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Proportional fonts on 8-bit computers
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Many 8-bit computers had video systems that provided tiles, and when these were available, they were the obvious ways to display text.
However, some 8-bit computers such as the ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC, only had bitmap displays. If you are using a bitmap anyway, the possibility arises of using a proportional font. Sure, it would be a bit slower to render text, but for many purposes, surely worth it. Yet all the 8-bit programs I can find, still used a fixed width font.
Were there any 8-bit programs (other than font demos) that used a proportional font?
display text font
asked 3 hours ago
rwallace
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up vote
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Many 8-bit computers had video systems that provided tiles, and when these were available, they were the obvious ways to display text.
However, some 8-bit computers such as the ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC, only had bitmap displays. If you are using a bitmap anyway, the possibility arises of using a proportional font. Sure, it would be a bit slower to render text, but for many purposes, surely worth it. Yet all the 8-bit programs I can find, still used a fixed width font.
Were there any 8-bit programs (other than font demos) that used a proportional font?
display text font
asked 3 hours ago
rwallace
7,02723195
You couldn't really use a proportional font on the Spectrum because the colour attributes were one background and one foreground for each 8x8 square. That meant that, practically speaking, each letter had to be by itself in an 8x8 cell.
– JeremyP
3 hours ago
1
There were programs for the Apple II (using hires aka bitmap, not "tiles" aka text-mode chars) which used proportional fonts (and also non-standard characters, e.g. Hiragana/Katakana). Not sure if that matches your criteria, though I'd count the Apple II as "8-bit computer"
– dirkt
3 hours ago
In my opinion, proportional fonts would work really quite well on the ZX Spectrum you mentioned. That's because the built in font has quit an enormous gap between the letters; you could easily fit another four characters on a line by swallowing that gap alone. And if you have narrower bitmap, maybe like the PMD-85 or Apple 2, -- definitely even more.
– Wilson
2 hours ago
@JeremyP It doesn't realy matter, as long as it's about text having the same colour over more than a single letter ... like a line or such :))
– Raffzahn
1 hour ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
Many 8-bit computers had video systems that provided tiles, and when these were available, they were the obvious ways to display text.
However, some 8-bit computers such as the ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC, only had bitmap displays. If you are using a bitmap anyway, the possibility arises of using a proportional font. Sure, it would be a bit slower to render text, but for many purposes, surely worth it. Yet all the 8-bit programs I can find, still used a fixed width font.
Were there any 8-bit programs (other than font demos) that used a proportional font?
display text font
asked 3 hours ago
rwallace
7,02723195
Many 8-bit computers had video systems that provided tiles, and when these were available, they were the obvious ways to display text.
However, some 8-bit computers such as the ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC, only had bitmap displays. If you are using a bitmap anyway, the possibility arises of using a proportional font. Sure, it would be a bit slower to render text, but for many purposes, surely worth it. Yet all the 8-bit programs I can find, still used a fixed width font.
Were there any 8-bit programs (other than font demos) that used a proportional font?
display text font
display text font
asked 3 hours ago
rwallace
7,02723195
asked 3 hours ago
rwallace
7,02723195
asked 3 hours ago
rwallace
7,02723195
asked 3 hours ago
rwallace
7,02723195
asked 3 hours ago
rwallace
7,02723195
7,02723195
You couldn't really use a proportional font on the Spectrum because the colour attributes were one background and one foreground for each 8x8 square. That meant that, practically speaking, each letter had to be by itself in an 8x8 cell.
– JeremyP
3 hours ago
1
There were programs for the Apple II (using hires aka bitmap, not "tiles" aka text-mode chars) which used proportional fonts (and also non-standard characters, e.g. Hiragana/Katakana). Not sure if that matches your criteria, though I'd count the Apple II as "8-bit computer"
– dirkt
3 hours ago
In my opinion, proportional fonts would work really quite well on the ZX Spectrum you mentioned. That's because the built in font has quit an enormous gap between the letters; you could easily fit another four characters on a line by swallowing that gap alone. And if you have narrower bitmap, maybe like the PMD-85 or Apple 2, -- definitely even more.
– Wilson
2 hours ago
@JeremyP It doesn't realy matter, as long as it's about text having the same colour over more than a single letter ... like a line or such :))
– Raffzahn
1 hour ago
add a comment |Â
You couldn't really use a proportional font on the Spectrum because the colour attributes were one background and one foreground for each 8x8 square. That meant that, practically speaking, each letter had to be by itself in an 8x8 cell.
