Hercules Graphics Card
| Release date | 1982 |
|---|---|
| Architecture | Motorola 6845 |
| Cards | |
| Entry-level | Hercules Graphics Card |
| Mid-range | Hercules Graphics Card Plus |
| High-end | Hercules InColor Card |
| History | |
| Predecessor | MDA, CGA |
| Successor | Enhanced Graphics Adapter |
The Hercules Graphics Card (HGC) is a computer graphics controller made by Hercules Computer Technology, Inc. that combines IBM's text-only MDA display standard with a bitmapped graphics mode. This allows the HGC to offer both high quality text and graphics from a single card. The HGC was very popular, and became a widely supported de facto display standard on IBM PC compatibles connected to a monochrome monitor. The HGC standard was used long after more technically capable systems had entered the market, especially on dual-monitor setups.
The IBM Personal Computer was launched in 1981 with the Color Graphics Adapter (CGA) expansion card, and the Monochrome Display And Printer Adapter. The CGA offered two basic operating modes: 320×200 pixel (or 40x25 character) low resolution or a 640x200 (or 80×25 characters) pixels high resolution mode. While the low-resolution mode was very comparable to 8-bit home computers of the era, the higher-resolution mode offered a fair advance, used with a suitable monitor (such as the IBM 5153 color display or a composite monitor).
Simultaneously announced, The Monochrome Display and Printer Adapter (MDP), often shortened to Monochrome Display Adapter (MDA), which did not support bit-addressable graphics of any sort, offered a high-quality 80x25 character mode that could be used on monochrome monitors. Since CGA was connectable to cheap composite monitors, and even to home TVs (via RF modulator), CGA was more limited in resolution.
Due to a lack of color dot mask and a dedicated connection without ability to run lower resolution displays, monochrome monitors were sharper than color. The MDP also included a Centronics compatible parallel port for printers.
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