Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!ukma!widener!dsinc!unix.cis.pitt.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu!csn!ccncsu!purdue!mentor.cc.purdue.edu!noose.ecn.purdue.edu!samsung!cs.utexas.edu!helios!cnh5730 From: cnh5730@maraba.tamu.edu Newsgroups: comp.sys.next Subject: Re: Color Workspace Message-ID: Date: 24 Apr 91 02:09:09 GMT References: <1991Apr23.225929.25115@engin.umich.edu> Sender: usenet@helios.TAMU.EDU Distribution: na Lines: 51 In article <1991Apr23.225929.25115@engin.umich.edu> rpitt@caen.engin.umich.edu (Raymond Jeczen Pittman) writes: I've been watching the news go back and forth lately on the ColorStation and have gathered the following: It looks as though the system is capable of the following: Displaying 4096 colors simultaneously correct. Palette is 16.7 million colors nope. this is NeXTdimension. But then with the color-dithering of the NeXTstation... Alpha Channel is NOT part of the 16 bits in the display capabilities completely wrong. Alpha channel is 4 of the 16 bits. What's 12 bits give you? 4096! Thus giving an effect of more than 4096 colors via dithering. This is profoundly true. The NeXTstation employs a color-dithering algorithm. Dithering trades-off resolution for a gain in interim colors through color-halftoning or mixing. Also, check out the Crayola-chip: proprietary to NeXT, and shipping on the NeXTstation, the chip reduces color-banding and enhances color shading from one color to another. You can demonstrate this inside the app, Icon using the "gradation panels". Very killer... and qualifies for the graphics buzzword of the '90's: "Antialiasing" if you ask me. Please comment on these as you see fit. don't mind if I do. The question I have is the following: Is the workspace capable of cool color backgrounds other than the described grey? Can we really go nuts with color stuff provided we supply enough memory? Do you think 24 megs would be sufficient for most practical color purposes? I've seen the Macintosh with very colorful workspace, seems as though the ColorStation should be able to top this, yes? -- R.J. -- "Battle not with monsters, lest ye become a monster, and if you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." -Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche