What do you do with a 1-MB upgrade?

[Fox-1 / mnx]

There was a program released through AIM (Atari Interface magazine) back in the early 90's called 'Snap-shot' that allowed two or more programs in extended memory and switch between them at a push of a button.

 

Within this arc file are the following:

 

PPU COM 8623 9-15-90 10:01p

DEMO M65 2441 9-15-90 10:01p

DEMO LST 3779 9-15-90 10:01p

DEMO COM 2519 9-15-90 10:01p

PPU DOC 5133 9-15-90 10:01p

DEMO1 M65 2323 9-15-90 10:01p

DEMO1 LST 3247 9-15-90 10:01p

DEMO1 COM 2310 9-15-90 10:01p

DEMO2 M65 2375 9-15-90 10:01p

DEMO2 COM 2310 9-15-90 10:01p

DEMO2 LST 3434 9-15-90 10:01p

DEMO3 COM 2290 9-15-90 10:01p

DEMO3 M65 1788 9-15-90 10:01p

DEMO3 LST 2656 9-15-90 10:01p

DEMO4 M65 2445 9-15-90 10:01p

DEMO4 LST 3517 9-15-90 10:01p

DEMO4 COM 2325 9-15-90 10:01p

SNHDMED COM 7979 9-15-90 10:01p

SNHD30 DOC 4785 9-15-90 8:12p

SNHDLOW COM 7979 9-15-90 10:01p

READ ME 3312 9-15-90 8:07p

DEMOBAT BAT 89 9-15-90 10:01p

DEMOARC ARC 117 9-15-90 10:01p

 

If you get a CRC error on any of the .COM files when you unarced, DO NOT

USE THEM! Such an error indicates that the file is corrupted, and using it

could seriously scramble the data on your drives. Do not use a .COM file if the

file size is different than the size listed above. This arc file has been

verified that it is free from errors such as this before being released.

 

BRIEF FILE DESCRIPTIONS:

 

SNHDLOW.COM is the low memory version of Snapshot 3.0c. Hold down OPTION when

loading for instructions.

 

SNHDMED.COM is the middle memory version of Snapshot 3.0c. Hold down OPTION

when loading for instructions.

 

SNHD30.DOC is a doc file for Snapshot HD 3.0c that you can print out.

 

PPU.COM is the Professional Programmer's Utility for Snapshot HD 3.0c. The

memory resident portion of this program is fully relocatable. Hold down OPTION

while loading for instructions. It was made relocatable by processing it

through Keith Ledbetter's "Relocatable File Creator".

 

PPU.DOC is the doc file for PPU.COM that you can print out.

 

The DEMO programs were designed to be used with PPU.COM. They're source

code also serves to demonstrate how to control activities in the various

snapshots.

 

DEMOBAT.BAT is used by DEMO1.COM and DEMO2.COM. DEMOARC.ARC is used by

DEMO4.COM.

 

DEMO.COM will take you on a tour to snapshot #3, snapshot #4, and finally back

to snapshot #1.

 

DEMO1.COM will want to find DEMOBAT.BAT on D1:. It demonstrates how to run

batch files in another snapshot.

 

DEMO2.COM will also look for DEMOBAT.BAT on D1:. It will then wait 10 seconds,

and then poke 764 with a RETURN. Not very interesting in itself, but the source

code is educational.

 

DEMO3.COM should be ran from a snapshot other than #1. It simply will snap you

back to snapshot #1 again.

 

DEMO4.COM will snapshot over to snapshot #3, look for D3:>UTT>UNARC.COM, and

have it unarc D1:>DEMOARC.ARC. You should have DEMOBAT.BAT off of D1: when you

do this, or UNARC will say something about "File exists, overwrite?"

 

The source code has been included for the DEMOs, both in .M65 and in .LST

format. Hopefully the source code will prove beneficial to programmers.

 

TTYL-

Tom

 

Addenda:

 

It has been pointed out that the order in which you load TDLINE.COM is

important. Here is the correct loading sequence for those of you that use

TDLINE.COM:

 

TDLINE

TD OFF

SNHDLOW

 

And, leave it off. If you TD ON it will confuse the system!

 

SSHD3C.ZIP

[Gunstar]

Here is Snapshot.

