Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!oddjob!ncar!boulder!sunybcs!bingvaxu!leah!itsgw!batcomputer!cornell!uw-beaver!tikal!amc!pilchuck!del
From: del@Data-IO.COM (Erik Lindberg)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: NEC Multisync Plus misfeature
Message-ID: <860@pilchuck.Data-IO.COM>
Date: 26 Mar 88 01:00:47 GMT
References: <1686@bgsuvax.UUCP> <510@wintek.UUCP> <710@netxcom.UUCP> <258@bby-bc.UUCP> <719@netxcom.UUCP>
Reply-To: del@pilchuck.Data-IO.COM (Erik Lindberg)
Distribution: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Organization: Data I/O Corporation; Redmond, WA
Lines: 27

In article <719@netxcom.UUCP> jallen@netxcom.UUCP (John Allen) writes:
> On a separate note, our original Multiscan has been performing well in
>                                   ^^^^^^^^^
> 800 by 600 mode, even though it's not rated for that resolution.  Should
> I expect damage to result from this "misuse", or are the claims about
> these monitors not working in 800 by 600 mode based purely on the specs?
> 

One time when IBM got bit (sort of). This is, of course, speculation, but
IBM wanted to come out with a new display for the PS/2 line that would make
people buy True Blue for awhile. They came out with a monitor that had a
scan rate somewhat beyond the spec limit for, say, the Multi-Sync. They
were surprised when they discovered that the Multi-Sync was drastically
under spec'ed due to some brilliant marketer at NEC that created the
inaccurate specs in order to "not confuse the issue".

The rest of this article is not speculation. NEC has officially stated
that the standard Multi-Sync will run the high res modes of the VGA with
no problem. The reason for the Multi-Sync plus (or II) is that IBM put in
a wierd polarity change on the sync pulses to determine what resolution the
monitor should be in. If you use a standard MS monitor, you may need to
adjust the hold circuits when switching modes. If you use the MS-II monitor
you may have sync problems on standard CGA. At least, this is what I have
understood from what I have read.
-- 
del (Erik Lindberg) 
uw-beaver!tikal!pilchuck!del