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From: lsr@apple.UUCP (Larry Rosenstein)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Re: Mac II
Message-ID: <521@apple.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 9-Mar-87 13:41:22 EST
Article-I.D.: apple.521
Posted: Mon Mar  9 13:41:22 1987
Date-Received: Tue, 10-Mar-87 07:10:25 EST
References: <4354@utah-cs.UUCP> <422@yabbie.rmit.oz>
Reply-To: lsr@apple.UUCP (Larry Rosenstein)
Organization: Advanced Technology Group, Apple Computer
Lines: 37

In article <422@yabbie.rmit.oz> rcopm@yabbie.rmit.oz (Paul Menon) writes:
>    
>    I am a bit cornfused as well.  The original QuickDraw had software support
>for 32 bit planes.  Now the new Mac, Namely Mac II, ie the one which will not 
>only support colour in software [ oops, *color* for you guys :-) ] but be able
>to show it as well , has, according to various RUMOURS, 16, 8, 24 and 
>who-knows-what other powers of two or 68k address limits.  I myself thought 
>32 bit planes were too much to hope for (memory!), but would have been ideal.
>
>    Can someone please set the record straight?  The needle is wearing out.

The color support in the original version of Quickdraw was minimal, and was
intended primarily for color printing.  (Only 8 colors were supported.)

Color Quickdraw on the Mac II is intended to support color monitors as
well.  The *software architecture* supports up to 32 bits per pixel.  The
screen memory can be organized into planes, chunks, or a combination.

The *implementation* in the Mac II supports up to 8 bits per pixel, with
chunky memory organization.  (It also supports the old color model just for
compatibility.)

You specify colors using 48 bit RGB values, and the software will display
the closest color that is currently available.  This make your program
largely independent of the display capabilities of the machine.  

I hope this clears things up.

-- 
Larry Rosenstein

Object Specialist
Apple Computer

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