Snapshot_3.0.atr

[Gunstar]

There was a program released through AIM (Atari Interface magazine) back in the early 90's called 'Snap-shot' that allowed two or more programs in extended memory and switch between them at a push of a button.

 

Within this arc file are the following:

 

PPU COM 8623 9-15-90 10:01p

DEMO M65 2441 9-15-90 10:01p

DEMO LST 3779 9-15-90 10:01p

DEMO COM 2519 9-15-90 10:01p

PPU DOC 5133 9-15-90 10:01p

DEMO1 M65 2323 9-15-90 10:01p

DEMO1 LST 3247 9-15-90 10:01p

DEMO1 COM 2310 9-15-90 10:01p

DEMO2 M65 2375 9-15-90 10:01p

DEMO2 COM 2310 9-15-90 10:01p

DEMO2 LST 3434 9-15-90 10:01p

DEMO3 COM 2290 9-15-90 10:01p

DEMO3 M65 1788 9-15-90 10:01p

DEMO3 LST 2656 9-15-90 10:01p

DEMO4 M65 2445 9-15-90 10:01p

DEMO4 LST 3517 9-15-90 10:01p

DEMO4 COM 2325 9-15-90 10:01p

SNHDMED COM 7979 9-15-90 10:01p

SNHD30 DOC 4785 9-15-90 8:12p

SNHDLOW COM 7979 9-15-90 10:01p

READ ME 3312 9-15-90 8:07p

DEMOBAT BAT 89 9-15-90 10:01p

DEMOARC ARC 117 9-15-90 10:01p

 

If you get a CRC error on any of the .COM files when you unarced, DO NOT

USE THEM! Such an error indicates that the file is corrupted, and using it

could seriously scramble the data on your drives. Do not use a .COM file if the

file size is different than the size listed above. This arc file has been

verified that it is free from errors such as this before being released.

 

BRIEF FILE DESCRIPTIONS:

 

SNHDLOW.COM is the low memory version of Snapshot 3.0c. Hold down OPTION when

loading for instructions.

 

SNHDMED.COM is the middle memory version of Snapshot 3.0c. Hold down OPTION

when loading for instructions.

 

SNHD30.DOC is a doc file for Snapshot HD 3.0c that you can print out.

 

PPU.COM is the Professional Programmer's Utility for Snapshot HD 3.0c. The

memory resident portion of this program is fully relocatable. Hold down OPTION

while loading for instructions. It was made relocatable by processing it

through Keith Ledbetter's "Relocatable File Creator".

 

PPU.DOC is the doc file for PPU.COM that you can print out.

 

The DEMO programs were designed to be used with PPU.COM. They're source

code also serves to demonstrate how to control activities in the various

snapshots.

 

DEMOBAT.BAT is used by DEMO1.COM and DEMO2.COM. DEMOARC.ARC is used by

DEMO4.COM.

 

DEMO.COM will take you on a tour to snapshot #3, snapshot #4, and finally back

to snapshot #1.

 

DEMO1.COM will want to find DEMOBAT.BAT on D1:. It demonstrates how to run

batch files in another snapshot.

 

DEMO2.COM will also look for DEMOBAT.BAT on D1:. It will then wait 10 seconds,

and then poke 764 with a RETURN. Not very interesting in itself, but the source

code is educational.

 

DEMO3.COM should be ran from a snapshot other than #1. It simply will snap you

back to snapshot #1 again.

 

DEMO4.COM will snapshot over to snapshot #3, look for D3:>UTT>UNARC.COM, and

have it unarc D1:>DEMOARC.ARC. You should have DEMOBAT.BAT off of D1: when you

do this, or UNARC will say something about "File exists, overwrite?"

 

The source code has been included for the DEMOs, both in .M65 and in .LST

format. Hopefully the source code will prove beneficial to programmers.

 

TTYL-

Tom

 

Addenda:

 

It has been pointed out that the order in which you load TDLINE.COM is

important. Here is the correct loading sequence for those of you that use

TDLINE.COM:

 

TDLINE

TD OFF

SNHDLOW

 

And, leave it off. If you TD ON it will confuse the system!

 

SSHD3C.ZIP

Thanks, I found snapshot too, guess I was a minute too late.

