Re: [ql-users] A QL Trip Down Memory Lane
Speaking of retro computers, I have gotten rid of a few items recently but i still have a nice working ZX81 with a Ram pack which doesn't wobble ( clever hook that fixes it firmly in place ), a beautiful Original Atari 800 which I'm on the verse of selling even though I don't want to, plus a couple ATARI Stfm's and a rather stunning Amiga 1200. I only use my QL Aurora now though as I haven't the room for the others. Shame Neil [EMAIL PROTECTED] 12 February 2007 07:47 extdgl42 wrote: As an example of variety, I'll mention my confuser (computer :-) room: Three Macs (two of them laptops), two PCs (One 733, the other 133[!], a custom build long ago), and several QLs (many still in styrofoam boxes; one somewhat working). Yes, internet connectivity for four of the above. All as old as about 1999 or farther back, with OS's as old as 98SE or QDOS, or as recent as SuSE 10.x and Mac OS 10.3 . The Macs e.g. have been an education. I think exposing the younger generation to earlier machines is a wonderful way of reigniting waning enthusiasm. My nephews thoroughly enjoy playing on the earlier micros, and they love the QL in particular . . . it just looks so cool (in their words). My life? What life? I have no life. O insuportable! O heavy hour!--Apologies to Messrs. Bill the Bard and Othello. Actually, I _do_ have a life outside computers. Doug L. 37830 -Original Message- ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm *** The contents of this email are confidential to the intended recipient. It may not be disclosed to or used by anyone other than the addressee, nor may it be copied in any way. If received in error, please contact the company on 01793-715380, then delete it from your system. Please note neither the company nor the sender accepts any responsibility for viruses and it is your responsibility to scan attachments (if any) for viruses. No contract may be concluded on behalf of the company by means of email communications. BC Services (UK) Limited (trading as Boxclever), Technology House, Ampthill Road, Bedford, MK42 9QQ. Registered No. 5290544 England www.boxclever.co.uk *** ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
[ql-users] Réf. : Re: Spare GC or SGC?
I am wondering from some time ago, if it is possible to consider an USB port implementation on a new QL hardware. This, it will be a real leap for the QL community as it opens the door for a planty of low cost and efficient peripherals and gets down the need for developping others extensions. I don't know if this kind of thing could be looked in this project but if it is, i will be interested for a couple of pièces. I must however admit that the need for drivers for a such devices will be determinant. Regards Alain HAOUI PSA PEUGEOT CITROËN E-Mail : [EMAIL PROTECTED] Tél : 01 56 47 23 19 - Fax : 01 56 47 21 12 GSM : 06 86 57 45 67 Case courrier : LG120 Tony Firshman [EMAIL PROTECTED] o.ukPour Envoyé par : [EMAIL PROTECTED] ql-users-bounces cc @lists.q-v-d.com Objet Re: [ql-users] Spare GC or SGC? 12/02/2007 10:50 Veuillez répondre à [EMAIL PROTECTED] om -BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE- Hash: SHA1 Neil Riley wrote: Guys, I would happily fork out £300-350 for a SDGC ( Super Duper GC ) but it would have to be a marked jump in performance from SGC and allow for reasonable graphics. Being a gamer I dream of QL Quake ( wel it is open C source ! ) running on a Black box QL. It is developments like this that kick start the bedroom coders. Oh yes, count me in. .. but not graphics I think. That would still have to be down to the motherboard. Tony - -- QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://firshman.co.uk Voice: +44(0)1442-828254 Fax: +44(0)1442-828255 Skype: tonyfirshman TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG -BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE- Version: GnuPG v1.4.2 (MingW32) Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org iD8DBQFF0DhxM3RzOs8+btoRAmybAKCL70dO6q00nmtvlViK9zbrUpl7vQCbBsAZ yQIYhoRFdH2DdUiiEbtiaCQ= =c2K3 -END PGP SIGNATURE- ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Réf. : Re: Spare GC or SGC?
-BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE- Hash: SHA1 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I am wondering from some time ago, if it is possible to consider an USB port implementation on a new QL hardware. This, it will be a real leap for the QL community as it opens the door for a planty of low cost and efficient peripherals and gets down the need for developping others extensions. I don't know if this kind of thing could be looked in this project but if it is, i will be interested for a couple of pièces. I must however admit that the need for drivers for a such devices will be determinant. Exactly. Are you going to write the drivers then (8-)# The hardware issues are not going to be trivial (for all aspects of the design) but the *real* difficulty is going to be finding people to write both the firmware (logic chips) and drivers. That will be the make/break. If Nasta were to be involved, then a great number of the hardware issues would be addressed. Tony - -- QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://firshman.co.uk Voice: +44(0)1442-828254 Fax: +44(0)1442-828255 Skype: tonyfirshman TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG -BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE- Version: GnuPG v1.4.2 (MingW32) Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org iD8DBQFF0EEFM3RzOs8+btoRAvzSAJ9J+8XgEvTBlIYCHxSZciJddrEdPwCfZbcE Vk120EM9SvFToqDgjWbCUaY= =mZO0 -END PGP SIGNATURE- ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
[ql-users] Réf. : Re: Réf. : Re: Spare GC or SGC?
At this stage, it is difficult to answer Yes or No if i am going to write drivers. We have to evaluate on each area the necessary effort, competence and time needed. I have some experiences on developping software for QL and Motorola assembler coding (much more on Unix and windows platforms) but nothing on the hardware. So, i can consider my contribution if pertinent and possible. I completely aggree that involving Nasta would render things easier. Regards Alain HAOUI PSA PEUGEOT CITROËN E-Mail : [EMAIL PROTECTED] Tél : 01 56 47 23 19 - Fax : 01 56 47 21 12 GSM : 06 86 57 45 67 Case courrier : LG120 Tony Firshman [EMAIL PROTECTED] o.ukPour Envoyé par : [EMAIL PROTECTED] ql-users-bounces cc @lists.q-v-d.com Objet Re: [ql-users] Réf. : Re: Spare GC 12/02/2007 11:27 or SGC? Veuillez répondre à [EMAIL PROTECTED] om -BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE- Hash: SHA1 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I am wondering from some time ago, if it is possible to consider an USB port implementation on a new QL hardware. This, it will be a real leap for the QL community as it opens the door for a planty of low cost and efficient peripherals and gets down the need for developping others extensions. I don't know if this kind of thing could be looked in this project but if it is, i will be interested for a couple of pièces. I must however admit that the need for drivers for a such devices will be determinant. Exactly. Are you going to write the drivers then (8-)# The hardware issues are not going to be trivial (for all aspects of the design) but the *real* difficulty is going to be finding people to write both the firmware (logic chips) and drivers. That will be the make/break. If Nasta were to be involved, then a great number of the hardware issues would be addressed. Tony - -- QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://firshman.co.uk Voice: +44(0)1442-828254 Fax: +44(0)1442-828255 Skype: tonyfirshman TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG -BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE- Version: GnuPG v1.4.2 (MingW32) Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org iD8DBQFF0EEFM3RzOs8+btoRAvzSAJ9J+8XgEvTBlIYCHxSZciJddrEdPwCfZbcE Vk120EM9SvFToqDgjWbCUaY= =mZO0 -END PGP SIGNATURE- ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Spare GC or SGC?
