Guys,
Can you do me a bit of a favor? Change the subject line if you want to keep talking about this other stuff? Trying to monitor for any QDT specific stuff but instead end up reading all about something else.
Indeed :-)
Back on the topic ... with a new day, new year ( ! ) and a fresh brain :-)
I have now been able to install QDT Demo successfully from the Demo disk supplied by QL Today.
Nice to see what it is ... and well done to yourself for producing it.
I solved the installation difficulty by starting QPC2 v.3.23 without running my normal boot sequence at all. Just went straight to the Demo disk. Ran the installation from there, used the 'Easy' option to write to the boot file present ( after taking the precaution of saving a backup copy of the boot, just in case ).
I did this on the main 'win1_' drive. It all ran smoothly and installed fine. QPC2 just needs to be in the High Color mode, which for me is either 640 x 480, or 800 x 600. Which is the limitation of the graphic card that I have in the PC.
As Rich Mellor correctly pointed out my misgivings about the Wman present being the problem, were unfounded, as the High Color version it is built into SMSQ/E.
Previously, with the 'QDTINST_BAS' programme I was getting this error after entering 'flp1_' as the source location :
InfoZip 5.21b (jh) - cannot find QDTINST_ZIP.
Which is why I also previously had to copy the files across to a hard drive directory of 'QDT_', and proceed to install from there.
I have had time too, to check the previous 'manual' installation that I did to 'win2_', the Zip Drive; and get this working.
Using 'Rjob' I could see that 'QDT_EXE' was actually present in memory. It just hadn't started after the 'EX' command. For some reason. Just a cursor in an empty SBASIC window.
All I needed to do was to issue the 'RUN' command.
Subsequently I have created a separate 'boot_QDT' as an option from my boot file. As I don't necessarily wish to have the QDT Demo as the desktop at present, the Demo is limited in what it what it can do, inevitably.
QDT is a very nice interface, even at this development stage - 'a work in progress' - and works very smoothly and quickly.
So, if you are reading this - give a go !
Ideal for all the users who are familiar other WIMP environments ( Windows / Icons / Mouse / Pointer ), like Windows, IMac, etc. Can they be tempted back to a SMSQ/E + QDT environment too ?
As ever it is good software that makes users like and want to use a system. Hopefully having QDT as a desktop will encourage this.
Personally I would like someone to add on a 3D sculptured look to the QDT windows - which are essentially flat at present. Then the 'eye candy' appeal will be even greater.
For example, on my old RISC OS system I have an add-on called '!NewLook' which gives that flat WIMP appearance the 3D treatment.. Which still looks as good as anything on Windows, although '!NewLook' was done over 10 years ago on RISC OS. Which was at the time of Windows 3.11 ( remember that interface ? ).
The latest IMac interface makes yet another step forward with its use of transparency and translucency.
Which you Jim will know all about :-)
-- Malcolm Cadman _______________________________________________ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
