[DuoList] Duo 280c Graphics/Display Granularity

[Clark Martin]

At 1:52 AM +0100 2/22/05, Alex Wenzel wrote:
>Hi,
>
>I recently bought a used 280c on ebay and it shows something I have never
>seen before on any Powerbook (or other notebook) I had: The display on the
>screen is a little grainy, so that the menu bar, menus and the desktop look
>slightly chequered. It's *very* slightly on the desktop/menu bar (more
>visible towards the corners), but quite obvious in the menus. It seems to be
>about the same in all colour depths.
>I also have a PB 180c, which has the same display (?), and I cannot see that
>granularity there.
>This is my first duo (although I acquired another one, a 2300c, shortly
>afterwards, which doesn't show that effect), so I don't know if that's
>"normal".
>Does anyone else also know that effect or can positively confirm that the
>graphics chip or display on this particular unit is defective?
>TIA for help.

Check to see what your color depth is.  256 colors can do this if you 
have a picture up on the display (including a desktop picture). 
Since you only have 256 colors to display and a picture can use a lot 
more than 256 colors it has to share some colors making the display 
grainy.  You can switch to thousands of colors but it will limit the 
display to 640x400 instead of 640x480.

The 2300c has more video memory so it can display thousands at full resolution.
-- 
Clark Martin
Redwood City, CA, USA
Macintosh / Internet Consulting

"I'm a designated driver on the Information Super Highway"