Hercules Computer Technology

File:KL Hercules HGC.jpg

File:Hercules PCI Bus Stingray-Grafikeinheit 202201 HOF08566.png

File:Hercules Thriller 3D TH2318SGA.jpg v2200, AGP, 8MB SGRAM, Video In & Video Out (1998)]]

Hercules was formed in 1982 in Hercules, California,{{Cite web |date=1997 |title=Contact Us |url=http://www.hercules.com/contact.htm |website=Hercules Computer Technology, Inc.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970409014235/http://www.hercules.com/contact.htm |archive-date=1997-04-09 }} by Van Suwannukul and Kevin Jenkins and was one of the major graphics card companies of the 1980s. Its biggest products were the MDA-compatible Hercules Graphics Card (HGC) and Hercules Graphics Card Plus (HGC+) and the associated standard, which was widely copied and survived into the 1990s.{{Cite news |last=Pointing |first=Bob |date=June 26, 1989 |title=High-Resolution Standard Is Latest Step in DOS Graphics Evolution |pages=48 |work=InfoWorld |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lTAEAAAAMBAJ&q=infoworld+1982+hercules&pg=PT47}}{{Cite news |last=Bright |first=David |date=June 23, 1986 |title=Hercules graphics card to debut |pages=52 |work=Computerworld |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mop2UUCt4kIC&q=computerworld+hercules+1982&pg=PA52 |access-date=March 13, 2023 |archive-date=March 13, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230313231734/https://books.google.com/books?id=mop2UUCt4kIC&q=computerworld+hercules+1982&pg=PA52 |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |last=Welch |first=Mark |date=September 1, 1986 |title=Hercules improves its monochrome card |pages=41 |work=InfoWorld |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cS8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA41 |access-date=March 13, 2023 |archive-date=March 13, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230313231735/https://books.google.com/books?id=cS8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA41 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |author-last=Elliott |author-first=John C. |date=2012-08-09 |title=Hercules Graphics Card Plus: Notes |url=http://www.seasip.info/VintagePC/hercplus.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161123124757/http://www.seasip.info/VintagePC/hercplus.html |archive-date=2016-11-23 |access-date=2016-11-23 |website=John Elliott's homepage}}{{cite journal |date=October 1986 |title=Inside the IBM PC: Before you consider the Hercules Graphics Card Plus consider the technology behind it |url=https://archive.org/stream/198610ByteMagazineVol1111InsideTheIBMPC/198610%20Byte%20Magazine%20Vol%2011-11%20Inside%20the%20IBM%20PC#page/n259/mode/2up/search/RAMfont |journal=Byte Magazine |type=Advertisement |volume=11 |access-date=2016-11-24}}

The Hercules Graphics Card included a "Centronics compatible" parallel printer port, the same as the IBM Monochrome Display and Printer Adapter board that the card was based on.{{Cite news |date=27 September 1982 |title=Hardware News |pages=77 |work=InfoWorld |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BzAEAAAAMBAJ&q=infoworld+1982+hercules&pg=PA77 |access-date=13 March 2023 |archive-date=13 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230313231734/https://books.google.com/books?id=BzAEAAAAMBAJ&q=infoworld+1982+hercules&pg=PA77 |url-status=live }} The company also produced CGA compatible cards, and with the unsuccessful Hercules InColor Card, it tried to go head-to-head with the Enhanced Graphics Adapter (EGA).{{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 |access-date=2023-03-13 |archive-date=2022-08-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220811053555/https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Consumer/Archive-Modern-Electronics-IDX/IDX/Modern-Electronics-1988-05-OCR-Page-0067.pdf |url-status=live }}{{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 |archive-date=2023-03-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230313232144/https://retrocmp.de/hardware/hercules-card/hercules-card.htm#hicc |url-status=live }}{{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 |access-date=2023-03-13 |archive-date=2023-03-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230301090615/https://techmonitor.ai/technology/personal_graphics_hercules_to_burst_into_16_colours |url-status=live }}{{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 |archive-date=2023-03-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230301090621/https://trademarks.justia.com/736/79/hercules-incolor-73679040.html |url-status=live }}{{cite web |author-last=Elliott |author-first=John C. |date=2012-08-05 |title=Hercules InColor Card: Notes |url=http://www.seasip.info/VintagePC/incolor.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161123123816/http://www.seasip.info/VintagePC/incolor.html |archive-date=2016-11-23 |access-date=2016-11-23}} (Pictures and programming information){{cite book |author-last=Wilton |author-first=Richard |title=Programmer's guide to the PC & PS/2 video systems |date=1987 |publisher=Microsoft Press |isbn=1-55615-103-9 |edition=1st}} (NB. The second edition does no longer discuss the InColor and MCGA cards at detail level.){{cite web |author-last=Brown |author-first=Ralf D. |author-link=Ralf D. Brown |date=2012-01-21 |title=Public Files on FTP.CS.CMU.EDU - The x86 Interrupt List aka "Ralf Brown's Interrupt List" (RBIL) |url=https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~ralf/files.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160616113421/https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~ralf/files.html |archive-date=2016-06-16 |access-date=2016-06-16 |orig-year=2000-07-16}}{{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 |archive-date=2023-03-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230313232144/https://retrocmp.de/hardware/hercules-card/hercules-card.htm#hicc |url-status=live }}

After low sales with InColor, Hercules stopped making its own graphics core and bought graphics chipsets from other manufacturers. The company name gradually declined through the 1990s while graphics chipsets firms such as Tseng Labs, S3 Graphics, 3Dfx, nVidia and ATI Technologies became popular, but Hercules sales of graphic cards were still at US$20 million in 1998. An acquisition of Hercules by German graphics card maker ELSA fell through in 1998 after the companies could not agree on terms.

