Hercules Company
Encyclopedia
Hercules is a manufacturer of computer peripherals, for PC and Mac.
, by Van Suwannukul, and was one of the major graphics card companies of the 1980s. Its biggest product was the MDA
-compatible Hercules Graphics Card
and associated standard, which was widely copied and survived into the 1990s. Hercules Graphics Card, by including the printer port, promoted this dedicated port for printing as a faster port than the serial port. The company also produced CGA
compatible cards, and also tried to go head-to-head with EGA
with the unsuccessful Hercules InColor Card
.
After low sales with InColor, Hercules stopped making its own graphics core and bought graphics chipsets coming from other manufacturers: the company name gradually declined in 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. Hercules was acquired by ELSA
in August 1998 for $8.5m; ELSA also assumed all of Hercules' debts. ELSA entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy the following year, Hercules was closed and the Hercules assets were purchased by the French-Canadian based Guillemot Corporation for $1.5m. In 2000, Hercules became the brand name for Guillemot 3D Prophet graphic cards, based on nVIDIA
chipsets in 2000, before switching to ATI Technologies
in 2002.
In 2000, Guillemot also introduced a new sound card, Game Theater XP, with Hercules brand name, and Hercules gradually became the computer peripherals brand in Guillemot Corporation.
In 2004 Guillemot announced it would cease to produce graphics cards.
In Guillemot group, computer peripherals (audio interfaces, speakers, webcams, networking) are designed by Hercules division with Hercules brand, while gaming peripherals are designed by Thrustmaster division with Thrustmaster
brand.
In 2010, Hercules manufactures computer speakers, computer DJ controllers, webcams and wireless networking peripherals.
- Research and development: offices in Canada, France, Hong-Kong and Romania,
- Sales: via Guillemot sales branches in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, UK, USA,
- Distribution to retailers: through distributors,
- Technical support: customer phone and email support by Guillemot technical support team.
Hercules turnover was € 40.9 million (US$ 56.5 million) in 2010.
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 ranges: Graphic cards
Hercules base: Hercules Graphic Card (Monochrome Graphics Array), InColor
Tseng base: Dynamite Pro
Rendition base: Thriller 3D
3Dfx base: Stingray 128/3D
S3 base: Terminator Professional, 64, Beast, Beast SuperCharged
nVidia base: Dynamite (before 1999) TNT, TNT2, TNT2 Ultra
nVidia base: Maxi Gamer Phoenix (TNT, TNT2, Vanta)
nVidia base: 3D Prophet (after 2000) DDR-DVI, 3D Prophet 2, 2-Mx, 2 Ultra, 3
ATI base: 3D Prophet 7000, 75000, 8500, 9200, 9500, 9600, 9700
ST Kyro base: 3D Prophet 4000, 4000XT, 4500
Hercules Computer Technology is not related to Hercules Stands, a manufacturer of stands for speakers and instruments.
History
Hercules Computer Technology, Inc. was formed in 1982 in Fremont, CaliforniaFremont, California
Fremont is a city in Alameda County, California. It was incorporated on January 23, 1956, from the merger of five smaller communities: Centerville, Niles, Irvington, Mission San Jose, and Warm Springs...
, by Van Suwannukul, and was one of the major graphics card companies of the 1980s. Its biggest product was the MDA
Monochrome Display Adapter
The Monochrome Display Adapter introduced in 1981 was IBM's standard video display card and computer display standard for the PC. The MDA did not have any pixel-addressable graphics modes...
-compatible Hercules Graphics Card
Hercules Graphics Card
The Hercules Graphics Card was a computer graphics controller made by Hercules Computer Technology, Inc. which, through its popularity, became a widely supported display standard. It was common on IBM PC compatibles connected to a monochrome monitor . It supported one high resolution text mode and...
and associated standard, which was widely copied and survived into the 1990s. Hercules Graphics Card, by including the printer port, promoted this dedicated port for printing as a faster port than the serial port. The company also produced CGA
Color Graphics Adapter
The Color Graphics Adapter , originally also called the Color/Graphics Adapter or IBM Color/Graphics Monitor Adapter, introduced in 1981, was IBM's first color graphics card, and the first color computer display standard for the IBM PC....
compatible cards, and also tried to go head-to-head with EGA
Enhanced Graphics Adapter
The Enhanced Graphics Adapter is the IBM PC computer display standard specification which is between CGA and VGA in terms of color and space resolution. Introduced in October 1984 by IBM shortly after its new PC/AT, EGA produces a display of 16 simultaneous colors from a palette of 64 at a...
with the unsuccessful Hercules InColor Card
Hercules InColor Card
The Hercules InColor Card was an IBM PC compatible graphics controller card released in April 1987 by Hercules Computer Technology, Inc. After the success of the monochrome Hercules Graphics Card which gained wide developer support, the market was changing with the release of new colour cards...