Yes, I could put the program on my site if required. -- Dilwyn Jones - Original Message - From: Robert Newson [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, February 09, 2007 8:04 PM Subject: Re: [ql-users] Spare GC or SGC? Stephen Usher wrote: Hi Steve, ... I find with 2M on my GC, data and programs just rattle around inside! Even with the base 128K machine (around 77K(?) free for use) I used to be able to do/run more than I could with a 540K PC. Or are people becoming so bloatware expecting that 4M sounds titchy? Yes, but the QL doesn't have all those silly GUI thingies written in bloating C++ (or now JAVA and .NET). I must admit that I sometimes found 128K restrictive but never filled the Trump Card memory. (Oh and I did have a sort-of GUI thingy for the QL, the ICE ROM mouse.) Neither did the 540K PC of the time (Windwos 3.x were just about around when I got the GC, but never had them at the time to compare with using the 128K QL). Still, storage has never been a problem for you, other than the UCL Euclid file quota, which you got around using a neat trick using the e-mail inbox if I remember correctly. If space really ran out there was alway the emergency PTP (Paper-Tape-Punch) archive...I still have a few sitting around upstairs, but with no means of reading contents :( Oh and then there was thae hack for getting long printouts on the self-sevice printer.. and the Babbage programs you wrote which made UCLCC people nervous about 'cos they did things no-one thought a normal user could do. Funny you should mention them...I was having a chuckle about one in particular (the pre-main code filing password adder/remover) and exactly what it did and how it did it. By the way, I seem to remember a couple of years ago that you asked if you could pass on the source etc. of the terminal emulator I wrote to someone, did you do so? Seeing as I've not got a modern machine readable copy would it be possible for you to fish it out and pass it onto whoever archives QL software on this list? Someone might as well get some use out of it. I have it somewhere...need to search...can't remember to whom I wanted to send it now. To whom should I sent it (ie who would possibly be interested in archiving/having it [for distribution])? Dilwyn? -- --- Robert Newson, E-Mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 17 Sunnybank, South Norwood Phone: (020) 8654 6643 London, SE25 4TQ Mobile: 07737 515 214 or 07922 060 873 ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.17.30/674 - Release Date: 07/02/2007 15:33 ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Réf. : Re: Spare GC or SGC?
This came up in discussion some time ago. As you say, Alain, the need for drivers would be the deciding factor. IIRC it's not the USB port driver as such, but the individual drivers for any particular device connected to it as well. Even on the PC scene, available harder becomes obsolescent in such a short time that as soon as a driver got written I guess the hardware would no longer be sold and quickly back to square 1. (For those who don't know Alain, I think he wrote many QL programs in QLCF software library many years ago!) -- Dilwyn Jones - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, February 12, 2007 10:20 AM Subject: [ql-users] Réf. : Re: Spare GC or SGC? I am wondering from some time ago, if it is possible to consider an USB port implementation on a new QL hardware. This, it will be a real leap for the QL community as it opens the door for a planty of low cost and efficient peripherals and gets down the need for developping others extensions. I don't know if this kind of thing could be looked in this project but if it is, i will be interested for a couple of pièces. I must however admit that the need for drivers for a such devices will be determinant. Regards Alain HAOUI PSA PEUGEOT CITROËN E-Mail : [EMAIL PROTECTED] Tél : 01 56 47 23 19 - Fax : 01 56 47 21 12 GSM : 06 86 57 45 67 Case courrier : LG120 Tony Firshman [EMAIL PROTECTED] o.uk Pour Envoyé par : [EMAIL PROTECTED] ql-users-bounces cc @lists.q-v-d.com Objet Re: [ql-users] Spare GC or SGC? 12/02/2007 10:50 Veuillez répondre à [EMAIL PROTECTED] om -BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE- Hash: SHA1 Neil Riley wrote: Guys, I would happily fork out £300-350 for a SDGC ( Super Duper GC ) but it would have to be a marked jump in performance from SGC and allow for reasonable graphics. Being a gamer I dream of QL Quake ( wel it is open C source ! ) running on a Black box QL. It is developments like this that kick start the bedroom coders. Oh yes, count me in. .. but not graphics I think. That would still have to be down to the motherboard. Tony - -- QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://firshman.co.uk Voice: +44(0)1442-828254 Fax: +44(0)1442-828255 Skype: tonyfirshman TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG -BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE- Version: GnuPG v1.4.2 (MingW32) Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org iD8DBQFF0DhxM3RzOs8+btoRAmybAKCL70dO6q00nmtvlViK9zbrUpl7vQCbBsAZ yQIYhoRFdH2DdUiiEbtiaCQ= =c2K3 -END PGP SIGNATURE- ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.17.30/674 - Release Date: 07/02/2007 15:33 ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Spare GC or SGC?
I would happily fork out £300-350 for a SDGC ( Super Duper GC ) but it would have to be a marked jump in performance from SGC and allow for reasonable graphics. Being a gamer I dream of QL Quake ( wel it is open C source ! ) running on a Black box QL. It is developments like this that kick start the bedroom coders. Oh yes, count me in. Neil Being a devil's advocate for a moment, here are a few asides which may have a bearing on this. For not that much more than the prices above you could buy a Q40i or Q60 from DD Systems. There is also the long lasting proposal for Nasta's GoldFire (can't remember if that was the chip name [Coldfire?]) or if it had some other name - how much would that cost to finalise and market? Neil might not be aware of this, I don't think it's been discussed since he joined the list. There might be out there somewhere a 680xx card which could be developed too, you never know, the savings in hardware development might pay for someone to port QDOS or SMSQ/E to it - fancy a new challenge Marcel? ;-))) -- Dilwyn Jones ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Is there was any virus on QL ?
