Topic: Is possible to buy Graphic Booster 128????

[MIRKOSOFT]

Hi!


I was reading one topic about GB 3.0.
There was written that if I want 256 no-dithering color it needs special hardware and if yes, it produces 65000+ dithering colors.
Also there was written about any wire from VDC-RAM to U34 (?not sure?) free socket...


So, my Q is simple:


Is still possible to buy Graphic Booster 128 with this hardware?


(I have two C128 - one is DCR PAL with 64kB VDC-RAM and 2nd is standard PAL with 16kB VDC-RAM)

[tokra]

You can download a clone of the software here:

http://www.c128.net/infos/gb128info.htm

The "hardware" part really only was the update to 64K RAM. Apparantly Combo used a specialized way to do this: Since the VDC-RAM isn't socketed mostly, but the VDC chip is, you had to remove the VDC chip, put the board in its place and put your VDC chip on the board.

Later when the 128DCR came out Combo sold a software-only version, since the computer already had the 64K VDC.

The 256 or 65000 colors are pretty close to a lie I think. It's possible to get some strange colors on the Commodore 1901 Monitor if you shift the picture to the right (or using the VDC registes to do this I think). But I haven't seen any useful implementation of this. And from what I know about the Graphic Booster it only does this by dithering and interlace. Certainly NO special hardware that only Graphic Booster had.

[RobertB]

The "hardware" part really only was the update to 64K RAM. Apparantly Combo used a specialized way to do this: Since the VDC-RAM isn't socketed mostly, but the VDC chip is, you had to remove the VDC cheap, put the board in its place and put your VDC chip on the board.

     Oh, you mean it's like the CLD 64k video ram expansion board for the C128?

              Still in England,
              Robert Bernardo
              Fresno Commodore User Group
              http://videocam.net.au/fcug
              July 24-25 Commodore Vegas Expo 2010 - http://www.portcommodore.com/commvex

[wte]

     Oh, you mean it's like the CLD 64k video ram expansion board for the C128?

Yes, that is all of the hardware secret.