XFree86 annoyance

[Kevin Brown]

I've been messing with this annoyance on and off for the past year to see if I
could solve it.  So far no luck.  The problem: Under Windows I can run my laptop
display at 1024x768x16bpp, but under X I can only do 1024x768x8bpp.  The reason
I would really like to use 16bpp is because I'm going on a trip at the end of
the month and would like to see the color maps I have downloaded for gpsdrive
(http://www.kraftvoll.at/software/) and would also like to use xmms for music. 
Problem is, under only 8bpp there isn't enough colors to map for both apps (e.g.
put mouse over xmms rest of screen goes funky, move mouse off xmms screen
returns to normal).

System Config:
Panasonic Toughbook CF-25 mkII
P150, 80MB RAM
C&T65550 w/ 2MB RAM (1.5 is needed for 16bpp).
12.1" 1024x768 LCD

Software Config:
RH7.2
XFree86 4.1.0
XFree8-SVGA 3.3.6 <- this is the latest I can find for RH in rpm format and came
with RH7.2

I've messed around with Xconfigurator, but can't find the right combination of
things to get it to do 1024x768x16bpp.  I'm hoping that maybe someone at either
tomorrow's meeting, or more likely at the Stammtisch at Bandersnatch Tuesday,
would be able to help me debug this and get it working right.

This has been a great laptop (4 years old now), has survived more than a
half-dozen rollerblading accidents where it hit the concrete and is still
running.  A similar model is at tigerdirect if you want to take a look at one
(http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?sku=P172-1024%20P).