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Hercules Computer Technology, Inc. was a manufacturer of computer peripherals for PCs and Macs founded in 1982.

History

Hercules was formed in 1982 in Hercules, California, 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.

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. 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).

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.

Brand acquisition by Guillemot

The Hercules brand was acquired by the French-Canadian based Guillemot Corporation for $1.8 million. 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.

Organization

• 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.

Products

• 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)

Former products: Graphic cards

• Hercules based: Hercules Graphics Card (HGC), Hercules Graphics Card Plus (HGC+ with RAMFONT), Hercules InColor Card, Hercules Network Card Plus, Hercules Color Card
• Tseng Labs based: Dynamite Pro
• Rendition based: Thriller 3D
• 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

Former products: Sound cards

• 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

References

1. "Contact Us". Hercules Computer Technology, Inc. 1997. Archived from the original on 1997-04-09.
2. Pointing, Bob (June 26, 1989). "High-Resolution Standard Is Latest Step in DOS Graphics Evolution". InfoWorld. p. 48.
3. ^ Bright, David (June 23, 1986). "Hercules graphics card to debut". Computerworld. p. 52. Archived from the original on March 13, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
4. Welch, Mark (September 1, 1986). "Hercules improves its monochrome card". InfoWorld. p. 41. Archived from the original on March 13, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
5. ^ Elliott, John C. (2012-08-09). "Hercules Graphics Card Plus: Notes". John Elliott's homepage. Archived from the original on 2016-11-23. Retrieved 2016-11-23.
6. "Inside the IBM PC: Before you consider the Hercules Graphics Card Plus consider the technology behind it". Byte Magazine (Advertisement). 11. October 1986. Retrieved 2016-11-24.
7. "Hardware News". InfoWorld. 27 September 1982. p. 77. Archived from the original on 13 March 2023. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
8. ^ "Say You Saw It on Modern Electronics - The Hercules InColor Card" (PDF). Modern Electronics. May 1985. p. 67. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-08-11. Retrieved 2023-03-13.
9. Brase, Thomas. "Hardware / Hercules Computer Technology, HTC". retrocmp - retro computing. Archived from the original on 2023-03-13. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
10. CBR Staff Writer (March 1987). "PERSONAL GRAPHICS: HERCULES TO BURST INTO 16 COLOURS". Tech Monitor. Archived from the original on 2023-03-01. Retrieved 2023-03-13.
11. "HERCULES INCOLOR Trademark - Registration Number 1499309 - Serial Number 73679040 :: Justia Trademarks". trademarks.justia.com. Archived from the original on 2023-03-01. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
12. Elliott, John C. (2012-08-05). "Hercules InColor Card: Notes". Archived from the original on 2016-11-23. Retrieved 2016-11-23. (Pictures and programming information)
13. Wilton, Richard (1987). Programmer's guide to the PC & PS/2 video systems (1st ed.). Microsoft Press. ISBN 1-55615-103-9. (NB. The second edition does no longer discuss the InColor and MCGA cards at detail level.)
14. Brown, Ralf D. (2012-01-21) . "Public Files on FTP.CS.CMU.EDU - The x86 Interrupt List aka "Ralf Brown's Interrupt List" (RBIL)". Archived from the original on 2016-06-16. Retrieved 2016-06-16.
15. Brase, Thomas. "Hardware / Hercules Computer Technology, HTC". retrocmp - retro computing. Archived from the original on 2023-03-13. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
16. "Guillemot and Hercules Press Release". www.megatrade.ru. October 28, 1999. Archived from the original on 2022-11-12. Retrieved 2023-05-16.
17. Stephens; Moran (March 21, 1988). "Hercules to ship card after 3-month delay". InfoWorld. p. 21. Archived from the original on March 13, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2023.

External links

• Hercules technical support
• Hercules hot line
• Hercules Company Website
• Hercules DJ Mix Room
• Hercules eCafe
• Hercules Sound cards

• American companies established in 1982
• American companies disestablished in 1998
• Companies based in Fremont, California
• Computer companies established in 1982
• Computer companies disestablished in 1998
• Defunct companies based in California
• Defunct computer companies of the United States
• Defunct computer hardware companies
• Graphics hardware companies
• Sound cards
• Technology companies based in the San Francisco Bay Area