond eight bits unless it was real cheap (the only added cost being, of course, the memory and the DAC), and even then it might be a hard sell. B Cing U Buck Loren Buchanan | buck@drax.gsfc.nasa.gov | #include CSC, 1100 West St. | ...!ames!dftsrv!drax!buck | typedef int by Laurel, MD 20707 | (301) 497-2531 | void where_prohibited(by law){} Phone tag, America's fastest growing business sport.