[1] : The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03)

bitmap display
     
         a computer output device where each pixel
        displayed on the monitor screen corresponds directly to one
        or more bits in the computer's video memory.  such a
        display can be updated extremely rapidly since changing a
        pixel involves only a single processor write to memory
        compared with a terminal or vdu connected via a serial
        line where the speed of the serial line limits the speed at
        which the display can be changed.
     
        most modern personal computers and workstations have
        bitmap displays, allowing the efficient use of graphical user
        interfaces, interactive graphics and a choice of on-screen
        fonts.  some more expensive systems still delegate graphics
        operations to dedicated hardware such as graphics
        accelerators.
     
        the bitmap display might be traced back to the earliest days
        of computing when the manchester university mark i?
        computer, developed by f.c. williams and t. kilburn shortly
        after the second world war.  this used a storage tube as its
        working memory.  phosphor dots were used to store single
        bits of data which could be read by the user and interpreted
        as binary numbers.
     
        is this history correct?  was it ever used to display
        "graphics"?  what was the resolution?
     
        2002-05-15
     
     
see also:
pixel monitor bits video memory terminal vdu 
personal computers workstations graphical user interfaces fonts graphics accelerators 
storage tube working memory 

Bitmap >> B Words
Bitmap, definition of term: Bitmap
bitmap_pag1.html

Display >> D Words
Display, definition of term: Display
display_pag1.html

Display Termina >> D Words
Display Termina, definition of term: Display Termina
display+termina_pag1.html

Display Panel >> D Words
Display Panel, definition of term: Display Panel
display+panel_pag1.html

Digital Display >> D Words
Digital Display, definition of term: Digital Display
digital+display_pag1.html