Re: Second Sight and DHR?

[gt8624a@prism.gatech.edu (William Sheldon Simms)]

In article <Dpwz4H.22z@boss.cs.ohiou.edu>,
Stavros Robert Karatsoridis <skaratso@oucsace.cs.ohiou.edu> wrote:
>
>I remember reading something a while back that the Second Sight Board did
>not support Double Hi-res and a few of the other older Apple II modes.
>Does the current Second Sight Card support ALL of the Apple IIgs display
>modes?

No, it still doesn't support double hires or double low res. It also can't
display mixed graphics and 80 column text. I called Sequential and they said
they are currently working on those modes.

I have to say though, that this lack is not a valid reason to decide to buy
or not to buy a SecondSight card. Why? because the card can never eliminate
the need for a regular Applecolor RGB plugged into the video port of the
IIgs. It is not fast enough to handle screen updates smoothly while emulating
Apple IIgs games and demos. I like my card and I'm glad I bought it, but
it is not now, nor will it ever be, the only display on my IIgs. It works
fine in the finder and in desktop programs. It is brilliant in text mode,
buteven if every graphics mode is implemented completely, The SecondSight
card will never be fast to play some games, and it will never support
scanline interrupts (3200 mode, Border effect demos, etc). So don't think
of getting the SecondSight because your Applecolor RGB is broken. Think
of getting the SecondSight because you want to be kind on your eyes, and
because you want to take advantage of new software that is slowly, painfully
crawling towards the light of day.

-Sheldon

P.S. I don't mean to imply that all games won't work. Things like Cogito,
The Tinies, etc. Look and work great (except for the 3200 mode splash screens).
Also, I'll be uploading a SecondSight-aware version of Omega GS (not the
tank game) to binaries tuesday and my complete curses package, which now
includes automatic SecondSight (text mode) support probably on Wednesday.
That package will include a library, object file, complete source code,
and some sample programs.

-- 
 W. Sheldon Simms III
 gt8624a@prism.gatech.edu 
 Newt's Friend / Vote Republican / End the welfare state now!