CompuServe Messages

Russ, VGA graphic quality is quite good, and in a number of ways is better than the Amiga graphic capabilities, as long as one is talking strictly in terms of a static display of a graphic image. Once we get into the area of changing images, then there really is no contest. Because of the abilities of the custom chips in the Amiga, graphics data can be manipulated much faster, and at the same time that other processing is occurring. On a VGA equipped machine, then the CPU has to perform all of the memory moving operations required for changing the display image. With the amount of memory involved to create the full-screen display (or even a partial screen display), that's an awful lot of CPU cycles being spent for display support. The Amiga software is able to use the blitter to allow most of the memory manipulation processes to occur with practically no work (other than setting up the blitter calls) required of the CPU. Consequently, as soon as you start talking about animation-type displays (and/or games) where the displayed images need to be modified quickly, the VGA must plead "no contest" or at least beg for a '386 to provide the needed CPU horsepower. Hope this helps….BobR