Re: [ql-users] QL Stick
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Ooops, Device is un-formatted But I was using it last night, QXL_WIN and all. Don't format it !!! I have QPC on a stick too and it works on my laptop under XP Home and Linux. It works at work on Windows 2000 Pro SP4. (and SP3 and ) It refuses to be recognised under Windows 2000 Pro SP3 at home. Saye 'device is unformatted - do you want to format it now ?'. Same machine, running Linux can see it. It's a Windows problem and there's nothing you can do about it - as far as I know - it seems to get confused when you move it between different PC's and it just can't cope anymore. Mind you, isn't that the point of a 'stick' anyway ? Cheers, Norm. ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
RE: [ql-users] QL Stick
Re: QL Stick.. It's a Windows problem and there's nothing you can do about it - as far as I know - it seems to get confused when you move it between different PC's and it just can't cope anymore. I'd argue that comment. I think its more to do with the quality and manufacture of your stick. The disgo brand (I work from 'em, so am probably biased!) are guaranteed to work on any USB enabled environment - I have used mine on linux, Apple Mac, and win 95,98,Me,XP home and Pro, 2000, NT4, and various server editions and SBS's all within minutes of each other with no problems - at consumer shows - and our returns rate is 0.02%, and most of these are user errors rather than hardware errors. Mind you, isn't that the point of a 'stick' anyway ? Of course it is. Pointless having a portable device if only one machine can use it!! The idea is you can access files on any machine with a USB port. The quality of the USB sticks out there are very varied. Cost cutting in this market is huge, so quality suffers as the illusion is they all do the same job, so there is no difference. Talking to our resellers, the acer and fujitsu ones are cronically bad for failing totally, not saving data properly, or not working on certain systems. Those manufactured by M-Systems (ie. Using their chipsets) are brilliant. Disgo is one of these, and also bUSBi in the UK. There are a few issues around the Disgo caps coming off, (now solved on the new models) but I've only ever seen one that doesn't work. On another note we've just launched the X-Key - a disgo with 256-bit data encryption, and a safe environment application. You can use one of these in an internet café, drag and drop stuff onto the café machines desktop, using the PC as you would at home, and when you pull out the xkey, it automatically deletes all traces that you were ever there. Amazing product, but not cheap - about 5 times the price of an ordinary disgo. We also do USB keys with fingerprint recognition on them. END PLUG :-) Cheers, Darren. ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] QL Stick
David Tubbs wrote: Ooops, Device is un-formatted But I was using it last night, QXL_WIN and all. Probably removed it too early without going through the proper device removal procedure. Not sure whether and how one can fix it. But a Linux machine would be my best guess, or a Live-CD like Knoppix that doesn't need installing. Marcel ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Which game would you like to be writen ?
PSII: Are there any QL User in Germany left, of even an Club of QL Partys ? A few like me are still around and somewhat active. There has even been a meeting once a year, but this year it looks like it won't happen again. Therefore the nearest location for me was Eindhoven. I spoke to Friedemann, who has organised the QL meetings in Berchtesgaden in the past 4 years or so about 4 or 5 weeks ago. it looks like is fact now :-( There was no feedback whatsoever to Friedemann or us at QL Today, so why bother? Sad, as I would also be there this year (we always planned our stay in that area around this date after Friedemann had started the shows, and did so in case it would happen again this year), but without any interest at all... There were hardly any visitors at the show last year, so I believe the lack of response reflects reality in this area. Cheers Jochen -- Jochen Merz Software - Kaiser-Wilhelm-Str. 302 - D-47169 Duisburg Tel. +49-(0)203-502011 Fax +49-(0)203-502012 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Homepage: http://SMSQ.J-M-S.COM ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Newbie with some questions...
