Hercules InColor Card

{{Infobox GPU|name=Hercules InColor Card|image=|codename=|created={{Start date and age|April 1987}}|designfirm=|manufacturer=Hercules Computer Technology, Inc.|transistors=|entry=|midrange=|highend=|enthusiast=|openglversion=|d3dversion=|predecessor=Hercules Graphics Card|successor=|architecture=}}thumb|Simulated Hercules InColor Card 640 x 350 x 16 graphics resolution and color abilities, corrected for aspect ratio|320x320pxThe '''Hercules InColor Card''' (GB222) is an IBM PC compatible 8-bit ISA graphics controller card released in April 1987 by Hercules Computer Technology, Inc.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Brase |first=Thomas |title=Hardware / Hercules Computer Technology, HTC |url=https://retrocmp.de/hardware/hercules-card/hercules-card.htm#hicc |access-date=2023-03-01 |website=retrocmp - retro computing}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=CBR Staff Writer |date=March 1987 |title=PERSONAL GRAPHICS: HERCULES TO BURST INTO 16 COLOURS |work=Tech Monitor |url=https://techmonitor.ai/technology/personal_graphics_hercules_to_burst_into_16_colours}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=HERCULES INCOLOR Trademark - Registration Number 1499309 - Serial Number 73679040 :: Justia Trademarks |url=http://trademarks.justia.com/736/79/hercules-incolor-73679040.html |access-date=2023-03-01 |website=trademarks.justia.com |language=en}}</ref> It supported a fixed hardware palette of 64 colours, with the ability to display {{resx|720×350}} with 16 colours on an EGA monitor and software redefinable fonts.<ref name="Elliot_2012_InColor">{{cite web |title=Hercules InColor Card: Notes |author-first=John C. |author-last=Elliott |date=2012-08-05 |url=http://www.seasip.info/VintagePC/incolor.html |access-date=2016-11-23 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161123123816/http://www.seasip.info/VintagePC/incolor.html |archive-date=2016-11-23}} (Pictures and programming information)</ref><ref name="Wilton_1993">{{cite book |title=Programmer's guide to the PC & PS/2 video systems |author-first=Richard |author-last=Wilton |date=1987 |edition=1st |publisher=Microsoft Press |isbn=1-55615-103-9}} (NB. The second edition does no longer discuss the InColor and MCGA cards at detail level.)</ref><ref name="Brown_2000_RBIL">{{cite web |author-first=Ralf D. |author-last=Brown |author-link=Ralf D. Brown |title=Public Files on FTP.CS.CMU.EDU - The x86 Interrupt List aka "Ralf Brown's Interrupt List" (RBIL) |date=2012-01-21 |orig-year=2000-07-16 |url=https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~ralf/files.html |access-date=2016-06-16 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160616113421/https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~ralf/files.html |archive-date=2016-06-16}}</ref><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

After the success of the monochrome Hercules Graphics Card (HGC) and Hercules Graphics Card Plus (HGC+) which gained wide developer support, the market was changing with the release of new colour cards which were becoming increasingly affordable. So Hercules released the InColor to compete primarily with IBM's new high-end VGA card, and also with many existing EGA compatible cards on the market.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |date=May 1985 |title=Say You Saw It on Modern Electronics - The Hercules InColor Card |pages=67 |work=Modern Electronics |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Consumer/Archive-Modern-Electronics-IDX/IDX/Modern-Electronics-1988-05-OCR-Page-0067.pdf}}</ref>

The card came with drivers for popular programs like ''Lotus 1-2-3'', ''AutoCAD'', ''WordPerfect 5.0'' or ''Microsoft Windows''.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=June 9, 1987 |title=Introducing the Hercules InColor Card |pages=314 |work=PC Magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JMGL4vXOn1cC&dq=Hercules+InColor+Card+-wiki&pg=PA315}}</ref> Some compatible games with the card included ''Karateka'', ''Microsoft Flight Simulator 3.0'' and ''4'', ''3-D Helicopter Simulator'', ''RAPCON: Military Air Traffic Control Simulator'' and ''Eco Adventures in the Oceans''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tech-Specs > Video Modes Supported > Hercules InColor |url=https://www.mobygames.com/attributes/attribute/579/ |access-date=2023-03-01 |website=MobyGames |language=en}}</ref>

The InColor did not bring the success that Hercules had hoped for, and revenue slowly declined until Hercules was eventually acquired by Guillemot Corporation in October 1999 for $1.5m USD.

==References== {{reflist}}

Category:Graphics cards Category:Products introduced in 1987