– JeremyP
3 hours ago
1
There were programs for the Apple II (using hires aka bitmap, not "tiles" aka text-mode chars) which used proportional fonts (and also non-standard characters, e.g. Hiragana/Katakana). Not sure if that matches your criteria, though I'd count the Apple II as "8-bit computer"
– dirkt
3 hours ago
In my opinion, proportional fonts would work really quite well on the ZX Spectrum you mentioned. That's because the built in font has quit an enormous gap between the letters; you could easily fit another four characters on a line by swallowing that gap alone. And if you have narrower bitmap, maybe like the PMD-85 or Apple 2, -- definitely even more.
– Wilson
2 hours ago
@JeremyP It doesn't realy matter, as long as it's about text having the same colour over more than a single letter ... like a line or such :))
– Raffzahn
1 hour ago
You couldn't really use a proportional font on the Spectrum because the colour attributes were one background and one foreground for each 8x8 square. That meant that, practically speaking, each letter had to be by itself in an 8x8 cell.
– JeremyP
3 hours ago
You couldn't really use a proportional font on the Spectrum because the colour attributes were one background and one foreground for each 8x8 square. That meant that, practically speaking, each letter had to be by itself in an 8x8 cell.
– JeremyP
3 hours ago
1
1
There were programs for the Apple II (using hires aka bitmap, not "tiles" aka text-mode chars) which used proportional fonts (and also non-standard characters, e.g. Hiragana/Katakana). Not sure if that matches your criteria, though I'd count the Apple II as "8-bit computer"
– dirkt
3 hours ago
There were programs for the Apple II (using hires aka bitmap, not "tiles" aka text-mode chars) which used proportional fonts (and also non-standard characters, e.g. Hiragana/Katakana). Not sure if that matches your criteria, though I'd count the Apple II as "8-bit computer"
– dirkt
3 hours ago
In my opinion, proportional fonts would work really quite well on the ZX Spectrum you mentioned. That's because the built in font has quit an enormous gap between the letters; you could easily fit another four characters on a line by swallowing that gap alone. And if you have narrower bitmap, maybe like the PMD-85 or Apple 2, -- definitely even more.
– Wilson
2 hours ago
In my opinion, proportional fonts would work really quite well on the ZX Spectrum you mentioned. That's because the built in font has quit an enormous gap between the letters; you could easily fit another four characters on a line by swallowing that gap alone. And if you have narrower bitmap, maybe like the PMD-85 or Apple 2, -- definitely even more.
– Wilson
2 hours ago
@JeremyP It doesn't realy matter, as long as it's about text having the same colour over more than a single letter ... like a line or such :))
– Raffzahn
1 hour ago
@JeremyP It doesn't realy matter, as long as it's about text having the same colour over more than a single letter ... like a line or such :))
– Raffzahn
1 hour ago
add a comment |Â
3 Answers
3
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oldest
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up vote
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down vote
Just the first (of many) example of using proportional fonts on Commodore64: https://youtu.be/k2NRlsopoOU?t=441
You couldn't really use a proportional font on the Spectrum because
the colour attributes were one background and one foreground for each
8x8 square. That meant that, practically speaking, each letter had to
be by itself in an 8x8 cell.
With the reasonable limit of every word of its own color, it is quite possible though. Just have the space between words wide enough to absorb attributes boundary or place color change in those spaces that do absorb the boundary. The previous example also shows that.
Note: Commodore 64 also has the bitmap mode very close to the one ZX Spectrum has. It is exactly that mode shown in the link above.
answered 2 hours ago
lvd
1,992315
1
This answers the question, which sought any example, so I don't fancy writing my own answer. But here's a ZX Spectrum example (from about 3:28): youtube.com/watch?v=wFo-KRnMtFw&feature=share ; in general every significant 8-bit computer got some attempt at DTP software, and that almost invariably has a go at proportional fonts. I'll bet GEOS and GSX even have the feature built in.
– Tommy
1 hour ago
@Tommy, just wonderful example!
– lvd
1 hour ago
@Tommy, I was about to write an answer mentioning GEOS which uses proportional fonts everywhere.
– Stephen Kitt
1 hour ago
@StephenKitt Before GEOS on the C64 theree where Multiscribe and Mousedesk on the Apple II.
