Fresh Fish 9/FreshFishVol9-CD2.bin/bbs/reviews/graphics.lha/graphics/EGSSpectrum

Internet Message Format | 1993-10-12 | 6.6 KB

Path: menudo.uh.edu!usenet
From: [e-mail] (Bo Najdrovsky)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.reviews
Subject: MINI-REVIEW: EGS Spectrum 28/24 graphics card
Followup-To: comp.sys.amiga.graphics
Date: 12 Oct 1993 12:59:33 GMT
Organization: The Amiga Online Review Column - ed. Daniel Barrett
Lines: 145
Sender: [e-mail] (comp.sys.amiga.reviews moderator)
Distribution: world
Message-ID: <29e9nl$[e-mail]>
Reply-To: [e-mail] (Bo Najdrovsky)
NNTP-Posting-Host: karazm.math.uh.edu
Keywords: hardware, graphics, 24-bit, Zorro III, commercial


PRODUCT NAME

    EGS Spectrum 28/24


BRIEF DESCRIPTION

    The EGS Spectrum is a high performance Zorro II/III graphics adapter
for the Amiga series computers.  It provides users with high resolution and
color depth capability.


AUTHOR/COMPANY INFORMATION

    Name:        Great Valley Products, Inc.
    Address:    637 Clark Ave.
             King Of Prussia, PA 19406
            USA

    Telelphone:    [phone]
    Fax:        [phone]


LIST PRICE

    $599.00 (US) for the 2MB RAM version.  I paid $540.


SPECIAL HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS

    Amiga with a Zorro slot.
    AmigaDOS 2.04 or greater.
    Minimum of 2 MB of RAM.


COPY PROTECTION

    None.


MACHINE USED FOR TESTING

    My current setup:

    o    Amiga 3000/25 with 2 CHIP 4 FAST, rev. 11 Super Buster chip
    o    IV24 frame buffer/genlock
    o    BCD2000A single frame controller
    o    EMPLANT Macintosh emulation card (deluxe version)
    o    Mitsubishi Diamondscan 1381A multisync monitor
    o    Texel DM5024 CD-ROM drive.
    o    OS 2.1 and OS 3.1


REVIEW

    Dan read my initial post on comp.sys.amiga.graphics regarding this
card, and suggested that I submit it as a mini-review.  Therefore, I'm
including my original posting, and some further experiences I've had with
the board since I got it.

    On Friday, October 8th, I received my EGS Spectrum 28/24 2MB version.
This card is GREAT!  I shall never yearn for AGA again. :-) It came with the
EGS system software (obviously), and some miscellaneous EGS toys like Tetris,
a function plotter, and a dock program (a la ToolManager). The installation
was totally painless.  I just double-clicked on the Install icon which
invoked the C= Installer program, and away I went.  A note here for those
getting the board:  be sure to select the Advanced User option, so that you
can select between 68030 and 68000 versions of the libraries.  In the
Intermediate user setting, it will install the 68000 version by default.
Once the installation is done, you just reboot, and POOOF!:  your Amiga has a
bunch of new screen modes.

    Some of the preset modes that GVP provides tend to flicker a bit too
much for my taste.  This is because they are designed to fit a wider range
of multisync monitors (hence, smaller scan rate numbers).  Since I have the
Mitsubishi Diamondscan 1381A monitor, I used the included EGS program for
designing your own screen modes, and created a virtually flicker-free
1024x768 90Hz screen mode.  The included 800x600 24 bit mode is
noninterlaced, but the refresh rate is something like 45 Hz, so it looks
worse then PAL.  So, I created my own 800x600x16 mode which is rock solid.
This mode is great for running EGS Paint.  Speaking of which, I've played
with it a bit, but not enough to really give you guys an in-depth overview.
All I can say is that my first impression was very favorable.  I also had a
PC clone owning friend here when I installed the stuff, and when I brought up
EGS paint, and loaded the included 24 bit picture, he just said "Wow, my PC
sure can't do that!"  I gotta tell ya, I don't usually get into these stupid
MCIBTYC ("My Computer Is Better Than Your Computer") wars, but hearing that
statement sure made me feel warm and fuzzy.  :-)

    Finally, I want to report one annoyance.  When I select any of the
EGS screen modes as the default Workbench screen and reboot, all I get is a
white screen, I know that Workbench is loaded because my hotkeys work (if I
hit Alt-F1, a shell gets loaded).  The Workbench functions just fine if I
switch into the EGS mode AFTER the whole system has booted into Amiga screen
mode.  This problem disappeared when I switched from AmigaDOS 2.1 to 3.1 (I
work for a registered developer).

    Here is some new information since I posted my original review in
c.s.a.graphics.  Since then, I've installed OS 3.1 on my system as I said.
My Amiga now boots directly into 1024x768 256-color Workbench.  Note that I
was not able to use 256 colors under 2.1, though some folks E-mailed me and
told me that they got it to work.  I should point out that the 256-color
Workbench is MUCH faster than what I've seen on an A4000 using AGA.  Moving
windows around is as fast as 2 bit (4 color) regular Amiga screen.  I
noticed that using WBPattern Prefs or a background picture slows the redraws
down considerably, so I decided not to use it.

    On software compatibility side, thus far I have tested Final Copy
II, PageStream 2.2, Term 3.3, Postview 1.1, and EMPLANT.  All of these
programs work flawlessly in EGS screenmodes.  FCII needs to run on the
Workbench, but it handles the 256 colors very well.  PS 2.2 also runs on the
Workbench, but it does not take advantage of the color.  However, it most
certainly benefits from the high resolution.  Term 3.3 seems like a
different program.  I've always used VLT because there was nothing faster. I
tried Term once before, but stopped using it, because it was slow -- well, no
more.  Using the screen database, I selected a 640x480 VGA screen, and it
runs as fast as it normally would on a 1 or 2 bitplane screen.  Postview
also uses the screen database, so it was able to open its own 1024x768
screen without any problems.  Finally, there's my EMPLANT. This was one of
the reasons I got the card in the first place, and I am not disappointed.
The Mac display emulation seems faster than our Mac IIci at the office.


CONCLUSION

    After only owning the card for less than a week, I can confidently
say that it's the best Amiga purchase I've ever made.  This card is fast,
well integrates into current the Amiga system, and truly delivers what it
promises.  Originally, I was a bit jealous of my AGA equipped friends,
however now I'm glad I've kept my A3000. This card really does take the
Amiga "beyond AGA" as the adverts state.


    This review is Copyright 1993 by Bo Najdrovsky.  You may redistribute
it all you like, as long as it remains in its entirety.  If you wish to print
it somewhere, please contact me at [e-mail].

---

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