Alexander Klock wrote: When I bought it in 1989, I was fascinated by this machine, but in this pre-internet-time I was not able to make some contacts to get some news or software. Even though in those days the German QL scene was really buzzing :-) So now, I fell somehow retro and want to make a new start. I already looked through the net and found a lot of unsorted infos, most of it too complicated for me to understand. I'm not interested in excessive hardware expansion. I just want to learn to code this machine, because I think there's a lot of things possible with the standard capabilities... What language? SuperBasic? - Is there a way to get software from the net onto microdrive cartridges, e.g. with a cable or something? This is a bit of a chicken and egg problem, it is possible using a serial lead, but the QL does not come with terminal software... though a simple basic program without much of a protocol might be sufficient for starters. On the other side you could use a PC with my QPC emulator (http://www.kilgus.net/qpc/), the demo can read files and write to the serial ports just fine. I think the max serial speed with an unmodified QL is however 9600 bps. But a disc interface really might be a more of a hassle free solution. - I found some QL-World Scans with some game reviews in it. I'm interested in collecting games for the (standard) QL, as most of them don't seem to be just conversions from other systems but QL-specific developments. Is there some source on the net for this or do I have to buy them all, the real old stuff too? Personally I consider the stuff abandonware and have not much hesitations to giving it away, but I don't really have many games for the QL. - Is anyone out there who would transfer software onto my own microdrive cartridges, if I sent them to him? I could, I guess. If the drives in the basement QL are still working ;-) - Does a normal atari-compatible joystick work with the QL? Yes, German QLs had the right connector and it was plug and play. ;-) - Is there a kind of SCART-cable available? (The TV output is so terrible...) The TV output never was particularly good, I'd always prefer a monitor. I'd be glad if someone could help me for a good start... I'm curious and want to spend some fun time with this machine - don't want to spend much money on hardware and stuff. Understandable. But nowadays it really gets difficult to bootstrap somebody with a vanilla QL because both the hardware and software has moved on quite much. All the best, Marcel ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] QL Stick
At 11:04 10/08/2005 +0200, you wrote: David Tubbs wrote: Ooops, Device is un-formatted But I was using it last night, QXL_WIN and all. Probably removed it too early without going through the proper device removal procedure. Was not removed, whole machine closed down. Medion Laptop, how do you rate them Marcel, got it from Toys-R-Us, used to be sold by Aldi in Germany. Although it is heavy it has the advantage of being like a clone - no proprietary quirks like a Compac or HP et al. http://www.adata.com.tw/en/p-f1-02.htm is the device concerned, only very recently purchased from http://www.cambridge-computers.com/ Dealt with them/him, Sam since he was selling memory only at w/e computer fairs in London - a dozen years ago. Ta Marcel for QRAM info. -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.338 / Virus Database: 267.10.5/67 - Release Date: 09/08/2005 ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
RE: [ql-users] QL Stick
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I'd argue that comment. I think its more to do with the quality and manufacture of your stick. The disgo brand (I work from 'em, so am = probably biased!) are guaranteed to work on any USB enabled environment Mine's a Crucial Gizmo 256 Mb. Guarenteed for live and no problems with it on any system other than the home PC with Windows 2000. Same kit under Linux - works. On the other hand, I have recently had a BIOS problem on this box - battery flat so it reset to defaults - and the floppy drive has stopped formatting floppies. Gets to 100% then flags up as a failed format. Could be related. When I get time - and work is busy just now - I'm going to re-install patch Windows 2000 on that box. Well, I might. I might just wipe the partition and use it in Linux instead :o) Cheers, norm. ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Dictionaries
- Original Message - From: Dilwyn Jones To: QL Users List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc: QL News List Sent: Monday, August 08, 2005 8:46 PM Subject: [ql-users] Dictionaries Obviously if anyone has more QTYP dictionaries I would be pleased to add them to the collection. Of all the QTYP language dictionaries I was able to locate, the one I want isn't among them - Welsh. If anyone can find a Welsh word list of suitable size for a spell checker (20,000+ words) on the web I would be very happy to receive a copy! All the ones I've been able to find are either too small or in a format I can't decode. Some day I must get around to putting all my QTYP dictionaries on my website as I promised to do long, long ago. For the record I have: Danish 23,515 words Dutch 52,612 words - 70,459 words - 180,130 words French 208,913 words German 165,935 words Italian83,829 words Norwegian 61,413 words Spanish 174,846 words Swiss German 165,810 words English (UK + USA) 84,099 words - 194,433 words English (UK) 65,197 words - 82,098 words English (USA) 61,366 words - 77,722 words I think I shall have to send these to you on CD by snailmail, Dilwyn. BTW you can save QTYP dictionaries to a PC medium without them becoming corrupted as they are already compressed, Best Wishes, Geoff ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: AW: [ql-users] Newbie with some questions...
