Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!jarthur!nntp-server.caltech.edu!toddpw
From: toddpw@nntp-server.caltech.edu (Todd P. Whitesel)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2
Subject: Re: Pirating Hardware
Message-ID: <1991Feb13.053657.15997@nntp-server.caltech.edu>
Date: 13 Feb 91 05:36:57 GMT
References: <503@generic.UUCP>
Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
Lines: 22

taob@pnet91.cts.com (Brian Tao) writes:

>    What?!?!?  I know that QuickDraw II is proprietary to Apple, but how come
>that didn't stop the multitude of third-party Macintosh video cards, ALL of
>which are QuickDraw-compatible?  Is this another case of a double-standard at
>Apple, Inc.???  :(

No. When Apple designed the Mac II NuBus they realized that modular video was
important if the Mac was to become a serious business & industry machine. They
came up with a rigidly defined standard for identifying video cards and their
resolutions and for replacing the pixel map that is used as the screen.

Apple has made NO such attempt with GS Quickdraw, in fact they have even put
little hacks in that assume the existing video buffer setup. The research I
have done so far indicates that supporting larger bitmaps with the same
color scheme would be doable but dependent on just how many applications make
icky assumptions (and how many tools :( ).

Supporting 8 bit video from GS Quickdraw is hopeless unless Apple does it.

Todd Whitesel
toddpw @ tybalt.caltech.edu