Suggestions on big screen display systems for Xenix & X

[Chuck Forsberg WA7KGX]

I have a Microfield T8 graphics board with a developmental
Microfield X server and device driver driving a Mutisbushi 19
inch monitor interlaced.  (I picked up the monitor cheap,
that's why it's interlaced.) This operates at 1280x1024x8 (256
colors) resolution.  Vallejho's Dragon Lady is just awesome on
this beast (drgnldy.gif).

A few things you should understand.  IMO X on Unix et al must
be able to provide the equivalent display power of several
easy to read 80x24 screens.  If not, X is just a toy and you
will find yourself switching back to a readable text display
to get your work done.

If you go color, this requires a monitor with top flight
convergence and an incredible number of pixels.  For a 19 inch
monitor, a 23 mm dot pitch might be sufficient.  31 mm dot
pitch on a 19 inch screen doesn't cut it IMHO.  Please note
that I's not talking about the adapter's resolution here, I'm
talking about the MONITOR's resolution here.

You also need a display board that can do hardware BLITs
quickly enough to make xterm workable.  Turn on Xterm's
scrollbar and see how quickly you can scroll with it.  It
really does work if your server can hack it quickly enough.

Another impediment to a workaday X windows system is xterm
itself.  Xterm is designed for high res monochrome displays
and has essentially no concept of color.  This is not a good
match for PC traditions which use dim, bright, and multiple
colors on modest resolutions to express information.  Even an
IBM Monochrome display adapter has two colors, regular and hi
intensity available to escape sequences.  In X windows there
is only one white, and it is really high intensity white.  X
needs an xterm that understands SCO's setcolor program.

On a positive note, I got the Xlife program that drifted over
the net recently to compile and run essentially right out of
the box.