Am 09.08.2005 um 11:35 schrieb Engstler Karsten: Hi Alex, i'm from Germany too. This week i hopefully will get my disk-interface, so it would be no problem for me to transfer your software to microdrives, just send me microdrives and a list of software (I can download the software if you give me the url). But be aware that it maybe can take a week for me to get time for the transfer. Hi Karsten, thanks for the offer. I will come back to it soon. I'm collecting some cartridges right now, check and format them... From which part of Germany to you come from ? Griesheim near Darmstadt/Frankfurt. May be we could meet and exchange some infos. Of course, I look forward to it. :-) Regards Karsten PS: Maybe if there enough people around in this list who like to attend An QL Party, I could organise a Location. I'm located between Frankfurt/Main and Fulda, so nearly exactly in the middle of Germany That would be cool. I'm very curious to see some of these computers in action... and to experience what others do with them... Thanks Alex ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Newbie with some questions...
Am 09.08.2005 um 11:18 schrieb Darren Branagh: Hi and good morning everybody, my name is Alex, coming from Germany and just found my old QL in the cellar... after blowing the dust off the keys I recognized it again. How cool it looks... still one of the most beautiful devices I've even seen. Hi Alex - and Welcome to the QL mailing list. Agreed. I remember seeing one for the first time circa 1986, and recall thinking it looking like it fell off the back of a low flying millennium falcon :-) Coming from a humble ZX Spectrum, it was a different world. It was only when I got a PC several years later I realised how bad that keyboard was... :-)) Yeah... I came from the C64, and we all remember this one... huge and blocky. The QL was somewhat elegant compared to this... and it still is. Jochen Merz of JMS Software is in Germany - see his website on : http://smsq.j-m-s.com/main.htm Yes, that was one of the first sites I found. I'm just a bit confused about the fact that all the stuff on the net for the QL today is commercial... I thought there should be a lot of abandonware after all these years? When I bought it in 1989, I was fascinated by this machine, but in this pre-internet-time I was not able to make some contacts to get some news or software. Indeed - one good thing about this list is it has helped a lot of people blow the dust off their QL. Well, I hope there is much traffic here, because I'm also interested in reading from others... that's an interesting way to learn. - Is there a way to get software from the net onto microdrive cartridges, e.g. with a cable or something? Probably, but in this day and age though the way to go is to pick up a cheap disk interface for a few euro - a trump card would be ideal and are often given away free at shows on even on this list from time to time... This allows up to 4 disk drives to be attached, but only supports DD disks. It also gives you an extra 768K of memory. A gold card, the next step up, gives you HD floppy support, a 68000 processor giving a huge speed increase, and 2Mb of additional RAM. Both also come with toolkit 2 (a piece of software giving you very useful additional commands) These are available for peanuts nowadays, and almost an essential purchase. All you do then is download the file to disk, use QLtools or get SMSQ/E to read PC disks on the QL, unzip on the QL, and away you go. Well, and here it starts again ;-) I don't even have a disk drive. We Mac-users don't even remember how these devices looked, you know... ;-) And to buy a disk drive with usb-port just for this single purpose? Hmm... that's why I asked how to connect a CD-ROM. I'm interested in this Aurora thing... is this a good solution? I'd love to see the old QL case equipped with more power sooner or later. - Where can I find good FTP Servers with QL Software? (Most links that I found seem dead) Dilwyn Jones website is the best source of sortware I find. A huge collection of QL software, and he also has a links page to all the other major sites of QL interest with more software, and its written in Dilwyn's easy to understand way of doing things, so a beginner can easily get the info he needs. The URL is : http://www.dilwyn.uk6.net/index.html Noted. Thanks. :-) - I found some QL-World Scans with some game reviews in it. I'm interested in collecting games for the (standard) QL, as most of them don't seem to be just conversions from other systems but QL-specific developments. Is there some source on the net for this or do I have to buy them all, the real old stuff too? Well, this is an issue that comes up time and time again. The status of most games is unknown (ie. Is it freeware, still commercial, charityware or whatever) as most authors have slipped into the unknown and cant be traced. Most of these games are now 2 decades old, and would yield the authors little are no financial gain now, but yet as the status is in the dark the legal implications (and good manners) prevent us from releasing them. Many can be picked up on the original microdrives cheaply, and some have been updated and are sold again (RWAP software do a range of games) while a lot are available free to download on the Dilwyn Jones' site I mentioned above. Well, I would treat it this way: if there is no source on the net to find to buy this very old stuff legally, I think there is no problem downloading it, as far as the moral aspect is concerned. That's the way they deal it in the C64 scene, for example. And there is some unspoken agreement not to crack or spread new commercial software. - Is there a kind of SCART-cable available? (The TV output is so terrible...) Tony Firshman can do this for you. I have a QL to SCART cable, and I'm sure Tony knows the wiring - He is on this list - Tony? That would be great. I could try it myself with the schematics from the manual, but I
Re: [ql-users] Which game would you like to be writen ?
