Path: utzoo!mnetor!tmsoft!torsqnt!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!rutgers!mcnc!ncsuvx!news From: kdarling@hobbes.ncsu.edu (Kevin Darling) Newsgroups: comp.arch Subject: Re: Let's pretend Keywords: Intel, 586, windows Message-ID: <1990Dec18.213506.645@ncsuvx.ncsu.edu> Date: 18 Dec 90 21:35:06 GMT References: <3042@crdos1.crd.ge.COM> <450@lysator.liu.se> Sender: news@ncsuvx.ncsu.edu (USENET News System) Organization: NCSU Computing Center Lines: 22 zap@lysator.liu.se (Zap Andersson) writes: >Once upon a time I built a graphics board for my computer. 240x240 pixels, 16 >shades of gray, not very heavy, BUT I had windows-like support in HARDWARE! >Now I have > NEVER understood why this is not common practice in todays computers! I mean Total agreement! There's no doubt that systems programmers in the not-too-distant future will look back on today as the dark ages of writing windowing software. "What?? No windows in hardware?? Auugh!" I believe the Intel 82786 gfx chip does have this support now. Each window is a different section of memory, and can be of virtually any mode... so for example, you could have a CGA-style window in the middle of a 1Kx1K display. No idea what it costs tho. Anyone know? I read that at least one new fancy terminal uses it. The Philips VSC video chip allows horizontal windows a la the Amiga; but yeah, having more than one window/line seems to be still a ways off. Some days I'm tempted to rig up my own external hardware method. best - kev