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From: jtc@dasher.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Does NEC Multisync work with new VDI?
Message-ID: <213@dasher.SanDiego.NCR.COM>
Date: Thu, 23-Apr-87 12:05:22 EST
Article-I.D.: dasher.213
Posted: Thu Apr 23 12:05:22 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 25-Apr-87 06:45:34 EST
References: <1631@bnrmtv.UUCP> <371@gssc.UUCP>
Reply-To: jtc@SanDiego.NCR.COM (Jeffrey T. Carter)
Organization: NCR Corporation, E&M San Diego
Lines: 52
Keywords: MultiSync, VGA
Summary: A tale of Specifications and IBM Manuevers

In article <371@gssc.UUCP> mmm@gssc.UUCP (Preacher McLain) writes:
>In article <1631@bnrmtv.UUCP> perkins@bnrmtv.UUCP (Henry Perkins) writes:

>|I'm particularly interested in whether the NEC Multisync and the
>|Thomson/Mitsubishi multifrequency monitor will work.
>
>	These monitors will not work with the new VGA, because they have 9-pin
>plugs and the VGA requires a 15-pin plug.  I suppose a 9-to-15-pin adapter is
>a possiblity, but I'm not sure even that would work.  The VGA is able to
>detect whether it's hooked to a color or a monochrome monitor, so there must
>be a signal from the monitor that probably isn't present in the NEC or T/M.
>

According the PC Week (April 24, 1987) NEC reports that the multisync monitor
DOES in fact work with the new VGA standard.  It is true that there will be
a new cable and/or an "adaptor".

My impression (after reading many of the trade journals) is that Big Blue
wanted to make it so none of the new multisyncing monitors would work with
the new PS/2 computers (those guys, they are always trying to sell you THEIR
equipment).  Anyway, the published specs on the NEC said that the maximum
sync rate on the multisync was ~60Hz (vertical sync).  Therefore, IBM decided
that the perfect sync rate for the VGA would be 70Hz.

Well now, the really neat thing about this is that published specs for the
Multisync don't tell the whole story.  It seems that a "marketing 
decision" was made to "not confuse the end user" by reporting specs that 
up till that point were not needed.  The Multisync can really
go up to 100Hz and maybe even higher.  This was probably a heck of a 
surprise for some product manager over at IBM.

Either somebody was a marketing genius at NEC, or all the people their should
change their name to "lucky".  I'm sure a lot of other peripheral
manufacturers will take note of what happened here.  It may not always be in
your best interest to report added capabilities of a new product; specially
when your friends in the blue pin-stripes are about to release a new, 
proprietary computer line.

                                       - jtc

BTW, I really do not think that the employees of NEC should be thought of as
lucky, they have produced a truly superior product in the Multisync.

=============================================================================
=    sdcsvax \                                Jeffrey T. Carter             =
=    ncrcae   - ncr-sd!jtc                    NCR ISS-OA E&M San Diego      =
=    or try   jtc@ncr-sd.SanDiego.NCR.com     (619)485-2643                 =
=============================================================================

The opinions stated here belong to me, and maybe only me.  They certainly 
do not reflect those of the company that I work for :-).  I have no affiliation
with NEC or IBM accept as a customer, and a watcher of the marketplace.