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From: darekm@microsoft.UUCP (Darek MIHOCKA)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st,comp.sys.atari.8bit,comp.sys.atari.st.tech
Subject: Re: Questions about Xformer, by D. Mihocka
Message-ID: <70885@microsoft.UUCP>
Date: 26 Feb 91 00:05:21 GMT
References: <1991Feb18.231801.12060@rodan.acs.syr.edu>
Reply-To: darekm@microsoft.UUCP (Darek MIHOCKA)
Organization: Microsoft Corp., Redmond WA
Lines: 53

In article <1991Feb18.231801.12060@rodan.acs.syr.edu> jfbruno@rodan.acs.syr.edu (John Bruno) writes:
>Perhaps someone can answer these questions about Darek Mihocka's (Hope I got
>the spelling right...) 8-bit emulator Xformer?

John, I posted a long message to this topic a few weeks ago that will answer
any other questions you may have about Xformer. Sorry I don't have a copy of
it around, so if anyone has a copy, please forward it to John.
There are 3 versions of Xformer available: ST Xformer (for the ST and STE),
TT Xformer (for the TT) and PC Xformer (for MS-DOS). The TT Xformer and
PC Xformer have not been released yet. TT Xformer runs too slow for my
liking, and PC Xformer is waiting for approval from Atari Corp since the
original agreement was only valid for use on the ST.

> 1) What are the pinouts for the Xformer cable (to hook up the 8-bit's drive)?

The pinout and instructions are included in the Xformer manual. You can get
a copy from me or from BRE software in California. (They have ads in magazines).
Only supported in the ST version.

> 2) How does Xformer handle input from the joysticks? Are all 4 of the 8 bit's
>    joysticks supported? Are only two? Do they plug into the ST's Mouse and
>    joystick port? How about the "Paddles"?

2 joysticks, exactly like the 130XE and 800XL. No paddles. Not supported in
the PC version.

> 3) How well does it do with disk based copy protected games? Does the 
>    "virtual floppy support" (files on hard disk) support disk based copy
>    protection?

THe Xformer Cable will handle some, but not all, copy protected disks.
Virtual floppy disks do not support copy protection unless you know of
some way to transfer a copy protected disk over to the ST.

> 4) How fast is it compared to a normal 8-bit?

ST version: 40%-50% normal speed. TT version: 80%-90% normal speed.
PC version: 20%-500% (depending on the processor: 8088, 8086, 286, 386, 486).

> 5) Could someone post the source code for Xformer 2.55 to terminator (Darek
>    said it's now PD and is on Genie, but I don't have an account there. Has
>    it made it to Compu$erve, or anywhere else I can get it?

That source code is now old due to version 2.6. What do you really intend to
do with it? I'm still waiting to hear back from the guy in Toronto who is
porting it over to GFA Basic.

> 6) Has anyone tried M.U.L.E. or Seven Cities of Gold on it yet? If so, how
>    did they work?

The copy protected versions do not work.

- Darek