[+CharlieChaplin]

Well,

 

here are some packages with task-switching tools:

1) XL2.zip: four disk images with XL2 by J.K. Picken

2) MTOS.zip: contains MTOS & PAL and Snapshot (versions 1.0 and 1.1)

 

There was also a Multitasking Operating System (MOS), released via several Abbuc magazines; this contained the MOS program(s) and many especially written "tasks", so it can really do multitasking on a 64k computer (two tasks can run at the same time, however they have to be programmed specifically for MOS). The MOS series also contained descriptions and several programs/tasks for MOS, as well as a programmers-course in Assembler for MOS. But, all texts, descriptions and courses are written in german language and err, copyright by Abbuc (and the author) so I will not upload it here...

 

Edit: It looks like Snapshot HD 3.0 works only with a harddisk, min. 128k RAM and SpartaDOS 3.2 (not absolutely sure, since the docs. mention only Sparta, they do not mention any other DOS); so I have included the older versions 1.0 and 1.1 here which should work with 128k RAM, floppy-drive and DOS versions Atari DOS 2.5 / MyDOS 4.5 / SpartaDOS 3.2.

 

Maybe someone has newer versions of Snapshot or a floppy-drive / non-Sparta-only version 3.0 and can upload it...?!?

 

-Andreas Koch.

xl2.zip

mtos.zip

Edited April 29, 2012 by CharlieChaplin

[GoodByteXL]

But still, what do you use your 1 MB upgrade for? -Larry

Besides Andreas mentioned quite a lot of items using 1MB of RAM in an XL/XE I'd like to mention: There is a great OS called Speeder Plus OS (became 20 this spring), which comprises a small monitor and a small freezer and a few more neat tools (C:SIM, drive management, SIO speeder up to Pokey Divisor 4, etc.). In my view it was too much ahead of time to be successful. It allows to freeze and move the content of 64KB main memory to a memory extension, and later , after having used different software, move it back to main ram and start over again. Many of those pseudo multitasking things popped up back then, but thisone is so useful, that I still have it running today. It allows a quick look and hack. In the past before using hard drives with the ATARI (20+ years back in time) I mainly used big ram extensions to shuffle data around for different purposes like interim storage for pictures, printer buffers for graphics (in the good ol' times), copying 720KB and 1.44MB disks, and more even under ATARI BASIC. Just using it as a ram disk is waste of resources. Edited April 30, 2012 by GoodByteXL

[+Larry]

If you are interested in the SDX/ramdisk RWTEST results and the XL7, check out the "EDIT" near the middle of Post 22. The SDX ramdisk results are very different than those of MyDos ramdisk.

 

-Larry

[+Larry]

Bob1200XL's WIDE RWTEST results added to post 22.

 

-Larry

[atari8warez]

Another little explored area is multitasking.

 

It can be done although it'd be a case of keeping several machine state images in extended Ram that you could switch among e.g. Shift+Reset then choose from a menu.

 

I've thought about multitasking in the context of the GUI but given the dreadful performance one would likely experience with 2 or 3 processes running at the same time, task-switching (more akin to what you describe) strikes me as a more practical and useful proposition. In this case, only the application with the focus would be running at any given time (along with any interrupt or timer services).

 

I agree, task switching is probably as close as a 1.79 Mhz 8 bit machine can get to multitasking. True multitasking is quite a bit of a stretch not only because it would require a whole new OS (rendering 99% or more of the existing software unusable) but also is way beyond the capabilities of the machine. Any such implementation wouldn't go further than being a cool demo.

 

As for the extra memory, aside from the ramdisk the most beneficial application IMO would be a print spooler (that is if you do any printing on your Atari). Other than that it's just a novelty. I mostly don't even use the extra 64K on my 130XE never mind a whole 1 MB. So why do I get the Ultimate1MB, mostly because I can - with built-in SDX as a bonus -

Edited May 18, 2012 by atari8warez

[flashjazzcat]

I agree, task switching is probably as close as a 1.79 Mhz 8 bit machine can get to multitasking. True multitasking is quite a bit of a stretch not only because it would require a whole new OS (rendering 99% or more of the existing software unusable) but also is way beyond the capabilities of the machine. Any such implementation wouldn't go further than being a cool demo.

 

Exactly - an entirely new, fully re-entrant OS is the salient point. We'd be able to do lots more cool things if the GUI had a custom DOS built in, but then this creates a lot more work, lots of nightmarish complication, incompatibility... and for what at the end of the day?