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From: dlindsle@afit.af.mil (David T. Lindsley)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.cbm,comp.sys.amiga.emulations
Subject: SUMMARY: Commodore 64 emulators for Amiga
Keywords: Commodore 64 c64 amiga emulators
Message-ID: <1991Apr24.174129.29821@afit.af.mil>
Date: 24 Apr 91 17:41:29 GMT
Organization: Air Force Institute of Technology; WPAFB, OH
Lines: 77

A while back, I requested information about Commodore 64 emulators for
the Amiga.  Here is the information I received.

There are (at least?) 2 C64 emulators available commercially, and one 
which is either PD or shareware.
Commercial: one is put out by ReadySoft. the other...?
PD/SW: FTP from AB20.larc.nasa.gov in incoming/amiga. the program is
called A64.

NONE of the emulators appear to feature sound.  (The authors of A64 are
supposedly working on it.)
There is reportedly a "fantastic" 64 music demo for the Amiga with 100
c64 songs ripped from games, with full 6510 and SID emulation in real
time.  So it can be done.  The question is who will build it into an
emulator first (if ever).

Also, sprite collisions are not always detected, and some sprites are
not displayed correctly.  In general, graphics quality appears to be
unpredictable.

(This is all understandable.  We're talking about emulating the SID and
VIC chips.  Nevertheless, I had hoped it woukld be otherwise.)

Copy protection and/or fastloaders were a problem.

Most software runs significantly slower on an Amiga, unless you're 
using a 68030, in which case some software apparently runs *faster*.
In any case, there seems to be a problem with speed.

The PD emulator was unanimously declared the best.  Reportedly, it can
use the real C64 ROMs so that nearly everything runs. (I assume this
means most programs which do not intensively use sound or graphics.)
It even multitasks on the Amiga.  For about $25 a hardware interface
is also available that will allow the use of your C64 peripherals with
the Amiga.  (Opinions varied on the quality of the AmigaDOS utilities
supplied with A64.)
Remember also that if you use your 1541, it'll be just as slow
as ever. (Probably slower.)
 
A comment that was amde several times was that I'll probably be able
to replace all my 64 software almost immediately -- with functionally
equivalent PD Amiga software (from my local user group and/or FTP and/or
the "fish disks").

Thanks to all who replied:

Terry Ricketts		terry@helios.ucsc.edu
Bernard J Hudson	bjh@mtgzz.att.com
ananaza@laureline.hut.fi
Marc van Velzen		mvelzen@fwi.uva.nl
Dan Babcock		DXB132@PSUVM.PSU.EDU
Herranen Henrik		h112706@cc.tut.fi
Jason Trimble		c8exsun@watshine.UWaterloo.ca
Jeff Hunsinger		hunsingr@sed4330a.erim.org
Wildstar		tnc!m0154@uunet.UU.NET 
Ozymandias		GRS999910118@STAT.APPSTATE.EDU
EMZX%VAX5.CIT.CORNELL.EDU@CORNELLC.cit.cornell.edu 
	(2 messages -- this seems to be a gateway)


"A64 is a VERY good program."

"I can safely say it's virtually impossible to mimic the strange
programming tricks c64 programmers used on the amiga."

"Keep the c64 around for a couple of months after you buy an Amiga,
most probably you'll find you won't use it ever again."

"Most people ... keep both computers set up ... until that fateful day
when they realize that they haven't turned on the C64 for months."

"...there is no real reason to purchase a 64 emulator, they are quite
cheap but you get what you pay for."
-- 
Dave Lindsley	#24601#					   OPINIONS. MINE. 
dlindsle@blackbird.afit.af.mil		(The words don't come no smaller.)
	"If you don't succeed at first -- transform your data!" (me)