Viewfinder and Vpod video cards
The RiscPC can have a maximum of 2MB of VRAM (Video RAM). This was more than adequate for use with the small 15" and 17" monitors in common use when it was introduced where the maximum screen resolution was likely to be no more than 1280 x 1024 pixels with 256 colours. However higher resolutions and greater colour depth are now the norm, and for 32,000 colours the maximum standard size with only 2MB of screen RAM is 1024 x 768 pixels.
The Viewfinder graphics card was the answer to these problems. By mounting an 8MB (later 32 MB) PC graphics card on an Acorn 'podule' it allowed much higher screen resolutions with up to 16 million colours to be used.
The Viewfinder is no longer manufactured but we can supply them refurbished and fitted with the Rage 128 32MB graphics card which is the only one which can be used with RISC OS 6. However its place has now been taken by the Vpod.
If you have a Viewfinder and would like to upgrade to a Vpod we can offer part-exchange deals. Price will depend on the type of Viewfinder you have but expect to pay a lot less than certain other people offering upgrades. Contact APDL for details and prices.
Vpod
Vpod is the new video expansion card for the RiscPC or A7000 from Stuart Tyrell Developments. It was announced to much speculation on the 1st of April 2009 and was first demonstrated at the 2009 Wakefield Show. It uses the latest video driver features present in RISC OS 6 and so can only be used with RISC OS 6 and not earlier operating systems.
Vpod provides the following features:
- Hardware acceleration for many common graphics operations giving a very responsive desktop.
- 32MB of on-board VRAM
- 64 colour to 16 million colour modes
- Supports the new 64 thousand colour modes as recently introduced in RISC OS 6
- Auto-detection of monitor capabilities
The Vpod is ideal for the new, cheap widescreen TFT monitors which are now available. A 1680 x 1050 monitor can now be purchased for less than £150, a 1920 x 1080 for not much more and a 1920 x 1200 for less than £200. Although the former size can just be used with a standard RiscPC (but you would be limited to 256 colours) the others are simply too big. With a Vpod you can use these new, cheap widescreen monitors and with up to 16 million colours.
The normal price of the Vpod is £149, however the APDL price is just £139 plus £4 UK carriage or £6 outside UK.
Viewfinder
The Viewfinder graphics card for the RiscPC is no longer manufactured. Unlike the Vpod the Viewfinder can be used with RISC OS 3.7, 4 or 6. However for use with RISC OS 6 it must be fitted with a specific type of Rage 128 32 MB graphics card.
Although new Viewfinders are no longer available we often have refurbished units. These are fitted with the correct version of the Rage 128 card (the only one which works with RISC OS 6) so that even if you have an earlier OS it will still work if you upgrade to RO 6
If you already have a Viewfinder but it is fitted with a different graphics card then we can usually upgrade it to the Rage 128 at a modest cost. Don't delay too long as Rage 128 cards are now becoming rather rare and hard to find. It is best if you return your Viewfinder to us for this as it will require a new backplate and we can then update the firmware and test it and make sure it is working correctly.
We can supply a refurbished Viewfinder fitted with a Rage 128 card for £159 plus £4 UK carriage or £8 carriage outside UK. It is best if you contact us before ordering to make sure we have them in stock.
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