Jimmy Montesinos wrote: I'm currently working on computer viruses history, and I remember that I had met some viruses on Apple II, C64, and Amiga but I don't remember if there was some on QL.. So is there any viruses on QL ? I would appreciate any screenshots or details in order to add a small paragraph in my french presentation? I have a little experience with this! I did look at the possibility of a QL virus style of program a few years ago (as Geoff Wicks knows to his QXL's cost!), by adding direct commands to the end of a boot program. The idea was to simply LRUN another program called (a single space, which was not too easily seen in a DIR listing) which in turn looked for any other BASIC programs and tacked it onto the end. It wasn't malicious, it only replicated itself and announced its presence - it wasn't intended to be malicious, just testing if it could be done. Sadly, it was badly written and trashed Geoff's QXL by mistake, so realising I'd been a very naughty boy (not to mention embarrassment and visions of Just Words retribution) I immediately erased all copies of it and never tried again. Although not a virus, there was a Pointer Pranks routines which was a harmless April Fool joke (which did not copy itself) which simply did annoying things like randomly zap a pointer driven program into the button frame or picking random jobs to the top (one moment you'd be happily typing away in Quill then all of a sudden a QPAC2 files menu appears out of nowhere). Another harmless piece of fun was what Ron Dunnett, Joe Haftke and I did at a Quanta workshop years ago. Our QLs were networked together and we played pranks on each other by opening windows on each other's screens and either typing naughty messages or simply clearing the screen, something like this: OPEN#3,n1_SCR_512x256a0x0:CLS #3:INPUT#3,'Your QL has a virus, press ENTER';z$:CLOSE#3 Except that Joe Haftke responded with the same commands, but instead the INPUT string was: INPUT #3,'Press ENTER to completely erase your hard disk';z$ (from memory, might not work, but you'll see what I mean). Having managed to annoy Ron with this type of thing, his revenge was swift. I noticed my QL slowing right down until it was unusable. I guessed it might be Ron, but didn't know what he'd done until he explained that he used WCOPY to transfer hundreds of files over the network to fill up ramdisks on my QL, which slowed it right down and made it run out of memory. There never was AFAIK a finished virus for the QL, but in priciple it could probably be done. QL jobs have a JMP.L job_start_address instruction in the first few bytes, to jump past the $4AFB flag and job name. This could in theory (never tried this part) be hacked to jump to an extra bit of code tacked onto the end of a program to run a 'virus', which ends with the original JMP.L job_start_address to run the program from its original execution address. I *HOPE* I am wrong and this cannot be done. But I'm also optimistic that nobody on the QL scene would even dream of trying to write a working virus! The above pranks were bad enough without getting as far as a real virus. -- Dilwyn Jones ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Is there was any virus on QL ?
Hi Jimmy, See www.witteware.com/knoware : 2007/02/12 Addition Virus - Article and listing: Anatomy of a virus. New. Per donning flame-proof underwear QL2K wrote: Hi all, I'm currently working on computer viruses history, and I remember that I had met some viruses on Apple II, C64, and Amiga but I don't remember if there was some on QL.. So is there any viruses on QL ? I would appreciate any screenshots or details in order to add a small paragraph in my french presentation? Thanks, Jimmy. ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Réf. : Re: Spare GC or SGC?
