Re: Late night musings...

[geoff@seeker.the-hermes.net (Geoff Weiss)]

Martin Gruen <z008729b@bcfreenet.seflin.lib.fl.us> wrote:
>  Has anyone attempted to create a GS/OS based Apple II emulator?  

I don't know about you, but my IIgs has a nice 8-bit Apple II emulator.
It is called Mega II and it is hardware component on my IIgs motherboard.
In fact, every single IIgs has this chip.

>  Bear with me, it could be made to run smoother without slow downs when 
>there's too many things moving on the screen at the same time (as higher 
>levels in many II games tended to do).  A mockingboard/echo emulator 

Umm, I can boot up 8-bit Apple II games on my IIgs and run them with
no slow downs, even with many "sprites" running aroung the screen.

>could be routed through the ensoniqe without the need of putting one of 
>those cheesy things into a otherwise cool system.  Some problems like 

Mockingboard-compatible software communicates to a Mockingboard by
accessing the slot-based hardware directly.  The ensonique use very
different technology and different memory locations.  Apple II
Mockingboard software wuold have to be completely rewritten to support
an esonique--even an ensonique emulating a Mockingboard.

>alternate display screen swapping and such that prevent some earlier games 
>that ran in early II's, but not c's or gs's could be fixed.  (I hate 
>firing up the II+ just to play Sneakers).

I can play Sneakers just fine on my IIgs.  Screen swapping works fine
for all the games that use it.

>  Of course it could all be hard drive based, and disk access would be 
>faster than those really damn slow 5.25 that don't always transfer to 
>DOS3.3 launcher images well (could run the standard types instead).

DOS 3.3 Launcher runs disk images with no problems.  Just make sure
you have the disk images in a form which is DOS 3.3 Launcher compatible--
the software comes with utilities to make disk images.

>  You could map the keyboard to match up other configurations (eg. Ultima 
>one used a cluster that is awkward at best on a IIgs keyboard).  Heck 
>loads of options all imbedded in the CDAs or options and command keys.  

Watching the ADB keyboard as you suggest is not very reliable--just look at 
Easy Access.  You can hang the system by running software which turns
interrupts off (which is many DOS 3.3 titles).

>  This is sounding cooler as I think on it, it must be late.
>  Opinions?

What is wrong with DOS 3.3. Launcher?  It won't be burdened with any of
the overhead caused by GS/OS.

Geoff
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