Lets talk this.  Was GEOS 128 too late? I think it really was the last best application software for the 128.  Sad that they didnt include better support for harddrives right off the bat (at least I dont think they did).  Whats your thoughts on GEOS? Some hated it, some loved it.  Ive never tried Wheels (Im SuperCPU impaired), but I hear it's really what GEOS was meant to be.

Curious really... I wonder what would have happened to Commodore in general if they had come up with a harddrive for the 8-bits rather than focus so heavily on the Amiga. (Amiga rocks, of course).

Quote from: xlar54Lets talk this.  Was GEOS 128 too late? I think it really was the last best application software for the 128.  Sad that they didnt include better support for harddrives right off the bat (at least I dont think they did).  Whats your thoughts on GEOS? Some hated it, some loved it.  Ive never tried Wheels (Im SuperCPU impaired), but I hear it's really what GEOS was meant to be.

Curious really... I wonder what would have happened to Commodore in general if they had come up with a harddrive for the 8-bits rather than focus so heavily on the Amiga. (Amiga rocks, of course).

Any luck getting GEOS 128 working under Vice ?

Lance

Quote from: xlar54Lets talk this.  Was GEOS 128 too late? I think it really was the last best application software for the 128.  Sad that they didnt include better support for harddrives right off the bat (at least I dont think they did).  Whats your thoughts on GEOS? Some hated it, some loved it.  Ive never tried Wheels (Im SuperCPU impaired), but I hear it's really what GEOS was meant to be.

Curious really... I wonder what would have happened to Commodore in general if they had come up with a harddrive for the 8-bits rather than focus so heavily on the Amiga. (Amiga rocks, of course).

Never been a fan of GEOS really, it's always struck me as a little too slow, at least the C64 version anyway, it was unusable.

Does the 128 version run on the 80 col screen at 2MHz ?

Ozzy

Yes, GEOS 128 in 80 column mode runs at 2mhz, but you are limited by the fact that to draw any graphics it has to go through VDC data in/out registers, whereas with the 40column screen you can draw graphics directly to the video memory.

Yep, GEOS 128 will run under VICE...and its VERY sweet....especially if you up the emulation speed and include an emulated REU.  VICE doesnt do 2Mhz, but all you really need is to up the emulated speed to 200%.  It works in both 40 and 80 col modes.

Quote from: plbyrdYes, GEOS 128 in 80 column mode runs at 2mhz, but you are limited by the fact that to draw any graphics it has to go through VDC data in/out registers, whereas with the 40column screen you can draw graphics directly to the video memory.

I tried again last night, discovered that it refused to run point blank unless true drive emulation was turned on, after that is was fine, although running in warp mode is a little hectic with joystick emulation!  But as xlar54 says, boosting it to 200% makes it actually quite useable.

I tend to agree with Brendons' comment - the C64 version was pretty much unusable on a stock machine, I'm gonna copy the image over to the real 128 & see how it compares in 'real life' against the 64 version.

I've gotta say, I've never really been a fan of GEOS either, but until now, hadn't really played with GEOS 128 either, I may even change my mind ....   perhaps.....

cheers,

Lance

I wouldnt run it in warp mode, just kick it up to 200% speed, and include and REU in your emulation (maybe 2 drives and an REU).... I usually run 2 1581s. Also, dont forget to use 1351 emulation instead of joystick.  The most annoying thing about GEOS in general is the disk swapping issue, but the REU should help.  Oh and the annoying "This program only runs in 40 column mode. Switch modes?" hehehe... but most of the 128 apps run in 80 col mode.

Quote from: xlar54I wouldnt run it in warp mode, just kick it up to 200% speed, and include and REU in your emulation (maybe 2 drives and an REU).... I usually run 2 1581s. Also, dont forget to use 1351 emulation instead of joystick.  The most annoying thing about GEOS in general is the disk swapping issue, but the REU should help.  Oh and the annoying "This program only runs in 40 column mode. Switch modes?" hehehe... but most of the 128 apps run in 80 col mode.

All worked a charm :-)

thanks!

Quote from: xlar54I wouldnt run it in warp mode, just kick it up to 200% speed, and include and REU in your emulation (maybe 2 drives and an REU).... I usually run 2 1581s. Also, dont forget to use 1351 emulation instead of joystick.  The most annoying thing about GEOS in general is the disk swapping issue, but the REU should help.  Oh and the annoying "This program only runs in 40 column mode. Switch modes?" hehehe... but most of the 128 apps run in 80 col mode.

Mate, this doesn't seem to want to work with a second emulated drive for me. I've got both set up as 1581's with true drive emulation enabled, but the swecond drive "B" always shows up as nothing in the drive. This is under VICE 1.9. Weird thing though is that under GEOS 2.0 in the 64 emulation, the second drive shows up fine.

