>> I know I keep harping on about it but take another look at the spectrum, >> the best emulators for that Fuse (for linux) and Spin (for windows) are >> both free. Someone can download one of those, then go to the world of >> spectrum website and download all the applications they need to start >> developing for it. The same can't be said for the QL. I suspect that's >> one of the reasons why there are so few people developing software for >> the QL. > >Yes but then you have to look closely at World of Spectrum. It is in >effect a software archive - many of the programs have never been made >public domain, but the people running the website are willing to take the >risk that they will not sued. There are also a lot of the Spectrum >software authors who are around and have given their permission.
Amiga, Atari, CPC, XE, XL, MSX (hope you know what the letters mean) - people decided to put such old software and games on the web and make it available for free. Such software is called "abandonware", see wikipedia term: Abandonware is computer software which is no longer being sold or supported by its copyright holder. Alternativeely, the term is also used for software which is still available, but on which further support and development has been deliberately discontinued. Sometimes, it is used as a blanket category for any software over a certain age, usually five years. This has happened also for PSION PDAs, where Psion officially stopped support (in ~2004) and some SW companies agreed to put their products without support on the web for free. >The QL has had authors disappearing quickly since the early days, meaning >that the majority of development tools are not public domain and without >any sources to allow further development. Disappeared author cannot receive money. Such software fits into Abandonware (AW) category and could be made available. >Let's face it, Toolkit 2 was always one of the main requirements for good >quality programs on the QL, yet how many years was that before it was able >to released into the public domain. Where are all the public domain >hoardes of people using free tools to develop that further? I can tell you, they are playing with other old computers. E.g. Amiga, ZX... There is much easier way to get what you need. >So apart from not being able to compile SMSQ/e without a system running >68020+ instructions, what exactly is stopping all these people writing >other software? I am mising more pages like Qdos Internals. HTML version of docs, diagrams, schematics, source code, examples. Quanta has some software and documentation library for members. This should be made available for free. It is probably another "terrorist" approach in your eyes, but from my outside point of view it is a must. I don't say that YOU need to do it. As Phil suggested, there are good examples at ZX scene where people cooperated and provided results for free. This will happen on QL if people will be interested and motivated to do it. Answer this if you dare: What should motivate newcomers in writing QL software? Why is writting software easier on QL than any other old computer Apple Lisa, Amiga OS, ZX or Atari? If you don't need new people and new projects - keep on current track. QL will slowly phase out as the current memebers will get older and older... >>Yes but then you have to look closely at World of Spectrum. It is in >>effect a software archive - many of the programs have never been made >>public domain, but the people running the website are willing to take the >>risk that they will not sued. There are also a lot of the Spectrum >>software authors who are around and have given their permission. > >There is another major difference. The QL was never a games machine. It >was marketed as a business machine and most of the software written for >it was applications oriented and not games oriented. True, we had a few >games, and some were very good, but we did not have the vast archive of >games the Spectrum had. Let's make the QL games archive! At least these few games will be played again (after 10 years of waiting on some microdrive). >We also, for the same reason did not have the >vast user base either and a lot of the users left the QL when the PC >became dominant because applications were faster and better on the PC, >Looking at the Spectrum world is misleading and, as Rich points out, >no-one there gives two hoots about licences, copyright or that kind of >thing. They just want to play with their Jet Set Willy. I am not playing JSW on my ZX. I am programming utilities, demos and meeting friends. It is all about having fun and talking to people who understands "my language". Games were definitely my starting point on ZX as for thousands of other people. You should know that games pushed programming forward, because it was necessary for fast routines to be developed. Shame for QL that there were no more games. I hardly believe your interest in computers is coming from making spreadsheets in Abacus. You won't be there now. Again, let me compare the principle: on ZX, Amiga, Atari, ZX...etc, no one bothers about licenses in old software, because authors disappeared or gave permission to make it available (including big games companies like Ocean, Gremlin, Infogrames, Dynamic..etc). See above about AW. Why should this be an issue on QL to make old games and software for free? Jan the terrorist ------------------------------------------ www.icqsms.cz _______________________________________________ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
