Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!uunet!infonode!ingr!ne3005!brnded!scott From: scott@brnded.ne1300.ingr.com (new user) Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2 Subject: Re: Pirating Hardware Message-ID: Date: 12 Feb 91 17:27:40 GMT References: <447@generic.UUCP> <15071@smoke.brl.mil> Sender: usenet@ne3005.ingr.com Lines: 50 gwyn@smoke.brl.mil (Doug Gwyn) writes: >In article <447@generic.UUCP> ericmcg@pnet91.cts.com (Eric Mcgillicuddy) writes: >>If you want to do something useful, how about a 640x480 resolution video card? >>Include patches for Quickdraw to use it and insure compatibility modes. Try >>being creative. Make something new and useful. >That's a constructive suggestion, but I would modify it to: How about either >a "frame grabber" to work in conjunction with Apple's VOC (which is already a >640x480 video card), or a "frame buffer" that supports 640x480x8 (the 8-bit >deep pixel is the key point), again set up to work in conjunction with the >VOC (perhaps also without it). The system software mods to support the VOC >in 640x480 mode would be wonderful, too. >Apple's VOC (Video Overlay Card) is a really nice piece of hardware, although >it's sort of a pity that there wasn't any way to add its capabilities into >a IIGS without duplicating essentially all the IIGS video circuitry on the >VOC card. (Obviously that was necessary for use in a //e.) I hope that as >information about the VOC spreads, there will be more software support for it. This might not be too relevant, but what the heck... When the VOC was first introduced, Digital Vision (ComputerEyes) had a plug-in digitizer that used the VOC bus. It was never marketed because it didn't offer much more than their current entries in the digitizer market. My own ideal system for such a thing is using the VOC in conjunction with a plug-in (VOC bus) frame grabber/TV tuner. I really think this would be a hot item. Additionally, I'd like to see direct Laser Disc access included in any video product on the market. I don't normally like to blow my own horn (yeah right!) but future versions of Allison are going to support the VOC and Laser Disc players (directly... RS-232 connection, stream digitizing, etc.). I have the VOC already but now I need to get my grubs on a good, generally accepted Laser Disc player. TurboRez... good idea... Bill St. Pierre is working on a "third" prototype board. It looks like he's going for a very much lower cost alternative to the projected $500 add-on card he originally designed. This is first-hand information directly from Bill. Don't get your hopes up, though. Quickdraw is still owned by Apple and any interface to enhance the graphic capability of a IIGS might just never be able to use the tools as provided by Apple. There may not be enough capital to get this product off the ground as well. Capital was the main problem previous versions never made it past prototype. -- ******************************************************************************* * W. Scott Gentry | uucp: uunet!ingr!ne1300!brnded!scott | I didn't * * Intergraph Corporation| America Online: AFL Scott | mean it! * * Reston, VA | GEnie: W.GENTRY | Honest!! *