Re: Windows XP Kicks Apple II Emulators

["Steve Mentzer" <dropthistext.smentzer@pacbell.net>]

Bryan,

Windows XP doesn't have anything to do with it. The fact is that you are
trying to run a DOS based emulator on a subsystem that has largely done away
with DOS compatibility as a goal.

- 720k floppies do in fact work. I have used 720k floppies in my 1.44mb
drive several times.
- BIOS video routines like 320x200x256 is based on int 10 VGA calls. There
is no guarantee that your current video board even supports them. It has
nothing to do with WinXP.
- WinXP ships with DX8. DOS emulators do nothing direct-X specific. Windows
emulators using directdraw should have no problem using DirectX 8 or 9. If
they have problems, they were programmed incorrectly from the get-go.
- Soundblaster8/16 (ISA) support depends on the machine you are installing
WinXP on. By default ACPI is enabled under windows XP, requiring that all
ISA boards support PNP/ISA. The SB8Pro/16 did not support PNP/ISA.
Therefore, the ACPI bios under WinXP will not function with them. Also, the
HCL for WinXP does not support the ISA sound boards, as they were notorious
for interrupt conflicts, etc.
- What Microsoft DLL support was removed that would prevent DOS-based
emulators fromrunning? the DOS VM in Win2k/XP is self-contained, and doesn't
rely on any additional DLL's to operate. Furthermore, DOS-based apps do NOT
dynamically link to win16/32 routines at run time.

DOS-based emulators, which being very good a what they do are a thing of the
past, and for good reason. There is no reason to hold WinXP accountable to
maintining DOS compatibility 15 years after the fact.. :)


"Bryan Parkoff" <BParkoff@satx.rr.com> wrote in message
lc-cnRUqrsM7DtijXTWQkQ@giganews.com">news:lc-cnRUqrsM7DtijXTWQkQ@giganews.com...
>     It seems to make Apple II Emulator programmers angry against Microsoft
> that Windows XP has prevented from any Apple II Emulator working.
>
> For example:
> 720K floppy drive support is removed.
> BIOS Video routines such as VGA 320x200x256 is removed.
> Some DirectX version support such as version 5-7 is removed.
> Some Sound routines such as original Sound Blaster (8-bit/16-bit) support
is
> removed.
> Some Microsoft DLLs support is removed.
> Many more other reasons.
>
>     It is how Microsoft makes us unhappy with Windows XP product.  It
causes
> us to rework and reprogram Apple II Emulator in order to support Windows
XP
> hardware including sound and display.  It is a lot of work for us because
we
> have to rewrite Apple II routines to replace the old routines.
>     There must be another way to avoid too much work by reprogramming.  We
> need to separate Microsoft routines and Apple II routines, but they can't
be
> mixed.  The Apple II routines are not necessary to be modified unless it
is
> necessary to improve Apple II design.  It may not be easier for us to
modify
> Microsoft routines unless we have to LEARN how to write Microsoft routines
> in order to support Apple II routines.
>     I believe that the old hardware continues to produce floppy drive and
> BIOS video (EGA/VGA) in all PC motherboards.  Mac OSX and Linux/Unix
always
> keep the old hardware routines that we always are using for our Apple II
> Emulator programmings.
>     Please recommend me which is the best for all of us as Apple II
Emulator
> programmings to keep old routines.  Should we continue using Windows 98
> and/or Linux/Unix so we can continue to support Apple II Emulator projects
> forever.
>
>
> --
> Yours Truly,
>
> Bryan Parkoff
> BParkoff@satx.rr.com
>
>