Tony wrote: The hardware issues are not going to be trivial (for all aspects of the design) but the *real* difficulty is going to be finding people to write both the firmware (logic chips) and drivers. That will be the make/break. Yes that is exactly the problem, each hardware upgrade - Goldcard, QXL card through to Q60 has been an attempt at a 'complete' and final computer on a board. The only one that has not been was the Aurora motherboard. Even then as far as I understand it was part of a vision of a complete solution that seems to have been envisaged as a series of boards. Each complete solution has depended on the engagement of a very few key individuals without whom all progress stops. Without hardware development QL computing will not survive much longer except for retro enthusiasts. Clearly the cost of upgrading is important to many current users as the Qx0 series has not been taken up generally with the majority of hardware users running system designed in the 1980s or early 1990s. As a result development of the Qx0 series seems to have stopped as well, presumably the market is too small to make it worthwhile developing add ons for the Qx0 and then there is the SMSQ/E licence issue there as well. If someone is thinking about developing the hardware further, recognising price constraints and the diverse needs of the community would it be possible to consider a modular process of upgrades. If it were possible for example: to add a memory board using one of the commercially available memory simms ( boards could be sold with or without simms) to an Aurora system as an additional board on the back plane. to add a processor board to the backplane on an aurora setup with say a gold card whereby the new processor takes over from the 68000 - perhaps that chip is removed from the gold card. to add the memory and processor boards as 2 in line modular upgrades to a black box QL to add an ISA graphics board to the Qx0 to improve graphics caompatibility with flat screens. to add a USB board to the Aurora/Qubide/SGoldCard system etc Taking a modular approach to make each board itself simpler might make it easier to do the work in small chunks, could engage more of the existing community on different projects, make the work for a specific smaller upgrade easier, perphaps allow the use of existing commercially available boards, and make upgrading more affordable for those who cannot fork out £300-400 all at once. I do realise that this may all be pie in the sky as I know nothing about hardware development. As a final thought Quanta could stimulate this by making a prize (£s X-prize) for the first team to say design and make a prototype processor upgrade add on board or USB driver or whatever, Duncan ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] A QL Trip Down Memory Lane
In message [EMAIL PROTECTED], Tony Firshman [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes Rick Chagouri-Brindle wrote: Actually, that reminds me. I also teach on a volunteer basis at a local pre-school. I use the term teach with this age group very loosely, but I was amazed how much these children pick up and how quickly. As part of the project, I setup and installed four PCs for them, and we installed the Edubuntu Linux variant - partly for reasons of cost, and partly because it is designed for young children. They have all taken too it so well, it is amazing. Many of the children use the machines with more confidence than some of the staff!!! Of course they do. Ben at age 8 became the password holder and controller of the classes computer. He kept on correcting the teacher and helping her - so she passed responsibilty! It is still happening now. He has given up A level computing because the teacher knows less than him. Umm, the latter seems bad news. Teachers do not know everything now, and can never do so. We work with the student, to lead on to further development. Which is around facilitating learning, rather than the didactic teaching of learning. I have had some fantastic work from A level students who knew they were in charge of their own learning. Which doesn't mean they didn't still receive inputs about things they did not yet know or had not yet come across. One of the things that is about to be set up at my school - with the extra funding from M$ - is a Learning Gateway. Which will mean a lot of resources will be available 24/7. This is something we all talked about, years ago. Now the hardware and software is available to be up to the job, and things like broad band access being free to students all day has helped. As well as many students have similar, or better, facilities at home too. -- Malcolm Cadman ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] A QL Trip Down Memory Lane