– Raffzahn
1 hour ago
1
@Raffzahn indeed, GEOS came to mind because it was rather well-known back then (at least in my circles — I only encountered Apple IIs in the late 80s), not because it was the first.
– Stephen Kitt
1 hour ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
No 8 bit computer (back then) did support proportional fonts out of the box, but there where some programs on next every bitmap capable 8 bit comouter, I this might as well include the Spectum.
For the Apple II support was added by Apple rather early. Already the Apple DOS Toolit incruded a unitlity called HRCG or High Resolution Character Generator, which moved character drawing onto highres bitmap and into software (*1). While, AFAIR, it otiginally only supported fixed spaceing fonts, soon other programs used this to display at least part of their output in proportional.
When the Apple II Mouse was introduced, first for the IIc and later the basic II, it came with MousePaint, a MacPint clone for the Apple II using proportional text on screen and in menues (*2). Theavailability of a mouse also triggered a lot of other programs trying to do what the Mac showed on an Apple II. Most notably maybe MultiScribe for the II (*3) and MouseDesk.
And then there was GEOS. It enabled C64 programs to use proportional text and exchangeable fonts. Soon also ported to the Apple II.
So, bottom line: No, it hasn't been used out of the box, but later tools added this capability to 8 bit computers.
*1 - It was slow (compared to textmode) is ate up memory, but it was also AWESOME.
*2 - Not to be confused with MouseText, a characterset change for the Apple IIc and Enhanced IIe introduceing some graphic elements into the character set, allowing character based software displaying a simplified GUI. Funny part here, soon programms used HRCG with Mousetext to draw the same elements using the graphics characters, but also add other graphic elements.
*3 - Which got a second life as BeageWrite after their company was bought by Apple and integrated into Claris.
answered 1 hour ago
Raffzahn
33.2k474132
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
Digital Research produced as one of their early attemts into graphical desktops (on their way to GEM) a basic portable graphics library - GSX. GSX did actually support proportional fonts, and was included with the CP/M support in Amstrad machines running CP/M Plus. GSX was supported by two of DR's own applications, DR Draw and DR Graph that were available for the range of enhanced Amstrad machines (CPC6128, PCW), although at a pretty high price.
GSX later evolved into GEM, DR's MS Windows counterpart on CP/M 86 and Atari STs
So, this is definitively "out-of-the-box" support for proportional fints, both in applications and a system-wide extension.
answered 1 hour ago
tofro
11.8k32569
Oh, right, totally forgot about that.
– Raffzahn
1 hour ago
add a comment |Â
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
5
down vote
Just the first (of many) example of using proportional fonts on Commodore64: https://youtu.be/k2NRlsopoOU?t=441
You couldn't really use a proportional font on the Spectrum because
the colour attributes were one background and one foreground for each
8x8 square. That meant that, practically speaking, each letter had to
be by itself in an 8x8 cell.
With the reasonable limit of every word of its own color, it is quite possible though. Just have the space between words wide enough to absorb attributes boundary or place color change in those spaces that do absorb the boundary. The previous example also shows that.
Note: Commodore 64 also has the bitmap mode very close to the one ZX Spectrum has. It is exactly that mode shown in the link above.
answered 2 hours ago
lvd
1,992315
1
This answers the question, which sought any example, so I don't fancy writing my own answer. But here's a ZX Spectrum example (from about 3:28): youtube.com/watch?v=wFo-KRnMtFw&feature=share ; in general every significant 8-bit computer got some attempt at DTP software, and that almost invariably has a go at proportional fonts. I'll bet GEOS and GSX even have the feature built in.
– Tommy
1 hour ago
@Tommy, just wonderful example!
– lvd
1 hour ago
@Tommy, I was about to write an answer mentioning GEOS which uses proportional fonts everywhere.
– Stephen Kitt
1 hour ago
@StephenKitt Before GEOS on the C64 theree where Multiscribe and Mousedesk on the Apple II.
– Raffzahn
1 hour ago
1
@Raffzahn indeed, GEOS came to mind because it was rather well-known back then (at least in my circles — I only encountered Apple IIs in the late 80s), not because it was the first.
– Stephen Kitt
1 hour ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
5
down vote
Just the first (of many) example of using proportional fonts on Commodore64: https://youtu.be/k2NRlsopoOU?t=441
You couldn't really use a proportional font on the Spectrum because
the colour attributes were one background and one foreground for each
8x8 square. That meant that, practically speaking, each letter had to
be by itself in an 8x8 cell.
