https://github.com/86Box/86Box/issues

The screenshot of the emulator is just for reference, the question is; why can't I display images inline in CGA/EGA?

I think that those logos make use of VGA's ability to load custom text fonts.
So it's perhaps not using graphics mode, at all, but VGA text-mode.

Mouse drivers and programs like PC-Tools used a so called "TUI" interface (text-mode user interface) based on custom text fonts.
That's how DOS Shell works in VGA display mode, too.

The WinBIOS 486 machine type in PCem/86Box uses a TUI, too.

because you're choosing cga cards and cga/ega clones. It's not ISA vs PCI. VGA-based ISA cards will display the images fine.

What are the advantages of text mode?

How does Windows 1.0 display images in CGA?

maekawa wrote on 2023-05-12, 10:04:

What are the advantages of text mode?

Text data use less memory/storage than graphics data...
80x25 text mode uses 4 KB
standard VGA 640x480x16 graphics mode uses 150 KB

With the slow buses of old PCs, text modes were visibly faster than graphics.

How does Windows 1.0 display images in CGA?

Using graphics mode, 640x200 with 2 colors.

Grzyb wrote on 2023-05-12, 10:40:

maekawa wrote on 2023-05-12, 10:04:

How does Windows 1.0 display images in CGA?

Using graphics mode, 640x200 with 2 colors.

True. Though not all applications fit that low screen resolution.
Windows 1.x was developed on a platform with a higher-end graphics, a Tandy 2000 (640x400 16c).

Most Windows programs of the '80s were made with EGA in mind (640x350 16c).
Conveniently, Hercules Graphics encapsulates this resolution (has 720x348 mono).

Computers with enhanced CGA, like the Olivetti M24/AT&T 6300, can do that Tandy 2000 resolution, albeit in monochrome.

Jo22 wrote on 2023-05-19, 09:06:

Windows 1.x was developed on a platform with a higher-end graphics, a Tandy 2000 (640x400 16c).

Can't see any Tandy option in Windows 1.01, nor any other 640x400 hardware.
The best is EGA.
Notable is the lack of PGC support - I guess the PGC was best suited for vector-oriented graphics in CAD software, but it wasn't good at raster operations typical for GUI systems.

Grzyb wrote on 2023-05-19, 17:44:

Can't see any Tandy option in Windows 1.01, nor any other 640x400 hardware. The best is EGA. Notable is the lack of PGC support […]
Show full quote

Jo22 wrote on 2023-05-19, 09:06:

Windows 1.x was developed on a platform with a higher-end graphics, a Tandy 2000 (640x400 16c).

Can't see any Tandy option in Windows 1.01, nor any other 640x400 hardware.
The best is EGA.
Notable is the lack of PGC support - I guess the PGC was best suited for vector-oriented graphics in CAD software, but it wasn't good at raster operations typical for GUI systems.

I have to admit, Windows 1 was before my time. I've started with Windows 3.1x pretty much, but also used Windows 2.03 occasionally (we had it on 5,25" floppies).

Hm. Maybe Windows 1.x existed in an OEM version for Tandy?
The 2000 wasn't 100% PC compatible, I heard, because it was based on 80186.

Here's a picture of Windows 1.0 on Tandy 2000.
https://www.homecomputermuseum.nl/en/collecti … ndy/tandy-2000/

The Tandy 2000 colour limitation of 8 colours on screen out of 16 seems still to exist in Windows 2.x.

If run with 16c EGA/VGA drivers, Windows 2.03 does still tend to limit itself to using 8c, as far as I remember.

I've noticed that while using Easel picture viewer, at least. Maybe that's a limitation of the application, also. 🤷‍♂️

Jo22 wrote on 2023-05-19, 18:14:

Hm. Maybe Windows 1.x existed in an OEM version for Tandy?
The 2000 wasn't 100% PC compatible, I heard, because it was based on 80186.

OK, according to Wikipedia, "A modified version of Windows 1.0 was able to run on the Tandy 2000".