PhoenixView/XG claimed as first XGA video BIOS – Phoenix Technologies Inc.’s video basic input output system for IBM’s Extended Graphics Array – Product Announcement
Grant Buckler
PhoenixView/XG Claimed As First XGA Video BIOS 11/12/92 NORWOOD, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 12 (NB) — Phoenix Technologies has introduced PhoenixView/XG, which the company claims is the industry’s first video basic input-output system (BIOS) for IBM’s high-performance Extended Graphics Array (XGA) video standard.
Available immediately, PhoenixView/XG can be used with the G200 and G201 XGA chip sets from SGS Thomson Microelectronics, the vendor said. Phoenix sells its BIOS products to other manufacturers for use in their personal computer products.
The XGA video standard provides higher screen and color resolution than the more common VGA and Super VGA standards. It can display 256 simultaneous colors at 1024 by 768 screen resolution, or 65,536 colors at 640 by 480 resolution. XGA also executes graphics operations faster by using a graphics coprocessor.
The standard is designed to be compatible with Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) requirements and is optimized to accelerate Microsoft Windows and OS/2 graphics.
To date, only IBM sells computers using the XGA standard. Michael Deutsch, a spokesman for Phoenix, said some of his company’s customers will show PCs using the new Phoenix BIOS at the Comdex/Fall show in Las Vegas November 16-20, and will have small quantities of the systems available for sale shortly after.
The XGA standard will add little to the cost of the systems, Deutsch said.
Working with IBM and SGS Thomson Microelectronics, Phoenix claims it developed the PhoenixView/XG to be easily configurable. For example, the company said, some parts of PhoenixView/XG are available in compact ROM-based form, or in terminate-and-stay- resident (TSR) form to allow better monitor-specific support or to support different extended video modes. Also, PC makers can load monitor-specific information in read-only memory (ROM) or make it available in a DOS file.
In addition to various forms of source and object code licenses, the company said PhoenixView/XG is also available in customized format through its custom engineering program. Customization options include customer-specific code development or optimization and system ROM configuration. Phoenix will develop support for customers’ extensions to the XGA standard, and to match the hardware specifications of different monitors exactly.
Phoenix also markets two other lines of video BIOS: PhoenixView/LC for portable computers with liquid-crystal and plasma screens, and PhoenixView/DT for desktop computers.
(Grant Buckler/19921111/Press Contact: Saurin Pandya, Phoenix Technologies, 408-452-6834; Michael Deutsch, Phoenix Technologies, 617-551-4184; Public Contact: Phoenix, 408-452-6834)
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