Re: [tlug] Any utility for anti-aliasing .gif files?

[Godwin Stewart <gstewart@example.com>]

On Sat, 9 Nov 2002 00:10:05 -0700, Matt Gushee <mgushee@example.com> wrote
to tlug@example.com:

> Also, I recently heard someone say that (Compuserve?|Unisys?) has decided
> to stop hounding people about GIFs, because they were getting too much bad
> press about it.

Unisys is the patent-holder on the LZW algorithm.

Still, they're not doing anyone much of a favour - the patent expires in a
few months anyway (June next year). Can you confirm this? I have a couple of
(cringe) Windoze sharewares which don't use GIF specifically because of the
LZW patent. If developers are going to be cut some slack from now on I'll
add GIF support.

I hate software patents... :-/

> Nonetheless, I agree that PNGs are preferable, both on principle and
> because they seem to preserve the image quality better.

GIFs are 256 colours max. PNG is 24-bit colour, hence the improvement in
image quality.

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