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From: s001532@kowande.bu.oz.au (Jeremy Lee)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Subject: Re: Mac emulators.
Message-ID: <1620@surf.sics.bu.oz.au>
Date: 19 Jun 91 09:08:19 GMT
References: <4549@stl.stc.co.uk> <125@melbourne.uucp> <9106172305.AA05255@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
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	Hell, what we REALLY need is a program that could intelligently convert 68000 (or later) code into ARM. You could even convert the calls to the window manager to RISC-OS calls, and even, god forbid, put the pull-down menus into pop-up versions.
	You could write it in a "Slow" language (ie anything slower than ARM code) as you'd only have to run it once. You could even do it in BASIC!

	Yes, I know about all the problems involved in accurately dissasembling a program, and matching Window manager to WIMP calls. (special modules could be written to provide mac-like SWI's) Perhaps hand tuning could be done.
	Look at it this way. The two systems do pretty much the same thing, and I have even taken a breif look through the little tech. information apple provides, and yes, IMH but naive O, it might even be done! The result would be code that runs faster than on a Mac, and maybe even multitasking too.

	Legally, you wouldn't be able to distribute any modified versions, but perhaps the law would allow a "list of corrections" that you could feed in with the mac version.

	I'm surprised no-one has done this for IBM yet.

	Of course, I might just be insane.

	Jeremy Lee