The Hercules brand was acquired by the French-Canadian based Guillemot Corporation for $1.8 million.{{Cite web |date=October 28, 1999 |title=Guillemot and Hercules Press Release |url=http://www.megatrade.ru/English/Guillemot_and_Hercules_Press_Release.html |access-date=2023-05-16 |website=www.megatrade.ru |archive-date=2022-11-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221112124440/http://www.megatrade.ru/English/Guillemot_and_Hercules_Press_Release.html |url-status=live }} In 2000 Hercules became the brand name for Guillemot 3D Prophet graphic cards, based on nVIDIA chipsets, switching to ATI Technologies chipsets in 2002.

Also in 2000, Guillemot introduced a new sound card, Game Theater XP, with the Hercules brand name, and Hercules gradually became the computer peripherals brand in Guillemot Corporation.

In 2004, Guillemot announced it would cease to produce graphics cards. Within the Guillemot group, computer peripherals (audio interfaces, speakers, webcams, networking) are designed by the Hercules division and given the Hercules brand, while game peripherals are designed by the Thrustmaster division and receive the Thrustmaster brand.

In 2010, the Hercules brand was used on computer speakers, computer DJ controllers, webcams and wireless networking peripherals.

Hercules turnover was €40.9 million (US$56.5 million) in 2010.

• Headquarters: in France (President: Claude Guillemot),
• Research and development: offices in Canada, France, Hong-Kong and Romania,
• Sales: via Guillemot sales branches in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, UK, USA,
• Distribution to retailers: through distributors,
• Technical support: customer phone and email support by Guillemot technical support team.

File:Thinkpad T61 and Hercules (1).jpg

• Computer DJing: DJ Console – controllers with audio interface (DJ Console Mk2, Mk4, Rmx, 4-Mx) / DJ Control = DJ controllers without audio (DJ Control MP3, MP3 e2, Steel)
• Netbooks: eCafe ec-800, 900, 1000W, 1010W
• Speakers: XPS: Stereo, 2.1, for iPod and 5.1
• Webcams: DualPix: Classic, Infinite, Exchange, Emotion
• Networking: Wireless (WiFi) and ePlug (PowerLine)

• Hercules based: Hercules Graphics Card (HGC), Hercules Graphics Card Plus (HGC+ with RAMFONT), Hercules InColor Card, Hercules Network Card Plus,{{Cite news |last1=Stephens |last2=Moran |date=March 21, 1988 |title=Hercules to ship card after 3-month delay |page=21 |work=InfoWorld |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9j4EAAAAMBAJ&q=hercules+network+card&pg=PA21 |access-date=March 13, 2023 |archive-date=March 13, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230313231735/https://books.google.com/books?id=9j4EAAAAMBAJ&q=hercules+network+card&pg=PA21 |url-status=live }} Hercules Color Card
• Tseng Labs based: Dynamite Pro
• Rendition based: Thriller 3D
• ARK Logic based: Stingray 64
• 3Dfx based: Stingray 128/3D
• S3 based: Terminator Professional, 64, Beast, Beast SuperCharged
• Intel based: Terminator 2x/i (i740)
• nVidia based: Dynamite (before 1999) TNT, TNT2, TNT2 Ultra
• nVidia based: Maxi Gamer Phoenix & Xentor (TNT, TNT2, Vanta)
• nVidia based: 3D Prophet (after 2000) DDR-DVI, 3D Prophet 2, 2-Mx, 2 Ultra, 3
• ATI based: 3D Prophet 7000, 7500, 8500, 9200, 9500, 9600, 9700
• ST Kyro based: 3D Prophet 4000, 4000XT, 4500

• DIGIFIRE 7.1
• Guillemot Maxi Sound Muse
• Hercules Gamesurround Muse Pocket USB
• Hercules Game Theater XP 6.1, 7.1
• Hercules Gamesurround Muse XL
• Hercules Gamesurround Muse LT
• Hercules Gamesurround Muse 5.1 DVD
• Hercules Gamesurround Fortissimo II Digital Edition
• Hercules Gamesurround Fortissimo III 7.1

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category|Hercules (corporation)}}

• [https://support.hercules.com/en/ Hercules technical support]
• [https://support.hercules.com/en/contact-en Hercules hot line]
• [http://www.hercules.com Hercules Company Website]
• [http://www.herculesdjmixroom.com/en-us/ Hercules DJ Mix Room]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20110120041424/http://www.ecafe.hercules.com/us/bdd/home/1 Hercules eCafe]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20021214094331/http://us.hercules.com/products/index.php3?t=2 Hercules Sound cards]

{{Graphics Processing Unit}}

Category:American companies established in 1982

Category:American companies disestablished in 1998

Category:Companies based in Fremont, California

Category:Computer companies established in 1982

Category:Computer companies disestablished in 1998

Category:Defunct computer companies based in California

Category:Defunct computer companies of the United States

Category:Defunct computer hardware companies

Category:Defunct manufacturing companies based in the San Francisco Bay Area

Category:Graphics hardware companies

Category:Sound cards

Category:Technology companies based in the San Francisco Bay Area

Category:1982 establishments in California