Date   : Sun, 01 Sep 1996 21:45:10 +0100
From   : Mike Mallett <mike.mallett@...>
Subject: Point Blank

Just in case anyone is interested I have extracted an article from 
Point Blank all formats emulation magazine

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[PoiNT BLaNK]

.,/\ 6. Windows as an emulation platform. /\,.

There are mixed views over developing applications for the Windows and DOS
environments. Certainly, there are many advantages working with both systems,
but which is the right one to choose?

Emulators are one of the few programs that rely on raw CPU power, rather than
RAM and lots of harddisk space. Therefore, we want to remove any overhang,
when writing an emulator that will hamper its performance.

Certainly, Windows eats a lot of CPU time, and consumes a lot of RAM. Windows
95 really needs a minimum of 16MB if you want to do any serious work. On my
Pentium 90, I can run the Z80 Spectrum emulator at 1750% speed in DOS. The
Windows Spectrum emulator will run at just over 100%, full-screen, at a
resolution of 640X480.

Ah! The clever people at the front cry, Windows eliminates the need for the
programmer to write his own interface, printer drivers, screen and
sound drivers for various cards etc. I would reply, that many have problems
with the Windows Snes emulator, SPW, which uses these features. Why isn't
that
compatible with all the Windows 95 machines?

Certainly, having an interface to work around makes life easier. Look at how
many times The Brain has redesigned VSMC's interface. Look at Marat's DOS
emulators with no interface. A Windows shell is usually made.

With, Direct-X, things will surely improve. But will it give us faster
applications than DOS? Direct-X introduces a whole new set of drivers, which
you must install. I found that their was no compatible driver for my video
card. What now? Can I run no Direct-X applications, due to this? I think
Direct-X will probably introduce more conflicts and disappointments. It adds
another layer of things to go wrong, onto the Windows mess.

I see Windows 3.1 as a huge billboard with some flowers on it, hiding the
mess(?) they called DOS behind it. Windows 95, certainly hides the mess
better, (it puts a nice logo up whilst your computer boots, covering the
AUTOEXEC.BAT running behind), but at a price of slowing down your computer to
a standstill. Try running the emulator, Massage, under Windows 95, then in
pure DOS, to see what I mean.

It is definitely cool to hate Windows and Bill Gates these days. Many, myself
included, only use Windows for word processing and running Internet
applications through. I have had more trouble with user-friendly Windows,
than
I ever had with DOS. Installing a DOS application never made my system
unbootable. Installing a DOS application never threw files into unknown
directories on my harddisk. Removing a DOS application generally takes a few
seconds, a Windows one can take ages, without an uninstall program.

I could rant on for ages, but I won't. What I want to show you, is the fact
that Windows is not the super platform it is cranked up to be. Multitasking
has been done for ages in DOS with Desqview. 4DOS gave us long filenames
using
the superior DESCRIPT.ION system.

To create the emulators of the future we must use the O.S. of the past. :)


 :-<*> Emulation can be obtained from the following places: <*>-:

   Newsgroups: comp.emulators.misc
               comp.emulators.game-consoles
               alt.binaries.emulators.cbm
               alt.binaries.emulators.gameboy
               alt.binaries.emulators.nintendo
               (Any other suggestions?)

   WWW Pages:  http://members.iglou.com/spamboy/emulation.htm
               http://www.ntplx.net/~aeo/emu.htm
               Offical: http://members.aol.com/cajungold/index.htm

   FTP Sites:  ftp://x2ftp.oulu.fi/pub/msdos/programming/reviews/
               ftp://ftp.komkon.org/pub/emul8/magazines/ 

 If anyone has an FTP site or Webpage, please consider making space for
copies
 of Emulation.

   IRC Info:   If you are a programmer, then I want to interview YOU!
               The usual meeting place is EFNet: #emumag
               Best times for me, are Saturdays and Sundays.

               If you want to arrange a time, E-Mail me or simply drop in.
               You never know, I could be there.


        Editor: PoiNT BLaNK.................point.blank@...
 
 Staff: COULD BE YOU!........ASCII artists, writers, programmers etc



 Emulation (c) 1996 - PoiNT BLaNK Publishing, All Rights Reserved.

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-- 
Mike Mallett                mike.mallett@...