On-Line #26 03 марта 1996

Эмуляторы

IBM - IBM + emulator = ZX Spectrum.

          IBM + EMULATOR = SPECTRUM?


(C) HAMMER


   Hi everyone!


   Recently my IBM-compatible friends one and all
killed a nose and began to poke at me a floppy,
a gnarled hand was written: "Spectrum emulator.
I was wondering what it is. His friend (former spektrumista) I 
started this thing ... 


   Before you appears on the screen menu PENTAGON 128. First,
that catches the eye is the elongation of the screen 
vertically. As it turned out, the emulator uses EGA graphics, 
due to which the image gets a strange look. The second - a 
black border, it does not change with all the ensuing 
consequences. Very I was pleased with built-in debugger, which 
you can enter at any time by pressing the "ESCAPE". It is a 
whole bunch, including the installation delay for the 
implementation of programs and interrupts. But in multicolor 
count is not necessary, because even themselves Spectrum Signal 
INT is different. Can only be in MEGASCREENe anything so can 
using the "+" and "-" but I'm so debilizmom not do it.



   In the description of the emulator, I read that the speed of 
the program coincides with the real, up to 10-15%. 


   Now about the music. During installation, the program asks 
the musical map, if any, work muzykalki, such as emulated 
without any problems. Unfortunately I was unable to verify as 
we only had covox. The truth was still sound emulator cards 
under covox, but he refused to work. 


   Proceed to the disk interface. Oddly, but turbo-loaders are 
working there. I waited for another surprise. All familiar 
Monster Commander and Jemmini Commander to change diskettes you 
refuse, as well as a number of bootov. 


   A very long time, I laughed when launched INSULT MEGADEMO. If
You remember, there appears a boy with a bag of dollars, under
which is a scroll, and yet, simultaneously, to read the disc. 
Well Now, scroll it goes, but the drive behaves as though dead. 
My friend urged me to wait a little longer, suddenly something

loaded, but I'm a firm hand, pressed F6 - reset the controller 
... 


   Another type of program storage - virtual tape. Since c
normal tape there's nothing to download, then the creators came 
up with the virtual - a program stored on the screw. By the 
way, you know how there about the buttons Magic? This is F10, I 
first clicked on the error - work.



   Left ports. Well, there are realized ports muzykalki,
which I have already spoken, and the port Kempston joystick 
under IBMovsky analog stick. You can even set the so-called 
non-existent ports, which works only team IN. So that about any 
CDOS or modem can not even dream of. 


   The emulator in general strongly depends on its proper 
installation and startup. Had to suffer badly as we have 
removed all brakes, such as interruption of a frequency of 5 
times per second or erroneous loading from disk.



   Forget about the execution until the emulator and talk about 
programs that work correctly in this environment. Those turned 
out to be about 50-70%. Almost all programs that use when 
accessing disc is not # 3D13, if and Georgia, with large 
glitches. So had to settle for a relatively old applications. 
All spit-covered IS-DOS works fine, at first I doubted Does it 
start at all. Battle Command worked a little slowly, but 
tolerable, Elite II reset during boot. Can continue 
indefinitely on a list of incompatible programs, because almost 
the "nove". ON-LINE I also could not read. 


   Among the shortcomings are and dignity. As I said earlier, a 
powerful debugger, much like the IBM-ovsky Turbo Debugger, 
allows you to break, build upon, change almost everything. 
Since the duration of command execution processor, to the 
frequency of interruptions. Convenient dumping was made: 
besides the usual reset-a, provided More reset floppy drive 
controller. 


   After reading this article quite rightly might ask: "Who 
needs all this necessary?". Of course for a spektrumista This 
article is a few interesting things. I wrote it all for those 
someone at home is IBM-compatible machine. If you too got into 
the this emulator, it does not count for much, the most 
interesting effects are absent. As I understood from the 
description, a lot of mistakes in latest version corrected this 
distortion, but some remained the same. You should not berate 
Spectrum if half of the existing programs do not work in the 
emulator, for this must scold creators of the emulator! It is 
said that soon a new version, "in which will all !!!". I do not 
think it will go beyond their predecessors, as full emulation, 
even in principle, not maybe ...

                          Always your Hammer.
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