Bug in GEOS or in VICE or maybe I'm doing something wrong ?

Ozzy

Hmm... Id first check that you have both drives set up as 1581s in VICE.  (do a load"$",8 and 9 at the BASIC screen first). Next, in GEOS, after youve booted up, you need to run CONFIGURE and tell it what kind of drives you have (as well as REU if its "installed" also).  GEOS doesnt automatically detect drives (well, sort of...). Try that and see what you get.

When I was teaching, I used the great fonts in GEOS 128 2.0 to make all my spelling lists, overhead notes, and creative writing examples.  

I also used it to name the top student achievers each quarter.

Quote from: xlar54Lets talk this.  Was GEOS 128 too late?

GEOS 128 was not really late, as it came at the same time or soon after GEOS 64.

 

Quote from: xlar54Sad that they didnt include better support for harddrives right off the bat (at least I dont think they did).

Hard drives were very expensive in the mid-1980's.  Back then, an advanced set-up would consist of a second disk drive and a RAM expansion.

Quote from: xlar54Whats your thoughts on GEOS? Some hated it, some loved it.

I never like GEOS until I got Wheels.  Wheels clears up or smooths over many of the bugs of GEOS.

Quote from: xlar54Ive never tried Wheels (Im SuperCPU impaired)...

A common misconception.  The minimum requirements are an original GEOS boot disk (for the key during installation and then the disk is not needed after that), one disk drive, and RAM expansion.  Of course, the more C= goodies, the more Wheels can fly.

Quote from: xlar54...but I hear it's really what GEOS was meant to be.

Consider Wheels to be a really big upgrade to GEOS.  In fact, Wheels is a different o.s. which uses GEOS applications.

Quote from: xlar54> I wonder what would have happened to Commodore in general if they had come up with a harddrive for the 8-bits...

Commodore did have hard drives for their 8-bits; those would be the CBM hard drives for the PET/B128 line of computers.  Those drives were interfaceable to a C64/128 via IEEE adapters such as Quicksilver 128.

CommVEx info at http://www.commodore.ca/forum
and click on ComVEX,
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group
http://videocam.net.au/fcug

Quote from: xlar54GEOS doesnt automatically detect drives (well, sort of...)

Yeah, one of the bugs of GEOS is that is loses (forgets) what extra active drives it has.  Most annoying when you have Drive 9 disappearing.  Wheels clears up this bug entirely.

CommVEx info at http://www.commodore.ca/forum
and click on ComVEX,
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group
http://videocam.net.au/fcug

Hi there,

Couple of questions :

1)  What extra does Wheels get you ?
2)  Can you get colours in 80 column mode with just GEOS128 ?

Quote from: strandedinnz1)  What extra does Wheels get you ?

I don't understand.  Extra?

Quote from: strandedinnz2)  Can you get colours in 80 column mode with just GEOS128 ?

I haven't been able to do it.

Truly,
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group
http://videocam.net.au/fcug

Quote from: RobertB

Quote from: strandedinnz1)  What extra does Wheels get you ?

I don't understand.  Extra?

Quote from: strandedinnz2)  Can you get colours in 80 column mode with just GEOS128 ?

I haven't been able to do it.

Well isn't Wheels a Desktop replacement ?  What additional features or changes do you get over standard GEOS 2.0 ?

Quote from: strandedinnzWell isn't Wheels a Desktop replacement ?

Wheels is a different o.s. which uses GEOS applications and their files.

Quote from: strandedinnzWhat additional features or changes do you get over standard GEOS 2.0 ?

Primarily, it gives you great flexibility in your hardware configuration.  No longer are you tied to a Config that you have to put on every device/disk; Wheels will search for the one "Toolbox" file through all the devices/disks until it finds it.  Initially, Wheels is set to load part of its system within the REU.  Dashboard (desktop) operations go much faster.  You can even load Wheels entirely into a REU for more speed, along with applications (of course, dependent on REU ram).  Very nice to have everything going from RAM instead of from mechanical drives!  Wheels also won't forget where the devices are (unlike GEOS which forgets that it has a REU installed and then you have to reboot).

To top it off, Wheels gives you a Dashboard with modern conveniences.  That's for another letter.

Truly,
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group

Does Wheels run in VICE ?

If so, is there any way to get wheels somewhere?  is there a website that offers it?

I think Wheels needs a SCPU... someone correct me if Im wrong.  Id be surprised if the VICE team came out with SCPU emulation. Guess it could be done.

Quote from: xlar54I think Wheels needs a SCPU... someone correct me if Im wrong.

See my posting of July 3 in this same topic.  Wheels does not need a SCPU.

Join us at the FCUG table at
the Vintage Computer Festival 9.0
Nov. 4-5,
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group
http://videocam.net.au/fcug