Am 10.08.2005 um 11:17 schrieb Marcel Kilgus: Engstler Karsten wrote: i'm new to this group, i would like to here from you if anyone is interested on new Games and if which kind of game. Hmm, not much feedback here as far as I see, summer season after all, but they all sound like pretty much work. Well, I think there is not much of a gaming scene on the QL, hm? But on the other hand, there are pretty much and quite interesting games out there, as far as I can tell from the magazines I got to read until now... Which of this Projects would you like to see going live for the QL ? Personally I prefer action games. Me too. Arcade style. It doesn't have to be very complicated. I love platformers, space-shooters and puzzle games. Stylish, loud and colourful :-) PSII: Are there any QL User in Germany left, of even an Club of QL Partys ? Well, I'm one from Germany. Located near Darmstadt. Alex ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Newbie with some questions...
Am 09.08.2005 um 11:32 schrieb Darren Branagh: I'd be glad if someone could help me for a good start... I'm curious and want to spend some fun time with this machine - don't want to spend much money on hardware and stuff. Hopefully you would have to - is there some generous sort out there with a disk interface and the like they'd want to give to a good home?? Whoops... I meant NOT have to. :-)) Understood it anyway :-) You can use the QL as is, but a lot of decent software needs more memory or additional files (TK2 or SMSQ/E). I thought this SMSQ/E is an emulator or am I wrong? ...They again, you can have a lot of fun with some microdrive stuff on an original unexpanded QL too. A good Idea is if anyone has any microrive software they no longer want, to send it on maybe...?? I'd really appreciate this... and I don't need productivity applications like text processing, calculations etc... but I'm curious in some retro-style games, graphics and sound programs... and the extra-ordinary stuff, whatever :-) Alex ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Newbie with some questions...
Am 10.08.2005 um 11:39 schrieb Marcel Kilgus: Alexander Klock wrote: When I bought it in 1989, I was fascinated by this machine, but in this pre-internet-time I was not able to make some contacts to get some news or software. Even though in those days the German QL scene was really buzzing :-) Yes, I even knew about it then. But it was quite hard to get in touch, only via snail-mail, no users close to my location and all the interesting stuff was too expensive for someone still at school and without money, you know, so I decided to give it up. From this point of view, it was easier to find someone with an Amiga or a C64. So now, I fell somehow retro and want to make a new start. I already looked through the net and found a lot of unsorted infos, most of it too complicated for me to understand. I'm not interested in excessive hardware expansion. I just want to learn to code this machine, because I think there's a lot of things possible with the standard capabilities... What language? SuperBasic? For the first, yes. Basic is the only thing I know until now, but I'm eager to learn some assembler later... I started this on a ZX81... that was a mess, I can tell you... ;-) - Is there a way to get software from the net onto microdrive cartridges, e.g. with a cable or something? This is a bit of a chicken and egg problem, it is possible using a serial lead, but the QL does not come with terminal software... though a simple basic program without much of a protocol might be sufficient for starters. On the other side you could use a PC with my QPC emulator (http://www.kilgus.net/qpc/), the demo can read files and write to the serial ports just fine. There starts the trouble (again). I only have Macs. And even worse, I don't have some classic system anymore, and the emulator runs only with System 9... I can't even install it on my iMac G5 anymore. So this door is closed until someone ports the emulator to X. I think the max serial speed with an unmodified QL is however 9600 bps. That should be sufficient as the files are not that large, aren't they? But a disc interface really might be a more of a hassle free solution. Yes, I think so. - I found some QL-World Scans with some game reviews in it. I'm interested in collecting games for the (standard) QL, as most of them don't seem to be just conversions from other systems but QL-specific developments. Is there some source on the net for this or do I have to buy them all, the real old stuff too? Personally I consider the stuff abandonware and have not much hesitations to giving it away, but I don't really have many games for the QL. I'd be interested