Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ames!elroy!orion.cf.uci.edu!oberon!nunki.usc.edu!sal45.usc.edu!rjung
From: rjung@sal45.usc.edu (Robert  allen Jung)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: ST Resolution vs. Amiga Resolution
Message-ID: <2485@nunki.usc.edu>
Date: 27 Jan 89 16:05:24 GMT
References: <8901261651.AA12611@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Sender: news@nunki.usc.edu
Reply-To: rjung@sal45.usc.edu (Robert  allen Jung)
Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Lines: 49

In writing about the "superiority"(?) of Amiga graphics, Peter da Silva writes:
>This is not possible. The Atari has a maximum possible resolution, using every
>trick in the book, of something like 262 by 704 by 512 colors. The Amiga has
>a maximum resolution, again using every trick in the book, of 525 by 704 by
>4096 colors.

In article <8901261651.AA12611@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> WILLIAMS@UCF1VM.BITNET (Erik Williams) writes:
>Sorry Peter, but my ST would love to have a talk with you.  The ST's maximum
>resolution in color is 640x320 with a maximum color pallette of 4096 colors in
>Medium res and 16 million colors in low resolution (mind you, you have to do
>some major tweaking with TOS to do this). ... any one of these resolutions
>can scroll (with the famous LineA command) up to 32,767x32,767 pixels in ANY
>resolution using a program called BIGSCRN.PRG (it is on many of the BBSs here
>in Orlando, FL). ...
>
>P.S.  I believe Quantum Paint is the program that has broken the 4k colors
>limitation and can make 16 million in low resolution.

  I'd like to point out a few things here...

  First, BIGSCRN.PRG is a wonderful program, and another example of what can
be done with PD software alone  B-).  BUT, before everybody chases their
local boards for a copy, I'd better mention that it does NOT run on TOS 1.0
(at least it didn't run on my 1040ST). You'll need a Mega with TOS 1.2, or the
someday-it-will-be-here TOS 1.4 to get this nifty feature.

  Secondly, you seem to have Quantum Paint confused with the Atari Transputer
machine. The transputer is supposed to have 16 million colors in its low-
resolution mode (which is nothing like the ST's low-res, having more pixels
than ST High-res offers[!]).
  Quantum Paint gives you 320 x 200 pixels of 4096 colors, but without any
"major tweaking" with TOS -- It takes two 16-color pictures and flips between
them very rapidly. It may be a little annoying on the eyes, but if all those
Amiga users can live with it... (wicked grin)

  (The Quantum Paint interface is horrible, though. Maybe somebody can take the
technology, write a better user-interface, and make Spectrum 512 look sick? B-)

						--R.J.
						B-)

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