With the reasonable limit of every word of its own color, it is quite possible though. Just have the space between words wide enough to absorb attributes boundary or place color change in those spaces that do absorb the boundary. The previous example also shows that.
Note: Commodore 64 also has the bitmap mode very close to the one ZX Spectrum has. It is exactly that mode shown in the link above.
answered 2 hours ago
lvd
1,992315
1
This answers the question, which sought any example, so I don't fancy writing my own answer. But here's a ZX Spectrum example (from about 3:28): youtube.com/watch?v=wFo-KRnMtFw&feature=share ; in general every significant 8-bit computer got some attempt at DTP software, and that almost invariably has a go at proportional fonts. I'll bet GEOS and GSX even have the feature built in.
– Tommy
1 hour ago
@Tommy, just wonderful example!
– lvd
1 hour ago
@Tommy, I was about to write an answer mentioning GEOS which uses proportional fonts everywhere.
– Stephen Kitt
1 hour ago
@StephenKitt Before GEOS on the C64 theree where Multiscribe and Mousedesk on the Apple II.
– Raffzahn
1 hour ago
1
@Raffzahn indeed, GEOS came to mind because it was rather well-known back then (at least in my circles — I only encountered Apple IIs in the late 80s), not because it was the first.
– Stephen Kitt
1 hour ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
5
down vote
up vote
5
down vote
Just the first (of many) example of using proportional fonts on Commodore64: https://youtu.be/k2NRlsopoOU?t=441
You couldn't really use a proportional font on the Spectrum because
the colour attributes were one background and one foreground for each
8x8 square. That meant that, practically speaking, each letter had to
be by itself in an 8x8 cell.
With the reasonable limit of every word of its own color, it is quite possible though. Just have the space between words wide enough to absorb attributes boundary or place color change in those spaces that do absorb the boundary. The previous example also shows that.
Note: Commodore 64 also has the bitmap mode very close to the one ZX Spectrum has. It is exactly that mode shown in the link above.
answered 2 hours ago
lvd
1,992315
Just the first (of many) example of using proportional fonts on Commodore64: https://youtu.be/k2NRlsopoOU?t=441
You couldn't really use a proportional font on the Spectrum because
the colour attributes were one background and one foreground for each
8x8 square. That meant that, practically speaking, each letter had to
be by itself in an 8x8 cell.
With the reasonable limit of every word of its own color, it is quite possible though. Just have the space between words wide enough to absorb attributes boundary or place color change in those spaces that do absorb the boundary. The previous example also shows that.
Note: Commodore 64 also has the bitmap mode very close to the one ZX Spectrum has. It is exactly that mode shown in the link above.
answered 2 hours ago
lvd
1,992315
answered 2 hours ago
lvd
1,992315
answered 2 hours ago
lvd
1,992315
answered 2 hours ago
lvd
1,992315
1,992315
1
This answers the question, which sought any example, so I don't fancy writing my own answer. But here's a ZX Spectrum example (from about 3:28): youtube.com/watch?v=wFo-KRnMtFw&feature=share ; in general every significant 8-bit computer got some attempt at DTP software, and that almost invariably has a go at proportional fonts. I'll bet GEOS and GSX even have the feature built in.
– Tommy
1 hour ago
@Tommy, just wonderful example!
– lvd
1 hour ago
@Tommy, I was about to write an answer mentioning GEOS which uses proportional fonts everywhere.
– Stephen Kitt
1 hour ago
@StephenKitt Before GEOS on the C64 theree where Multiscribe and Mousedesk on the Apple II.
– Raffzahn
1 hour ago
1
@Raffzahn indeed, GEOS came to mind because it was rather well-known back then (at least in my circles — I only encountered Apple IIs in the late 80s), not because it was the first.
– Stephen Kitt
1 hour ago
add a comment |Â
1
This answers the question, which sought any example, so I don't fancy writing my own answer. But here's a ZX Spectrum example (from about 3:28): youtube.com/watch?v=wFo-KRnMtFw&feature=share ; in general every significant 8-bit computer got some attempt at DTP software, and that almost invariably has a go at proportional fonts. I'll bet GEOS and GSX even have the feature built in.
– Tommy
1 hour ago
@Tommy, just wonderful example!