In message [EMAIL PROTECTED], Rick Chagouri-Brindle [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes Fair enough. Do you teach ICT then? Snap, although I am a part-time lecturer on loan from business!!! At the local college at which I teach they insist on calling it Information Communications Technology . . . hence the ICT. However, the function of ICT in a educational environment is no different from IT in a business environment . . . they are both using technology to achieve a purpose. I teach Technology, in a secondary school. I hate all these pseudo titles, that come and go ... I couldn't agree with you more . . . there is too much emphasis at work and in education on naming things! Yes ... new, so called, initiatives ... :-( We just use the hardware and software to help achieve project work. And why not? Well, after all, isn't this what technology is for? At times we all get too focussed on technology without purpose, I know I can be guilty of that!!! Our role is to try to see the technology as a tool to encourage creativity, inventiveness, et, through project based work. Not forgetting, that there is just as much value in hand skills too. I couldn't agree with you more. I have two young sons and the older boy, who is four ,has his own laptop, but we ensure that he mixes sitting at the computer with actually physically making things with kicking a ball around with . . . . . . . I have no problem with software investment going into PC applications. What I find disappointing is that in many schools/colleges it is purely a Microsoft environment and that students have no concept of the history and development of ICT. That, in my view, is a real shame. Even in programming, the concentration seems to be totally on Visual Basic - with all the bad habits that gives us - without considering the huge variety of better cross-platform languages. Oh well, that's life, I guess! Yes it is boring, but the way it is at present. A colleague of mine actually had a student penalised for thinking outside the box and using an alternative language - Ruby - for a project. My school has a Humanities specialist grant, that gives us even more M$ products, as a part of the deal. MS aren't stupid, are they? Yes, by pumping in funding now, for their own products, they are seeding the next generation to use them. Actually, that reminds me. I also teach on a volunteer basis at a local pre-school. I use the term teach with this age group very loosely, but I was amazed how much these children pick up and how quickly. As part of the project, I setup and installed four PCs for them, and we installed the Edubuntu Linux variant - partly for reasons of cost, and partly because it is designed for young children. They have all taken too it so well, it is amazing. Many of the children use the machines with more confidence than some of the staff!!! Umm ... this is why it is still fun and interesting to use the QL, in its modern form and derivatives. My introduction to home computing was in the heady days when there was lots of free choice around. Now it is M$ dominant. Although the iPod has shown that the market dominance can be challenged, and new markets created. -- Malcolm Cadman ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] A QL Trip Down Memory Lane
In message [EMAIL PROTECTED] , extdgl42 [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes As an example of variety, I'll mention my confuser (computer :-) room: Three Macs (two of them laptops), two PCs (One 733, the other 133[!], a custom build long ago), and several QLs (many still in styrofoam boxes; one somewhat working). Yes, internet connectivity for four of the above. All as old as about 1999 or farther back, with OS's as old as 98SE or QDOS, or as recent as SuSE 10.x and Mac OS 10.3 . The Macs e.g. have been an education. My life? What life? I have no life. O insuportable! O heavy hour!--Apologies to Messrs. Bill the Bard and Othello. Actually, I _do_ have a life outside computers. Doug L. 37830 Hi Doug, You are right, I have lots of different computers around too, mostly picked up for little actual cost. It is the activity that is the fun, not the OS as such. The so called old computers let you get at them, rather than the new computers which just give you ready made applications. -- Malcolm Cadman ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] A QL Trip Down Memory Lane
In message [EMAIL PROTECTED], Rick Chagouri-Brindle [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes extdgl42 wrote: As an example of variety, I'll mention my confuser (computer :-) room: Three Macs (two of them laptops), two PCs (One 733, the other 133[!], a custom build long ago), and several QLs (many still in styrofoam boxes; one somewhat working). Yes, internet connectivity for four of the above. All as old as about 1999 or farther back, with OS's as old as 98SE or QDOS, or as recent as SuSE 10.x and Mac OS 10.3 . The Macs e.g. have been an education. I think exposing the younger generation to earlier machines is a wonderful way of reigniting waning enthusiasm. My nephews thoroughly enjoy playing on the earlier micros, and they love the QL in particular . . . it just looks so cool (in their words). I will remember to mention that to the ex-Sinclair industrial designer, who became a friend of mine. There is a link on my web site to his current activities, as well as his old designs for Sinclair. http:\\www.mcad.demon.co.uk/lquan.htm The link is at the bottom of the page. My life? What life? I have no life. O insuportable! O heavy hour!--Apologies to Messrs. Bill the Bard and Othello. Actually, I _do_ have a life outside computers. Doug L. 37830 -- Malcolm Cadman ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Spare GC or SGC?
