Re: METAL is now FREE!!!!!!

[dvac@longs.att.com (Daniel Vachon)]

In article <1993Apr8.154630.27827@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu> szatezal@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Shane M Zatezalo) writes:
>>> : un-accelerated Apple //e, or even a Transwarped //e....I would not 
>>> : recommend METAL/FV for you.  
                      ^^
>Roy is talking about the difference between Acos and Metal. NOT the difference
>between GBBS and FutureVision.
 
Boy...these METAL supporters are pretty flame-happy!  I hate to tell you guys
this, but the average BBS user could care less how much code is being executed
"behind the scenes".  They care about how long it takes them to read messages,
play their games, etc... They are paying for the long distance phone call
in some cases.  Like I have said MANY MANY times, METAL has a lot more to 
offer...YES!  *BUT*, to do very similar things as far as message bases and
games go between MY ACOS bbs, and MY FV/METAL bbs, the ACOS system went much
faster.  Maybe it is attributed to the fact that METAL uses SMF's and that
ACOS had built in message files.    I have done no benchmarking studies to
determine which BBS package can execute a given routine faster.  The FACT is,
that the stock BBS program for METAL (Futurevision) runs TOO slow on an Apple
//e (unaccellerated), while the ACOS system runs at least 5 times faster.
I don't think any of you guys who run your BBS's on your souped up //gs's have
any room to talk until you have tried to run an FV system on a 1.1 //e. 

Let me just calm down all the METAL-jock's hormones by saying Futurevision
running under METAL is too slow on a 3MHz Apple //e from the system user's
point of view.  My ACOS bbs (based on GBBS Pro 1.3) runs a lot faster for
message bases, etc.  Granted my ACOS BBS doesn't do EVERYTHING that FV does,
nor does it need to.  It does have networking capability with something I 
wrote myself.  Not as flexible, but it got the job done.  It doesn't have
emulation all over the place, nor do I feel it needs it.  Really the ONE 
thing that I miss from METAL/FV in ACOS is the editor.  Also, the
METAL Spacer Quest ran painfully slow compared to the ACOS version.

ALSO, I am in no way slamming TC or his great programming on METAL.  It is a
great software package if you have a fast CPU that can handle it.

>.... Futurevision on the other hand... it just does too much, and (atleast 
> for my sanity's sake) requires an accelerator.

That is my point! thank you.  
-
>:::Apple II forever!!:::GO BUCKS!:::Play Lacrosse!!:::Raging Bullwinkle!:::
>: Shane M . Zatezalo - CIS OSU: i-net> szatezal@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu :

Dan Vachon - !att!druwa!dvac