to know which games you have and would give away. - Is anyone out there who would transfer software onto my own microdrive cartridges, if I sent them to him? I could, I guess. If the drives in the basement QL are still working ;-) Fine. I'll get back to you :-) - Does a normal atari-compatible joystick work with the QL? Yes, German QLs had the right connector and it was plug and play. ;-) I just found out myself, just tested it with one of the sticks of my C64 collection... - Is there a kind of SCART-cable available? (The TV output is so terrible...) The TV output never was particularly good, I'd always prefer a monitor. Yes, I would, too. But I don't have the room for another one... so for the time being, I'll take the TV... I'd be glad if someone could help me for a good start... I'm curious and want to spend some fun time with this machine - don't want to spend much money on hardware and stuff. Understandable. But nowadays it really gets difficult to bootstrap somebody with a vanilla QL because both the hardware and software has moved on quite much. Well, but take a look from the other side: I think I'll get curious about the new stuff on my own, when I try to push the frontiers ahead. One step after another. I don't think it makes much sense to get all this (cool, I'm sure) stuff and then not knowing what to do with it. Alex ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] QL Stick
David Tubbs wrote: Was not removed, whole machine closed down. Closed down in the sense of crashed, died of power failure or any other fatal end of the computer session or in the sense of a regular shut down by the rules? Medion Laptop, how do you rate them Marcel, got it from Toys-R-Us, used to be sold by Aldi in Germany. Although it is heavy it has the advantage of being like a clone - no proprietary quirks like a Compac or HP et al. I'm pretty ambivalent about them. Actually they might not be bad, Aldi is supposed to be selling pretty good stuff, but all things said I'd prefer some more established brand. Though it mostly boils down to the individual model, all companies feature good and bad apples. Marcel ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Newbie with some questions...
Alexander Klock wrote: You can use the QL as is, but a lot of decent software needs more memory or additional files (TK2 or SMSQ/E). I thought this SMSQ/E is an emulator or am I wrong? No, SMSQ/E is a rewritten successor of the QDOS OS with many enhancements. It runs on actual QL and Atari hardware, only one emulator (mine, QPC) is also using it as its OS. Marcel ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Newbie with some questions...
At 00:55 11/08/2005 +0200, you wrote: - Is there a kind of SCART-cable available? (The TV output is so terrible...) Tony Firshman can do this for you. I have a QL to SCART cable, and I'm sure Tony knows the wiring - He is on this list - Tony? That would be great. I could try it myself with the schematics from the manual, but I don't know the pins of the SCART-plug... You should get the SCART adaptor with Phono sockets and an In/Out switch. -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.338 / Virus Database: 267.10.5/67 - Release Date: 09/08/2005 ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Newbie with some questions...
On Tue, 9 Aug 2005 02:54:29 +0200, Alexander Klock [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: - Is there a way to get software from the net onto microdrive cartridges, e.g. with a cable or something? - How much effort is neccessary to connect a cd-rom-drive to the QL? (Because I think it's the easiest way to get new software) I can answer these together. The easier way to get QL software off the Internet and on to a standard QL is floppies. There are a number of floppy controlers for the QL, some with additional memory (like a TrumpCard, GoldCard or SuperGoldCard). Floppy drives themselves are fairly cheap. Some QLer's on the list might have older drives in a case for sale. Then you will need some QL-MS-DOS transfer software. Mtools is a free program that does all of this, but is a bit complicated. You will also need an archiver software like unzip, or infozip, or LHQ, etc. You then download the compressed software (.zip usually) to your PC, copy it to floppy, walk it to your QL, use mtools to copy it to a QL floppy, then use unzip to extract the files. The software is easy and I'm sure some QL'ers in Germany can give you the executables on floppy to get you started. The hardest part will be getting the hardware for this. Once you have all of this, there is a ton of freely available software to use on the QL. Tim Swenson ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
