From: gvanvugh@cs.uct.ac.za (Gerhard van Vught)
Subject: Re: Viewing JPEG files
Article-I.D.: cs.C68Mnq.FCq
Organization: Computer Science Department, University of Cape Town
Lines: 36

In <1993Apr28.202500.3384@ucbeh.san.uc.edu> lwilson@ucbeh.san.uc.edu writes:

>Can I view JPEG files without special hardware?
>  
>    Lucy Wilson, Access Services Librarian
>    College of Engineering, University of Cincinnati

Yup.

Most JPEG viewers seem to require specific video drivers since they support
only specific video cards. Some have the standard IBM BIOS video support for
the VGA 320x200 256 colour mode, but they leave out the other cards such as
the Hercules monochrome card (which by the way can give very good picture
quality if your dithering works right).

I can't remember the name of a JPEG viewer since I usually convert JPEG's to
GIF's before viewing them. But some require VESA driver for the video cards.
You don't need any special hardware to view JPEG's except perhaps for a VGA
card and maybe a 286+ processor. Most people these days program for 286+
computers and neglect the rest of the 86 processors (8086, 8088). I have a
8088 clone (a NEC V20 processor) and a Hercules card, I have had to write
some programs so that they will view GIF's and animations for the VGA and other
colour graphics boards on my monochrome Hercules card. I use Floyd-Steinberg
dithers and have found that if one does something neat with the colour palette
the resulting dithered image gives much greater detail than it normally would
when viewed on other monochrome systems. CompuShow 8.50 has FS dithering but
it does the standard thing with the image palette before dithering, my way
gives a brighter more detailed image.

Anyway, enough of my rambling in the wrong direction. The final point is, as
far as I know, you don't need extra hardware to view JPEG's other than the
VGA (and perhaps a 286 or better)

Have a day!

Gerry.