– lvd
1 hour ago
@Tommy, I was about to write an answer mentioning GEOS which uses proportional fonts everywhere.
– Stephen Kitt
1 hour ago
@StephenKitt Before GEOS on the C64 theree where Multiscribe and Mousedesk on the Apple II.
– Raffzahn
1 hour ago
1
@Raffzahn indeed, GEOS came to mind because it was rather well-known back then (at least in my circles — I only encountered Apple IIs in the late 80s), not because it was the first.
– Stephen Kitt
1 hour ago
1
1
This answers the question, which sought any example, so I don't fancy writing my own answer. But here's a ZX Spectrum example (from about 3:28): youtube.com/watch?v=wFo-KRnMtFw&feature=share ; in general every significant 8-bit computer got some attempt at DTP software, and that almost invariably has a go at proportional fonts. I'll bet GEOS and GSX even have the feature built in.
– Tommy
1 hour ago
This answers the question, which sought any example, so I don't fancy writing my own answer. But here's a ZX Spectrum example (from about 3:28): youtube.com/watch?v=wFo-KRnMtFw&feature=share ; in general every significant 8-bit computer got some attempt at DTP software, and that almost invariably has a go at proportional fonts. I'll bet GEOS and GSX even have the feature built in.
– Tommy
1 hour ago
@Tommy, just wonderful example!
– lvd
1 hour ago
@Tommy, just wonderful example!
– lvd
1 hour ago
@Tommy, I was about to write an answer mentioning GEOS which uses proportional fonts everywhere.
– Stephen Kitt
1 hour ago
@Tommy, I was about to write an answer mentioning GEOS which uses proportional fonts everywhere.
– Stephen Kitt
1 hour ago
@StephenKitt Before GEOS on the C64 theree where Multiscribe and Mousedesk on the Apple II.
– Raffzahn
1 hour ago
@StephenKitt Before GEOS on the C64 theree where Multiscribe and Mousedesk on the Apple II.
– Raffzahn
1 hour ago
1
1
@Raffzahn indeed, GEOS came to mind because it was rather well-known back then (at least in my circles — I only encountered Apple IIs in the late 80s), not because it was the first.
– Stephen Kitt
1 hour ago
@Raffzahn indeed, GEOS came to mind because it was rather well-known back then (at least in my circles — I only encountered Apple IIs in the late 80s), not because it was the first.
– Stephen Kitt
1 hour ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
No 8 bit computer (back then) did support proportional fonts out of the box, but there where some programs on next every bitmap capable 8 bit comouter, I this might as well include the Spectum.
For the Apple II support was added by Apple rather early. Already the Apple DOS Toolit incruded a unitlity called HRCG or High Resolution Character Generator, which moved character drawing onto highres bitmap and into software (*1). While, AFAIR, it otiginally only supported fixed spaceing fonts, soon other programs used this to display at least part of their output in proportional.
When the Apple II Mouse was introduced, first for the IIc and later the basic II, it came with MousePaint, a MacPint clone for the Apple II using proportional text on screen and in menues (*2). Theavailability of a mouse also triggered a lot of other programs trying to do what the Mac showed on an Apple II. Most notably maybe MultiScribe for the II (*3) and MouseDesk.
And then there was GEOS. It enabled C64 programs to use proportional text and exchangeable fonts. Soon also ported to the Apple II.
So, bottom line: No, it hasn't been used out of the box, but later tools added this capability to 8 bit computers.
*1 - It was slow (compared to textmode) is ate up memory, but it was also AWESOME.
*2 - Not to be confused with MouseText, a characterset change for the Apple IIc and Enhanced IIe introduceing some graphic elements into the character set, allowing character based software displaying a simplified GUI. Funny part here, soon programms used HRCG with Mousetext to draw the same elements using the graphics characters, but also add other graphic elements.
*3 - Which got a second life as BeageWrite after their company was bought by Apple and integrated into Claris.
answered 1 hour ago
Raffzahn
33.2k474132
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
No 8 bit computer (back then) did support proportional fonts out of the box, but there where some programs on next every bitmap capable 8 bit comouter, I this might as well include the Spectum.
For the Apple II support was added by Apple rather early. Already the Apple DOS Toolit incruded a unitlity called HRCG or High Resolution Character Generator, which moved character drawing onto highres bitmap and into software (*1). While, AFAIR, it otiginally only supported fixed spaceing fonts, soon other programs used this to display at least part of their output in proportional.
