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The "Not Quite Amiga but still computer related category" => Alternative Operating Systems => Topic started by: cynkronyze on February 04, 2008, 11:36:56 PM

Title: C128 Graphics Booster.............I am stunned !!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: cynkronyze on February 04, 2008, 11:36:56 PM
Did you guys know about this? (http://www.c128.net/pdf/GB128_Manual.en.pdf)

more on the graphic booster

here (http://www.c128.net/pdf/GB128_Manual.en.pdf)
Title: Re: C128 Graphics Booster.............I am stunned !!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: weirdami on February 04, 2008, 11:40:12 PM
Finally, C=128 users could take advantage of the mega graphics software that had been languishing on the shelves.
Title: Re: C128 Graphics Booster.............I am stunned !!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: redrumloa on February 04, 2008, 11:59:10 PM
Yes, I have heard of it. Unfortunately you would have much more luck buying a Commodore 65. This GFX enhancement is about as rare as the Holy Grail itself. I have never heard of a single unit ever being owned.
Title: Re: C128 Graphics Booster.............I am stunned !!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: weirdami on February 05, 2008, 12:24:34 AM
Was it probably like they would build one when it was ordered type deal maybe? I don't really see why anyone would have bought one in the first place.
Title: Re: C128 Graphics Booster.............I am stunned !!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: redrumloa on February 05, 2008, 12:31:21 AM
Quote

weirdami wrote:
Was it probably like they would build one when it was ordered type deal maybe? I don't really see why anyone would have bought one in the first place.


You kidding me? If released today they would sell in the hundreds or thousands. AFAIK the company was tiny and didn't have funding to mass produce, IIRC they advertised but didn't sell many if any.
Title: Re: C128 Graphics Booster.............I am stunned !!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: AMC258 on February 05, 2008, 01:15:07 AM
I quote the Cat: "So, what is it?"
Title: Re: C128 Graphics Booster.............I am stunned !!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: weirdami on February 05, 2008, 02:22:36 AM
@redrummloa

I was talking about back then. :-P Of course, I know that today, it would be worth millions!!!!  :angel:
Title: Re: C128 Graphics Booster.............I am stunned !!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: DaBest on February 05, 2008, 05:35:01 AM
No really......What is it ??
Title: Re: C128 Graphics Booster.............I am stunned !!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: AmiDog on February 05, 2008, 06:44:17 AM
AFAIK the graphics booster just adds a few new basic commands and came with a 64kb VDC RAM upgrade as most C128s only had 16kb which is not enough for the higher resolutions. (64kb VDC upgrades can usually be found on eBay.) The C128 VDC chip is rather flexible and support interlace, so it can easily handle 640x400 and above, assuming your monitor is up to the task. (You need a monitor which can handle RGBI.)
Title: Re: C128 Graphics Booster.............I am stunned !!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: bloodline on February 05, 2008, 09:17:12 AM
Quote

AMC258 wrote:
I quote the Cat: "So, what is it?"


Ahhh, now I believe we've reached the middle of this conversation!
Title: Re: C128 Graphics Booster.............I am stunned !!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: Plaz on February 05, 2008, 10:42:05 AM
I might be missing some thing, but it looks like it just extends basic commands. Not very differnt from a basic/asm program I wrote years ago for graphics and sprite animations tools that I used long with the 128's banked memory assests.

Plaz
Title: Re: C128 Graphics Booster.............I am stunned !!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: Ral-Clan on February 05, 2008, 03:09:50 PM
Again, discussion like this (about Commodore 8-bit stuff) should be moved to the "Alternative Operating Systems" forum.  This is the forum for Amiga software discussion.
Title: Re: C128 Graphics Booster.............I am stunned !!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: Agafaster on February 05, 2008, 03:18:59 PM
Quote

AMC258 wrote:
I quote the Cat: "So, what is it?"


I quote Lister: "Its a big orange whirly thing in space"
Title: Re: C128 Graphics Booster.............I am stunned !!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: redrumloa on February 05, 2008, 04:22:48 PM
Quote

ral-clan wrote:
Again, discussion like this (about Commodore 8-bit stuff) should be moved to the "Alternative Operating Systems" forum.  This is the forum for Amiga software discussion.


Correct, it has been moved.
Title: Re: C128 Graphics Booster.............I am stunned !!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: jj on February 05, 2008, 04:26:07 PM
God some people are so anal about silly things, like what forum a thread is in. Who really gives a crap
Title: Re: C128 Graphics Booster.............I am stunned !!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: redrumloa on February 05, 2008, 05:49:49 PM
Look at the resolutions it provides. The VDC only gives 640x400 in interlace mode.
Title: Re: C128 Graphics Booster.............I am stunned !!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: AmiDog on February 06, 2008, 06:47:27 AM
Quote
Look at the resolutions it provides. The VDC only gives 640x400 in interlace mode.

No it doesn't. The VDC can be setup to provide just about any resolution as you can freely set just about every timing aspect of it. Any VDC with 64kb RAM can do 720x700. Think of 640x400 as the pixel resolution and 720x700 as overscan if you like.
Title: Re: C128 Graphics Booster.............I am stunned !!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: redrumloa on February 06, 2008, 02:10:29 PM
Quote

AmiDog wrote:
No it doesn't. The VDC can be setup to provide just about any resolution as you can freely set just about every timing aspect of it. Any VDC with 64kb RAM can do 720x700. Think of 640x400 as the pixel resolution and 720x700 as overscan if you like.


Thanks for clearing this up, I was unaware. Wouldn't anything beyond 480 vertical be outside the viewable range of NTSC?
Title: Re: C128 Graphics Booster.............I am stunned !!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: AmiDog on February 07, 2008, 06:15:11 AM
Quote
Wouldn't anything beyond 480 vertical be outside the viewable range of NTSC?

Good question, I'm in PAL land so I don't know for sure. But maybe a CGA (or compatible) monitor required to view the RGBI signal generated by the VDC does not have PAL/NTSC issues, or the highest resolutions only work on PAL.