On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 19:55:39 -, Malcolm Cadman [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: In message [EMAIL PROTECTED], Tony Firshman [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes Neil Riley wrote: Guys, I would happily fork out £300-350 for a SDGC ( Super Duper GC ) but it would have to be a marked jump in performance from SGC and allow for reasonable graphics. Being a gamer I dream of QL Quake ( wel it is open C source ! ) running on a Black box QL. It is developments like this that kick start the bedroom coders. Oh yes, count me in. .. but not graphics I think. That would still have to be down to the motherboard. Yes, but programs like QWord show that the OS can now do good graphics ... it just needs another platform to run on, at present. That depends on your definition of platform. We decided that a 4 colour version of QWord would not be playable. An 8 colour version was getting there, but you could only have a small grid and so it was fairly pointless. However, with an Aurora motherboard, QPC2 or Qx0, the possibilities were much more hopeful. Heck, we even made certain that it would work on Aurora (plus SGC) without SMSQ/e. It is interesting how new hardware can encourage people to write software - we are working on an IDE / CF adaptor for the Spectrum (the DivIDE Plus) and should actually manage to get this on the market for around £50, with designers in Poland. However, the firmware is based on an earlier device - the authors have been inspired to make use of the additional functionality, but then they do not want payment for their work. Maybe that is the best side of the Sinclair market - people like to see just what can be squeezed out of the old machines. The problem is that there are no new QL hardware designers and it would be a steep learning curve for anyone who wished to work on a new project. Quanta offered funding to assist with new design, but there has to be the market, willingness and time. Then we need firmware authors - Tony Tebby always seems to have been closely involved in any hardware project since the start of the QL - who else has actual experience of writing firmware for the QL who we could call on? There are plenty of people still using the standard QL, but the figure must be less than 200 and they must feel left behind. Quanta is losing its membership fast, as people realise that they cannot expand their QL any more than they have already (either in terms of software or hardware), and without access to the internet, do not see the still-thriving community - I wonder how many Super Gold Cards lie hidden away in lofts and cupboards forgotten. -- Rich Mellor RWAP Services URL:http://www.rwapsoftware.co.uk URL:http://www.rwapservices.co.uk ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Spare GC or SGC?
Hi Per I think you miss the point sometimes. You said The QL was never only about hardware for quite a number of enthusiasts, and therefore it is still going strong in its emulated form. If you want the best QL platform money can buy, get QPC2 and stick it in your PC. For quite a number of enthusiasts t it was not and still is not about emulators, especially those who love and are sticking to original hardware and those who have no easy upgrade route now if they do not have a PC at home. As for QPC2 dont forget that there are 2 critical spofs (single points of failure) for QPC2 - 1. the PC and its OS 2. like previous QL hardware efforts that started this discussion the QPC2 software is a one man show. If Marcel loses interest QPC2 is dead. Therefore regardless of personal preferences Marcels current health in the long term diversity is good, all eggs in one basket is bad. I also have QPC2 upto date etc, etc Wot SMSQ/E license issue? Not my personal issue here but the very real fight that despoiled this list some time ago. It needs to be recognised that the consequences of that argument was a critical point in the future development of the QL community. As for SMS/E I have compiled my own SMSQ/E for my Q60 since 3.03 and tried to show how easy it is to do in QLToday, but the argument about licence itself seems to have killed off hardware development. However, the second major module of the Aurora project, the mythical Goldfire, is still outstanding. That is the project that is furthest advanced. If it cannot be made to succeed what chance does any other project have? I agree with you there is absolutely none if everyone has your attitude. The question to me is why did it stall, was the project too ambitious in its scope - using a Coldfire processor or did personal circumstances for the prime mover result in its end? I dont know. What I am suggesting is that those with hardware skills left the community should be encouraged (financially) to look at simpler projects that need less development time and are affordable for a larger number of the group or if that is not possible that as a group we should consider projects with outsourcing of development in an affordable way perhaps to eastern europe as suggested by Rich Mellor. Duncan ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Spare GC or SGC?
Le 07-02-12 à 17:42, [EMAIL PROTECTED] a écrit : Hi Per I think you miss the point sometimes. You said The QL was never only about hardware for quite a number of enthusiasts, and therefore it is still going strong in its emulated form. If you want the best QL platform money can buy, get QPC2 and stick it in your PC. For quite a number of enthusiasts t it was not and still is not about emulators, especially those who love and are sticking to original hardware and those who have no easy upgrade route now if they do not have a PC at home. I agree with Ducan. I have no reason to use an emulator; if I have to use an host computer to run QL programs, I will use the host native OS instead. However, as with many retro-computing lovers, using a actual old computer has a lot of charm. It amaze me to see how much stuff an old computer can do. And buying stuff to upgrade a retro computer is a big part of the fun. Would I buy new hardware for my QL ? Probably, depending of what it does. USB board, ethernet board or all in one solution would be very tempting. François ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
