VGA-class cards could display a 80x50 text mode. Not sure that it was easily accessible in MS-DOS without assembly hacks, but it could be configured from within Windows.
I have always used this mode when running TP, without any difficulties. I think it was enabled by a simple key when launching .exe, but I don't remember exactly, which means it was something simple and inconsequential.
Yeah, there were some hacky things you could do, e.g. using software from Quarterdeck? Don't remember. I'd have to go back and look at docs I wrote from a program I wrote t the time. I seem to remember supporting some alternative screen resolutions in a an MS-DOS directory manager I sold.
