🚀 go-pugleaf

>>>>> "Mike" == Michael Fulmer <mfulmer@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu> writes:
In article <mfulmer-2009951305570001@128.146.15.102> mfulmer@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Michael Fulmer) writes:

    Mike> In article
    Mike> <ibl-juwa.161.0019A01A@wiso.wiso.uni-dortmund.de>,
    Mike> ibl-juwa@wiso.wiso.uni-dortmund.de (Juergen Wahlmann) wrote:

    >> ShapeShifter now emulates a Mac IIcx with any screen depth, any
    >> RAM size, any processor (from 68020 on) and any System (6.0x,
    >> 7.x). It can use AmaxIV or Emplant partitions as well as
    >> original Mac SCSI hd's. It runs in Amiga's multitasking, as a
    >> process. You are able to access any Mac partition as an Amiga
    >> partition. It supports AppleTalk, CDROM, 4 channel stereo
    >> sound, mono sound sampling through a standard amiga sampler
    >> plugged into the parallel port. It's compability is somewhat
    >> near 100% and it is slight faster than an equal equipped MAC.
    >> 
    >> And to hit the top, it costs DM50,- or $40.

    Mike> Anyone have any more information on this ShapeShifter (like
    Mike> how to get it, can a IIci ROM image be used)? Is this the
    Mike> best Mac emulator now available?

[Bias alert: I founded ARDI, the makers of Executor, mentioned below]

Best meaning most compatible with newer Macs, maybe.  However, for
Linux users, OS/2 users and Intel users in general, it's not
particularly useful unless those users also have an Amiga.  It's also
not useful to anyone who doesn't have legal access to the appropriate
Mac ROM image and isn't willing to illegally copy the Mac ROM image.

For $49, students can buy the Executor/DOS+Executor/Linux student
combination.  Executor/DOS will run under DOS, Windows '95, and OS/2
(and maybe Windows NT/Intel with the right switches).  Executor/Linux
runs under Linux and is available in four combinations:
(a.out/x-windows), (a.out/svgalib), (elf/x-windows), (elf/svgalib).

Executor is *much* less compatible than ShapeShifter.  Executor has
many limitations, including no sound support, and only limited System
7 support.  Our own file browser is significantly inferior to Apple's.
For this reason we encourage any potential Executor purchaser to read
our FAQ: ftp://ftp.ardi.com/pub/executor-faq.ascii and to pick up a
fully enabled, but time limited to ten minute sessions, demo version
of Executor from ftp://ftp.ardi.com/pub or a faster mirror such as
ftp://vorlon.mit.edu/pub/ardi.

Executor dynamically translates 680x0 instructions into 80x86
instructions and as such, compute intensive applications are very
fast.  A 90 MHz Pentium will run compute intensive applications
approximately twice as fast as a 25 MHz 68040 based Mac, like a Quadra
610.  Information on Executor's synthetic CPU can be found in
ftp://ftp.ardi.com/pub/SynPaper.

The most recent "bleeding edge" versions of Executor will directly map
a VESA 2.0 compliant video card (many cards can be made to be 2.0
compliant with drivers like UniVBE) into Executor's address space
under DOS, so graphics are quick, too.  Under Linux, the SVGAlib
version can do this for many common video boards.  However, PCs vary
greatly, so you should pick up the demo and test drive it first.

Executor uses a total rewrite (done with no disassembly of Apple's
ROMs or System files) of the Mac OS and Toolbox.  This gives us good
speed even when running on a significantly different architecture, but
it also limits our compatibility.  As our company grows we're able to
hire more engineers and add support for more missing features and also
fix incompatibilities.  We allow our customers to see what we're
working on "in the lab" by making both "experimental" and "bleeding
edge" releases available via anonymous ftp.  Our most recent major
release of Executor/DOS is 1.2, our most recent experimental release
is 1.99o, and our most recent bleeding edge release is 1.99o9.

If Executor doesn't suit your purposes now, we understand.  Just
ignore us and maybe in the future it will.  However, if you pick up
the demo and like what you see, you can register now and continue to
receive free updates until and including when 2.0 is released late
this year.

	--Cliff [Matthews]
	questions@ardi.com