To: ark AT mpak DOT convey DOT ru
Cc: opendos AT delorie DOT com
Subject: Re: Official word
Message-ID: <19970617.174826.6407.2.editor@juno.com>
References: <113 AT mpak DOT convey DOT ru>
From: editor AT juno DOT com (Bruce Morgen)
Date: Tue, 17 Jun 1997 17:50:02 EDT
Precedence: bulk


On Wed, 18 Jun 1997 00:01:06 RST ark AT mpak DOT convey DOT ru (-= ArkanoiD =-)
writes:
>In message <19970617 DOT 101506 DOT 6407 DOT 0 DOT editor AT juno DOT com> editor AT juno DOT com 
>(Bruce Morgen) writes:
>> 
>> >> WebSpyder is based on Arachne by Michael Polak of XChaos 
>Software. 
>> >Caldera
>> >> has partnered with XChaos to produce a version of Arachne that 
>will
>> >> address OEM market opportunities.
>> >
>> >Will it support CGA and HGC? Polak said NO - about Arachne..
>> >--- 
>> Keep in mind the Caldera is targeting 
>> an OEM market and that CGA is not a 
>> viable OEM option in 1997 -- nobody's 
>> building the monitors, and the 
>> resolution isn't conducive to even 
>> minimal graphical content.
>
>Just one word: palmtops.
>
Having worked in that sector of 
the industry for a couple of 
years, I can testify that 
anything other than a text-based 
browser on the typical industrial 
palmtop (XT architecture with CGA 
approximated on a monochrome LCD) 
is just plain silly.

>>  HGA could 
>> have some use to OEMs, but a 256KB 
>> VGA card/circuit and a VGA monochrome 
>> tube makes a lot more sense,
>
>Ever seen *green* [S]VGA tube? I tried to find one for a long time.
>No success. Another thing: ever seen _cheap_ VGA that can work as 
>second display controller?
>
I'm not disputing the value of 
Hercules cards and tubes, just the 
value of a graphics-capable 
browser on that type of display 
hardware.  Most of the SVGA 
monochrome monitors I've seen are 
amber or "paper white," green is 
pretty much extinct in these parts, 
even for MDA or Hercules systems.

>> very much more than an HGA equivalent.  
>> Having actually run Windows 3.1 with a 
>> Hercules card and monitor, I simply 
>> don't see it as making sense for a 
>> graphics-capable browser.
>
>I prefer HGC for most applications i use.
>
At this point, the only monochrome 
systems in use here are a couple 
of V30-based Ampro development 
systems and one machine running as 
a server, everything else is SVGA.  
One of those SVGA systems does have 
an original 1986 NEC Multi-Sync 
monitor, which I find too small for 
comfortable web browsing, even at 
640x480 w/256c.