On the QL-users list this momentous little announcement from Wolfgang popped up :
Hi all, SMSQmulator, the SMSQ/E machine emulator under Java is now out. You can find it at : www.wlenerz.com/SMSQmulator. (Please note that, the site running under linux, this address is case dependent - grrrr!). Have fun with it. Wolfgang _______________________________________________
And Dilwyn Responded :
Excellent work Wolfgang, now we have a Java based free emulator which runs across many of the major operating systems which have Java installed - Windows, Mac OS X, Linux. I am ploughing through the manuals (both of them, Wolfgang's and Tim Swenson's versions). Important to note as Wolfgang has pointed out that it is not strictly a QL emulator (may not run software which relies on system variables and/or screen at fixed QL addresses) and being a MC68000 emulator, software purposely written to use features of later processors (e.g. Q40/Q60 specific software) won't run. I like the fact it has Native File Access, SMSQ File Access (executable file headers stored) and QXL.WIN access. I would have liked to see full floppy disk access as so many QL users still use them, it would have made file transfer easy. That said, it can read floppy disk image files created on your operating system. Hopefully, someone will write up that process for the various operating systems in time for anyone who has never used disk images before. SMSQmulator supports 16 bit colour and various screen sizes (e.g. 1024x512 or 800x600) although it defaults to 512x256 when you first start it. I like the warning in the manuals about the sound facilities, that although BEEP and Sampled Sound System are supported it might "not sound too nice" due to issues with the Java sound handlers! I also like the fact that a few sample programs have been supplied (3 games and Psion Xchange) - the emulator startup lets you get straight into running a few programs. Great for people new to QL systems or who have never used emulators before. Congratulations Wolfgang and anyone else involved in developing and testing.
Sounds fantastic to QLHeaven
