----------------------------Original message---------------------------- > b. DECStation 5000/200 (minicomputer): 40M RAM; using > xv as software, it took about 20 minutes > to display image (this includes decompressing an image) I found a program called xloadimage that did quite a bit better than xv. I don't have numbers handy but I think it was on the order of 5 minutes on a low-end sparcstation. Xv thrashed away for at least 15 minutes before I killed it. Both cases I had de-compressed the images beforehand. It is clear that these general purpose image display tools didn't have images of this scale in mind. :) This does bring up an issue that I've been wondering about: At what point should a library just provide raw data with the assumption that the user will provide the equipment to use it? We typically provide microform readers, VCRs, TVs, cassette decks, CD players, film projectors, and speech synthesizers for the blind are not uncommon. To get a quick view of data put out by the USGS and others only requires a run-of-the-mill PC, but to actually *USE* the data requires quite a lot more than you will find at the corner Compu-Mart. And when getting enough support to buy a couple more drawers of map space is like pulling teeth without the benefit an anesthetic... -john === [log in to unmask] ================================================ ======================================= Come up and be a kite! --K. Bush ===