Antic

The custom GPU inside the Atari 400/800, and its video console incarnation, the Atari 5200.

For a home computer, the ANTIC's capabilities were very much ahead of its time. The ANTIC was implemented as a DMA-based (or "display list") coprocessor, taking instructions from the CPU and processing them itself. This made creating impressive demos and display hacks easy.

The other half of the ANTIC system was it's TV output chip, the TIA. The first revision, the CTIA, could put up to 128 colors on-screen at once; the 1981 upgrade, GTIA, increased this to 256, making the ANTIC system the best video subsystem in home computers until the debut of the Amiga in 1985 (which, incidentally, had video hardware designed by the same team). Also, 256 colors were not seen in game consoles until the Atari 7800 in 1986, and the SNES in 1990.

An"tic (#), a. [The same word as antique; cf. It. antico ancient. See Antique.]

1.

Old; antique.

Zool.

"Lords of antic fame."

Phaer.

2.

Odd; fantastic; fanciful; grotesque; ludicrous.

The antic postures of a merry-andrew. Addison.

The Saxons . . . worshiped many idols, barbarous in name, some monstrous, all antic for shape. Fuller.

 

© Webster 1913.

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An"tic, n.

1.

A buffoon or merry-andrew; one that practices odd gesticulations; the Fool of the old play.

2.

An odd imagery, device, or tracery; a fantastic figure.

Woven with antics and wild imagery. Spenser.

3.

A grotesque trick; a piece of buffoonery; a caper.

And fraught with antics as the Indian bird That writhes and chatters in her wiry cage. Wordsworth.

4. Arch.

A grotesque representation.

[Obs.]

5.

An antimask.

[Obs. or R.]

Performed by knights and ladies of his court In nature of an antic. Ford.

 

© Webster 1913.

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An"tic, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Anticked (#), Antickt.]

To make appear like a buffoon.

[Obs.]

Shak.

 

© Webster 1913.

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An"tic, v. i.

To perform antics.

 

© Webster 1913.