Re: Diamond TrackStar E

[spec@vax2.concordia.ca (Mitchell Spector)]

In article Dan-Yertzell@worldnet.att.net (Dan Yertzell) writes...

>On Sat, 6 Dec 1997 11:49:47 -0500, "kroma"
><spam_kroma@worldnet.att.net> wrote:
>>
>>Diamond has a support group on Compuserve. It seems like they have the
>>software for it there. Can any body check?
>
>FWIW, I checked.  The Diamond forum is all about their Windows video
>hardware and software.  I saw nothing at all related to "old" products
>in general or the Trackstar in particular.  A search of the libraries
>turned up nothing.

    Aside from being able to directly hook up and use Apple 5.25 or
compatible floppy drives, is there a reason people continue to use
Apple II hardware emulator cards for the PC? Software emulators such
as ApplePC and AppleWin do an excellent job, and the former even
allows works with the IBM's serial ports (I've connected to my shell
account using an emulated ProTERM 3.1!), mouse and joystick. You can
even create virtual ProDOS hardrives, run _well_ beyond stock 1 MHz
speed, pick between II Plus, IIe and IIc emulation, even emulate a
Mockingboard sound card. Also impressive are its video mode emulations,
they even bothered to emulate minor details such as scanlines and a
monochrome green screen (and of course fringing in color graphics,
and even that blur you get in composite NTSC :).

    Even a slow and ancient 386sx-16 should be able to emulate fast
enough where it would be as usable as a real Apple II. The only case
where I could see a need for a hardware card is if your running an
old 8088, 8086 or 286, and even then there are probably less complex
emulators available for those systems. Considering how clunky and
useless old PC's are, I rather use an Apple II with a PC-Transporter
(or even a Macintosh with IIe Card, they're a lot nicer and more
elegent than old PC's). Admittely I hardly ever touch 8-bit Apple II
software emulators, considering I have a IIc, IIc Plus and IIe (not
too mention a Apple IIgs) sitting around connected, but they're a 
must have when I move my PC around where there aren't any II's. :-)

Mitchell Spector
spec@vax2.concordia.ca