Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!cs.utexas.edu!evax!cs4344af From: cs4344af@evax.arl.utexas.edu (Fuzzy Fox) Newsgroups: comp.sys.cbm Subject: Re: Fastloads vs. JiffyDOS Message-ID: <1991Jan2.030900.8433@evax.arl.utexas.edu> Date: 2 Jan 91 03:09:00 GMT References: <1990Dec31.204111.24685@evax.arl.utexas.edu> <1991Jan1.063247.18070@DMI.USherb.CA> <1991Jan1.165812.10735@jarvis.csri.toronto.edu> Organization: Computer Science Engineering Univ. of Texas at Arlington Lines: 82 In article <1991Jan1.165812.10735@jarvis.csri.toronto.edu> leblanc@eecg.toronto.edu (Marcel LeBlanc) writes: >I am guessing that Mr. Fuzzy Fox has an original C128. The early versions of >this computer seem to have problems with the power supplied to the Expansion >port.... Yes, this is indeed the problem I'm having. In fact, I occasionally even have trouble simply with the cartridge itself, but the fault lies in my computer. Say, do you have any ideas on how I can alleviate this situation? Besides buying a 128D? >> Can you give me the address where I can get this port extender? > >I could look it up if someone else doesn't post it. Here it is... Skyle Electric Works 231E South Whisman Road Mountain View, CA 94041 (415) 965-1735 The product is called the Skyles 2+1 Cartride Expansion. The price is $34.95 plus $4.50 S/H. >I understand what he's trying to say, but it isn't true technically. ANY >loader can be disabled. Most load methods in the past have used one of the >3 following general methods: > a) simple call to $FFD5 (LOAD vector) > b) direct calls to ACPTR for custom format, slow load > c) completely custom loader > >I haven't seen any new games that use approach (b) in a LOOONG time. Case >(b) is the only LOADing case that a ROM replacement can handle that a >cartridge can't. No add-on device of any kind will speed up case (c), >including both JDOS and SS V5! Well, you are mostly correct there. Surprise surprise, the JiffyDOS protocol replaces all drive communications with high-speed data transfer, but as you point out, it will not be as fast as a direct LOAD routine. However, even a direct ACPTR "load" routine under JDOS will load at about 3-5 times faster than normal, about on par with the old Epyx FastLoad. When performing a standard $FFD5 LOAD, 10-15 times speedups usually occur. The exact load speedup depends on the sector interleave that the file was saved with. This is where SS can beat JDOS: SS's 1541 fast-loader loads at the same 15x speed, regardless of sector interleave. Pretty amazing. If only a simple call to $FF8A didn't kill the SS loader. It's still surprising how many software packages inadvertently kill your cartridge loader. This is where JDOS wins: The faster load routines are located in the same place as the old, slow routines on an unmodified computer. So a direct call to the old, slow ROM routines (even $F4A5) still results in a fast load. In the third case, many programs (such as GEOS or Electronic Arts games) use their own custom disk turbo code. In these cases, no program will speed up the drive. They will load at the same rate they did before, which is generally rather fast. SS has the advantages in many ways: It gives you a super hacker monitor, very nice screen printing and saving, good game utilities, a nice terminal program, a DOS wedge, and much much more. It loses out somewhat in compatibility, but that is to be expected. If you don't mind having to buy an expansion board to use your REU, and you don't mind occasionally having to fiddle with the cartridge to get a program to work, then go for it. It is definitely worth buying. JiffyDOS offers much less than SS as far as functionality. What it offers though is *incredible* compatibility. Your drive will always be going as fast as it can, and you can be assured of that. It also leaves your cartridge port open, so you can still use SS, or if you have another cartridge like Explode or Final Cart. or whatever, you can always still benefit with JDOS. You also get JiffyDOS working in 128 mode if you have that machine, and you get a DOS wedge and function keys that don't get in the way of programs. You can't lose. :) But whatever you do, buy SOMETHING for your computer if you don't have any sort of speed-up. The two mentioned above are, in my opinion, the best of the add-ons you can get for your Commodore. -- begin 644 .signature G5&AI