For Easier Reading
Try a Thin Font Module

	I recently installed a chip in my Junior called Thin-Font Module. It was acquired from the jr Products Group of PC Enterprises at a cost of $19.95 plus shipping and handling.
	Thin-Font is a combination replacement character generator chip and two software programs.
Why Change Chips?
	Some people find the letters on a PCjr display to be too fuzzy and difficult to read because they blur together (especially in the 80 column mode). This is because the PCjr Color Display is not a monitor with a high quality resolution (although it is of very good quality).
	The PCjr’s "motherboard" has, as one of its chips, an integrated circuit which translates the input from the keyboard into designs on the screen. The result is letters drawn in the form of two-pixel wide lines.
	The Thin-Font module replaces the existing chip with an integrated circuit which can generate either the original character shapes (serif style) or a set of thinner ones (a modified San Serif style) which are made of lines one pixel wide. (See the Illustration.)
Installation
	The chip is a little tricky to install and not a task for the unadventuresome Junior owner, or the faint of heart. However, with the help of the detailed manual sent with the module, most diehards can quickly install the new chip.
	After unplugging Junior and removing the top, the Diskette Drive Adapter Card, the 64K Display and Memory Expansion card must all be removed, along with the Infrared Sensor Module. This provides access to the existing Character Generator ROM Chip.
	After the original chip is pried loose, the new module is inserted in its place. A wire, which comes off the new chip and has a clip attached, is connected to a resistor that is part of the cassette motor relay device. (This connection provides the switching power to convert back and forth between the Thin-Font and the normal PCjr character display modes. It does interfere with the use of a cassette player, but I have heard of absolutely no one who uses a cassette as a read/write device with their Junior.) The IR Sensory Module is a bit tricky to reinstall, but the other cards "are a snap."
Software:
	Two programs come with the chip: THINFONT AND SETFONTS.
	THINFONT is a Terminate and Stay Resident (TSR) program. If you put it in your autoexec.bat file, it is always available to use to switch between the normal-wide font and the thin font. The switching occurs when you simultaneously press the <Alt>, <left Shift>, and <Right Shift> keys. This key combo can be changed, however, if you want a different set of keys to press.
	The second program option is SETFONTS and is non-resident. At the DOS prompt you run the SETFONTS each time you want to switch the screen character sets.
Personal Thoughts:
	I experienced no trouble getting the module installed. Some people may want the presence of another PCjr owner for moral support, but most of the installation fears are eliminated by following the fairly clear instructions in the manual.
	The only error I found in the manual was on page 8. The first line should be:
	EXAMPLE:	THINFONT/N
		instead of:
	EXAMPLE:	THINFONT/T

	Some of the pictures in the manual were rather illegible. Jr Products Group would have better served its customers with line drawings or clearer pictures.
	The improved monitor legibility, the flexibility of being able to switch between display styles, and the ability to change the "hot keys" makes THINFONT a good addition to any PCjr’s motherboard.

(The above article was originally published in
the Eugene PCjr User Group Newsletter)