If Inmos International Plc’s high resolution colour video controller chips (CI No 1,493) are as successful as its colour look up table, we could see the chip becoming the definitive standard for workstation manufacturers. Inmos has already hinted at a couple of deals with unamed companies, to be announced during the year. Those are bound to include some sort of contract with at least one of the big four – Sun, Hewlett-Packard, IBM and DEC. Inmos is hoping that the chips will follow the success of its look up table and become a de facto standard in graphic and multimedia systems. The IMS G171 colour look up table was launched in 1984 and immediately adopted by IBM in its PS/2 range, for its VGA graphics systems. And MS-DOS clone manufacturers in Europe and the Far East are also designing G17X range into their personal computers. Although Inmos is most famous for its Transputer chips, around one third of its business is in the graphics arena, more, in terms of turnover. Moct of that is from sales of its colour look up table range, but Inmos says its first colour video controller chip, the IMSG300 has sold tens of thousands. As well as selling chips to computer manufacturers, Inmos is hoping to capture the a slice of the X terminal market in particular, as well as selling the parts for use in personal computer add-in circuits. The IMSG364 and IMSG332 will be shipped in the autumn, priced at $95 and $125 respectively.