.
After low sales with InColor, Hercules stopped making its own graphics core and bought graphics chipsets coming from other manufacturers: the company name gradually declined in the 1990s while graphics chipsets firms such as Tseng Labs
Tseng Labs
Tseng Laboratories, Inc. was a maker of graphics chips and controllers for IBM PC compatibles, based in Newtown, Pennsylvania, and founded by Jack H-N Tseng....
, S3 Graphics
S3 Graphics
S3 Graphics, Ltd is an American company specializing in graphics chipsets. Although they do not have the large market share that they once had, they still produce graphics accelerators for home computers under the "S3 Chrome" brand name.-History:...
, 3Dfx
3dfx
3dfx Interactive was a company that specialized in the manufacturing of 3D graphics processing units and, later, graphics cards. It was a pioneer in the field for several years in the late 1990s until 2000 when it underwent one of the most high-profile demises in the history of the PC industry...
, nVidia
NVIDIA
Nvidia is an American global technology company based in Santa Clara, California. Nvidia is best known for its graphics processors . Nvidia and chief rival AMD Graphics Techonologies have dominated the high performance GPU market, pushing other manufacturers to smaller, niche roles...
and ATI Technologies
ATI Technologies
ATI Technologies Inc. was a semiconductor technology corporation based in Markham, Ontario, Canada, that specialized in the development of graphics processing units and chipsets. Founded in 1985 as Array Technologies Inc., the company was listed publicly in 1993 and was acquired by Advanced Micro...
became popular, but Hercules sales of graphic cards were still at US$20 million in 1998. Hercules was acquired by ELSA
ELSA Technology
Elsa Technology is the name of a computer hardware company. Originally founded in 1980 as ELSA Technology AG, it was a German company manufacturing video cards and other peripherals for Personal Computers...
in August 1998 for $8.5m; ELSA also assumed all of Hercules' debts. ELSA entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy the following year, Hercules was closed and the Hercules assets were purchased by the French-Canadian based Guillemot Corporation for $1.5m. In 2000, Hercules became the brand name for Guillemot 3D Prophet graphic cards, based on nVIDIA
NVIDIA
Nvidia is an American global technology company based in Santa Clara, California. Nvidia is best known for its graphics processors . Nvidia and chief rival AMD Graphics Techonologies have dominated the high performance GPU market, pushing other manufacturers to smaller, niche roles...
chipsets in 2000, before switching to ATI Technologies
ATI Technologies
ATI Technologies Inc. was a semiconductor technology corporation based in Markham, Ontario, Canada, that specialized in the development of graphics processing units and chipsets. Founded in 1985 as Array Technologies Inc., the company was listed publicly in 1993 and was acquired by Advanced Micro...
in 2002.
In 2000, Guillemot also introduced a new sound card, Game Theater XP, with 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.
In Guillemot group, computer peripherals (audio interfaces, speakers, webcams, networking) are designed by Hercules division with Hercules brand, while gaming peripherals are designed by Thrustmaster division with Thrustmaster
Thrustmaster
Thrustmaster, is a designer and developer of joysticks, game controllers, and steering wheels for PCs and video gaming consoles alike. It has many licensing agreements with third party, prestigious brands such as Ferrari, TOP GUN, Beretta and Splinter Cell as well as licensing some products under...
brand.
In 2010, Hercules manufactures computer speakers, computer DJ controllers, webcams and wireless networking peripherals.
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.
Hercules turnover was € 40.9 million (US$ 56.5 million) in 2010.
Ranges
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 ranges: Graphic cards
Hercules base: Hercules Graphic Card (Monochrome Graphics Array), InColor
Tseng base: Dynamite Pro
Rendition base: Thriller 3D
3Dfx base: Stingray 128/3D
S3 base: Terminator Professional, 64, Beast, Beast SuperCharged
nVidia base: Dynamite (before 1999) TNT, TNT2, TNT2 Ultra
nVidia base: Maxi Gamer Phoenix (TNT, TNT2, Vanta)
nVidia base: 3D Prophet (after 2000) DDR-DVI, 3D Prophet 2, 2-Mx, 2 Ultra, 3
ATI base: 3D Prophet 7000, 75000, 8500, 9200, 9500, 9600, 9700
ST Kyro base: 3D Prophet 4000, 4000XT, 4500
Hercules Computer Technology is not related to Hercules Stands, a manufacturer of stands for speakers and instruments.