When the Apple II Mouse was introduced, first for the IIc and later the basic II, it came with MousePaint, a MacPint clone for the Apple II using proportional text on screen and in menues (*2). Theavailability of a mouse also triggered a lot of other programs trying to do what the Mac showed on an Apple II. Most notably maybe MultiScribe for the II (*3) and MouseDesk.
And then there was GEOS. It enabled C64 programs to use proportional text and exchangeable fonts. Soon also ported to the Apple II.
So, bottom line: No, it hasn't been used out of the box, but later tools added this capability to 8 bit computers.
*1 - It was slow (compared to textmode) is ate up memory, but it was also AWESOME.
*2 - Not to be confused with MouseText, a characterset change for the Apple IIc and Enhanced IIe introduceing some graphic elements into the character set, allowing character based software displaying a simplified GUI. Funny part here, soon programms used HRCG with Mousetext to draw the same elements using the graphics characters, but also add other graphic elements.
*3 - Which got a second life as BeageWrite after their company was bought by Apple and integrated into Claris.
answered 1 hour ago
Raffzahn
33.2k474132
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
up vote
3
down vote
No 8 bit computer (back then) did support proportional fonts out of the box, but there where some programs on next every bitmap capable 8 bit comouter, I this might as well include the Spectum.
For the Apple II support was added by Apple rather early. Already the Apple DOS Toolit incruded a unitlity called HRCG or High Resolution Character Generator, which moved character drawing onto highres bitmap and into software (*1). While, AFAIR, it otiginally only supported fixed spaceing fonts, soon other programs used this to display at least part of their output in proportional.
When the Apple II Mouse was introduced, first for the IIc and later the basic II, it came with MousePaint, a MacPint clone for the Apple II using proportional text on screen and in menues (*2). Theavailability of a mouse also triggered a lot of other programs trying to do what the Mac showed on an Apple II. Most notably maybe MultiScribe for the II (*3) and MouseDesk.
And then there was GEOS. It enabled C64 programs to use proportional text and exchangeable fonts. Soon also ported to the Apple II.
So, bottom line: No, it hasn't been used out of the box, but later tools added this capability to 8 bit computers.
*1 - It was slow (compared to textmode) is ate up memory, but it was also AWESOME.
*2 - Not to be confused with MouseText, a characterset change for the Apple IIc and Enhanced IIe introduceing some graphic elements into the character set, allowing character based software displaying a simplified GUI. Funny part here, soon programms used HRCG with Mousetext to draw the same elements using the graphics characters, but also add other graphic elements.
*3 - Which got a second life as BeageWrite after their company was bought by Apple and integrated into Claris.
answered 1 hour ago
Raffzahn
33.2k474132
No 8 bit computer (back then) did support proportional fonts out of the box, but there where some programs on next every bitmap capable 8 bit comouter, I this might as well include the Spectum.
For the Apple II support was added by Apple rather early. Already the Apple DOS Toolit incruded a unitlity called HRCG or High Resolution Character Generator, which moved character drawing onto highres bitmap and into software (*1). While, AFAIR, it otiginally only supported fixed spaceing fonts, soon other programs used this to display at least part of their output in proportional.
When the Apple II Mouse was introduced, first for the IIc and later the basic II, it came with MousePaint, a MacPint clone for the Apple II using proportional text on screen and in menues (*2). Theavailability of a mouse also triggered a lot of other programs trying to do what the Mac showed on an Apple II. Most notably maybe MultiScribe for the II (*3) and MouseDesk.
And then there was GEOS. It enabled C64 programs to use proportional text and exchangeable fonts. Soon also ported to the Apple II.
So, bottom line: No, it hasn't been used out of the box, but later tools added this capability to 8 bit computers.
*1 - It was slow (compared to textmode) is ate up memory, but it was also AWESOME.
*2 - Not to be confused with MouseText, a characterset change for the Apple IIc and Enhanced IIe introduceing some graphic elements into the character set, allowing character based software displaying a simplified GUI. Funny part here, soon programms used HRCG with Mousetext to draw the same elements using the graphics characters, but also add other graphic elements.
