Q35240: On IBM PS/2 MCGA, SCREEN 1 and 2 Are Monochrome

Article: Q35240
Product(s): See article
Version(s): 4.00 4.00b 4.50
Operating System(s): MS-DOS
Keyword(s): ENDUSER | B_BasicCom | mspl13_basic
Last Modified: 16-DEC-1989

The Multi-Color Graphics Array (MCGA) adapter is the video subsystem
integrated into the IBM PS/2 Models 25 and 30. MCGA combines modes of
both the Color Graphics Adapter (CGA) and the Video Graphics Array
(VGA) graphic display cards.

The modes of the MCGA have colors and attributes, but its
CGA-emulation modes have no way to assign colors to attributes within
BASIC programs. In other words, there are effectively no colors for
SCREEN 1 and 2 on the MCGA (or CGA) in BASIC -- the output is white on
black.

Note that the color capabilities for SCREEN 11 and SCREEN 13 are
identical for MCGA and VGA.

This information applies to Microsoft QuickBASIC Versions 4.00 4.00b
and 4.50, to Microsoft BASIC Compiler Versions 6.00 and 6.00b, for
MS-DOS and MS OS/2, and to Microsoft BASIC PDS Version 7.00 for MS-DOS
and MS OS/2.

The following book from Microsoft Press describes video details more
completely:

   "Programmer's Guide to PC & PS/2 Video Systems: Maximum Video
   Performance from the EGA, VGA, HGC, and MCGA" by Richard Wilton (1987)

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