Graphics were utilized with PC hardware earlier than first graphic card was invented. The first PC graphic to be utilized on PC was in 1940s, when Whirlwind developed for the U.S. Navy. This was a flight simulator that finds things.

Sketchpad was a software program utilized on a TX-2 PC with a monitor and light pen. Sketchpad drew images on a PC.

Graphics Made Using a Programming Language

1. Alan Kay utilizes Sutherland's thought to made Alto in 1970. It was a GUI program that utilized symbols to do PC work. The code from a programming was component of GUI, but concealed in background.

Video games were being developed with graphics. Programming languages like COBOL and FORTRAN were utilized to execute basic operations on mainframes and minicomputers. In 1952, A.S. Douglas, a doctoral student, made a graphic tic-tac-toe game using an algorithm, or a procedure. The game was played on an EDSAC vacuum tube PC with a cathode ray tube monitor. In 1972, Nolan Bushnell made Atari brand and made Pong. With Ivan Sutherland's success in developing Sketchpad program, PC programmers started using programming languages to create PC graphics and design software applications.

International Business Machines Company

2. In 1965, IBM made primary graphic display device. The IBM 1130 PC was utilized with IBM 2250 display unit. The IBM 2250 was a cathode ray tube, which utilized programmed software from IBM 1130. The images were drawn on a screen using a light pen and shown vector graphics.

Graphic Types

3. Raster and vector graphics are utilized on a PC to show images. Raster graphics utilizes pixels, small dots that connect to a bitmap grid. Every pixel is located on a particular place depending on drawing. If graphic is a line, it looks smooth. But after graphic is expanded, it shows distorted or fuzzy. Vector graphics utilizes a point-to-point math scale. Using a math scale, vector graphics have a definite path for points, lines and curves. The images are clearer, even when increased.

Graphic Card

4. Previously cathode ray tubes were utilized to show graphics and appeared like a TV set. In 1980s, firstly IBM create graphics card. The monochrome display adapter and color graphics adapter were connect tools that linked to CRT. The MDA card had 4 kilobytes of memory that could hold 720 by 350 pixels and could show 25 rows of 80 characters. The CGA had 16 kilobytes of memory and 160 by 200 pixels. The CGS had two kinds of resolution for text and three kinds for graphics. IBM would then develop Enhanced Graphics Adapter, Video Graphics Array, Extended Graphics Array, Ultra Extended Graphics Array and the Super Video Graphics Array.

Advances

5. In 1990s, IBM created Extended Video Graphics Array with monitors and projectors. EVGA has 1024 by 768 pixels and shows 256 colors. Intel has created Accelerated Graphics Port Digital Display card. When adapter card is connected to Intel 865G chip, it can be utilized as an output device for TV, digital displays and monitors. The ARG adapter has a resolution of 2048 by 1536 pixels and 16.7 million colors.

Current Trend

6. Now graphic cards are not being created only for PC use. Companies like NVIDIA and ATI are creating 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional graphic cards for gaming. Video consoles like PlayStation and GameBoy utilize these graphic cards for video display.