*3 - Which got a second life as BeageWrite after their company was bought by Apple and integrated into Claris.
answered 1 hour ago
Raffzahn
33.2k474132
edited 1 hour ago
answered 1 hour ago
Raffzahn
33.2k474132
answered 1 hour ago
Raffzahn
33.2k474132
answered 1 hour ago
Raffzahn
33.2k474132
33.2k474132
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
Digital Research produced as one of their early attemts into graphical desktops (on their way to GEM) a basic portable graphics library - GSX. GSX did actually support proportional fonts, and was included with the CP/M support in Amstrad machines running CP/M Plus. GSX was supported by two of DR's own applications, DR Draw and DR Graph that were available for the range of enhanced Amstrad machines (CPC6128, PCW), although at a pretty high price.
GSX later evolved into GEM, DR's MS Windows counterpart on CP/M 86 and Atari STs
So, this is definitively "out-of-the-box" support for proportional fints, both in applications and a system-wide extension.
answered 1 hour ago
tofro
11.8k32569
Oh, right, totally forgot about that.
– Raffzahn
1 hour ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
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Digital Research produced as one of their early attemts into graphical desktops (on their way to GEM) a basic portable graphics library - GSX. GSX did actually support proportional fonts, and was included with the CP/M support in Amstrad machines running CP/M Plus. GSX was supported by two of DR's own applications, DR Draw and DR Graph that were available for the range of enhanced Amstrad machines (CPC6128, PCW), although at a pretty high price.
GSX later evolved into GEM, DR's MS Windows counterpart on CP/M 86 and Atari STs
So, this is definitively "out-of-the-box" support for proportional fints, both in applications and a system-wide extension.
answered 1 hour ago
tofro
11.8k32569
Oh, right, totally forgot about that.
– Raffzahn
1 hour ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
up vote
3
down vote
Digital Research produced as one of their early attemts into graphical desktops (on their way to GEM) a basic portable graphics library - GSX. GSX did actually support proportional fonts, and was included with the CP/M support in Amstrad machines running CP/M Plus. GSX was supported by two of DR's own applications, DR Draw and DR Graph that were available for the range of enhanced Amstrad machines (CPC6128, PCW), although at a pretty high price.
GSX later evolved into GEM, DR's MS Windows counterpart on CP/M 86 and Atari STs
So, this is definitively "out-of-the-box" support for proportional fints, both in applications and a system-wide extension.
answered 1 hour ago
tofro
11.8k32569
Digital Research produced as one of their early attemts into graphical desktops (on their way to GEM) a basic portable graphics library - GSX. GSX did actually support proportional fonts, and was included with the CP/M support in Amstrad machines running CP/M Plus. GSX was supported by two of DR's own applications, DR Draw and DR Graph that were available for the range of enhanced Amstrad machines (CPC6128, PCW), although at a pretty high price.
GSX later evolved into GEM, DR's MS Windows counterpart on CP/M 86 and Atari STs
So, this is definitively "out-of-the-box" support for proportional fints, both in applications and a system-wide extension.
answered 1 hour ago
tofro
11.8k32569
edited 20 mins ago
answered 1 hour ago
tofro
11.8k32569
answered 1 hour ago
tofro
11.8k32569
answered 1 hour ago
tofro
11.8k32569
11.8k32569
Oh, right, totally forgot about that.
– Raffzahn
1 hour ago
add a comment |Â
Oh, right, totally forgot about that.
– Raffzahn
1 hour ago
Oh, right, totally forgot about that.
– Raffzahn
1 hour ago
Oh, right, totally forgot about that.
– Raffzahn
1 hour ago
add a comment |Â
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You couldn't really use a proportional font on the Spectrum because the colour attributes were one background and one foreground for each 8x8 square. That meant that, practically speaking, each letter had to be by itself in an 8x8 cell.
– JeremyP
3 hours ago
1
There were programs for the Apple II (using hires aka bitmap, not "tiles" aka text-mode chars) which used proportional fonts (and also non-standard characters, e.g. Hiragana/Katakana). Not sure if that matches your criteria, though I'd count the Apple II as "8-bit computer"
– dirkt
3 hours ago
In my opinion, proportional fonts would work really quite well on the ZX Spectrum you mentioned. That's because the built in font has quit an enormous gap between the letters; you could easily fit another four characters on a line by swallowing that gap alone. And if you have narrower bitmap, maybe like the PMD-85 or Apple 2, -- definitely even more.
– Wilson
2 hours ago
@JeremyP It doesn't realy matter, as long as it's about text having the same colour over more than a single letter ... like a line or such :))
– Raffzahn
1 hour ago