🚀 go-pugleaf

gallersd@andorfer.fmi.uni-passau.de (Rainer Gallersdoerfer) writes:

>somebody told me that it is possible to handle a color resolution of
>15 bit (about 32000 colors) with the ET4000 chip - is this true ???
IBM are finally getting around to standardizing the VGA graphics modes,
and not before time, seeing as virtually every VGA card uses a different
bunch of commands to work.  This standard will be called XGA.  As well
as the normal 256 colour modes (e.g. 640x480, 800x600, 1024x768, etc.)
there is also a 16 bit colour mode (I think 640x480), i.e. 2^16 = 65536
colours.

A Fax I have from Tseng Labs says that their ET4000 chip set already has
the speed and ability (for the 1 MB cards) to handle this standard, and
that they can be upgraded to XGA compatibility with a new DAC chip,
clock chip, and BIOS.  According to the Fax TLI plan to release this
upgrade in "the second quarter of 1991", i.e. April to June.  As far as
I know it isn't out yet (i.e. I haven't heard anything), but I could be
wrong.  If so, please tell me.

Judging by previous Tseng products I believe that this upgrade will
produce a damn good graphics card - it already is, as far as I am
concerned.  I am very happy with the existing TL4000, and I will be
getting the upgrade as soon as I hear about it.  I have no relationship
with TLI other than as a satisfied customer (although if they are
willing to pay me for this ad I won't complain ;-).

>If yes, are there any drivers to use this mode within windows 3.0 ?
I assume that, if it is possible, they will send out a disk with the
drivers when you get the upgrade.  I don't know if it is possible,
however - Windows might have a fit (it generally does, in my experience
;-).  If the drivers are "independent" of Windows I see no problems.

>There is a 140k sized file in 'tsng4311.zip' - what is it for ?
I got the proper disks with the card, and none of them have a file by
this name.  Seeing as you haven't bothered to give the 140K filename, I
suppose I'll have to check all the ones I got. <trudge, trudge, check,
check, mumble, mumble, whirr, whirr :-> 

The only one I can find near that size is "tlivga4.386" (142K).  This
contains Windows graphics screen drivers for a certain machine type (and
probably display type), and so is useless to you unless you have
a) Windows, b) that machine and display (this is from looking at the
setup.inf file).  The TLI stands for Tseng Labs International, so that's
no help.  Fas as I know, it will be used automatically when you install
Windows and use the Tseng drivers, so otherwise, forget it.

>Thanks in advance
I'd prefer money ;-}

Peter K. Campbell
Email:  p.campbell@trl.oz.au