Re: Question....

[spec@vax2.concordia.ca (Mitchell Spector)]

In article p.krass@genie.com (Paul Krass) writes...

[referring to the Second Sight]

>  Image display quality is JUST LIKE on a PC or Mac.

    Well to be more accurate here, the quality will be just like a PC
video card with an Oak chipset, as that is what is used by the Second
Sight (the Oak 087). FYI, the Oak is lowest rated VGA chip around, it
is rock bottom in terms of quality (and price, the reason Sequential
Systems choice it. A petty move on their part if you ask me).

    Besides, not all VGA cards in my experience are equal, even if
they have the _exact_ same specifications. For example, I have two
S3 Trio video cards made by two different companies (indentical in
function and features in every way) but one is blurry and the other
is crystal sharp. It's a subtle difference, but I notice it. I can
almost bet the Second Sight is lesser in quality when compared side
by side with with another video card on the same monitor, displaying
the same image or even text.

>Tho, it still takes longer..but the software for the SS is faster than
>most other GS viewers.

    That's interesting, does it use the Z180 to help decompress and
decode the image, or did the authors just optimize and tweak things
in software better than standard Super-Hi-Res JPEG viewers? (well,
all two of them ;)

    I gave up using the IIgs for viewing JPEG images, it took ages
before the image was up on screen. In contrast, there is zero wait
time to view them on my PC (they quite literally appear *instantly*,
and I only have a 486). Decompressing GIF images is at least within
reason on the GS, especially with something highly optimized like
Brutal Deluxe's Convert 3200. I still use that today if I want to
move graphics from my PC over to the IIgs.

Mitchell Spector
spec@vax2.concordia.ca