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From: prindle@NADC.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.micro
Subject: Re: C64 VIP 80/106 columns in software
Message-ID: <658@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 10-May-84 08:32:09 EDT
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.658
Posted: Thu May 10 08:32:09 1984
Date-Received: Mon, 14-May-84 00:59:26 EDT
Lines: 19


Sorry to disillusion, but there is "absolutely" no way to get 40/64/80/106
columns without a hardware video chip except:
		40 = 7 pixels + 1 blank
		64 = 4 pixels + 1 blank
		80 = 3 pixels + 1 blank
	       106 = 3 pixels + 0 blank 
Actually, I implemented a 3 pixel + 1 blank font for an 80 column terminal
emulator package, and with a decent monochrome monitor, it's quite amazing
how much intellibility you can pack into a 3 bit wide character; I was very
skeptical till I did it.  As I recall, the VIP ads that I've seen show the
106 column display (all characters are touching) - I suppose the picture's
been touched up a bit though.  Also, note that in 80 column mode, it is not
possible to control the color of each character independently, they can only
be controlled in pairs; of course looking at an 80 column display on a color
monitor makes your eyes go funny very quickly!
Frank Prindle
Prindle@NADC
~v