Dreamcast question

[Famicoman]

The Dreamcast has a sticker on it that says Microsoft CE (or something like that). What exactly does this mean. Oh, and does anyone know what happened to the Iomega Zip Drive attachment?

[Dones]

Dreamcast had two development systems written by SEGA and Microsoft respectively. Check tthe hardware faqs at gamefaqs.com for more information:

 

3.10 Operating Systems

 

3.10.1 What is SegaOS?

 

- This is the unofficial name of the set of libraries and development tools

  written by Sega for Dreamcast development. A common set of libraries mean

  that any improved code is shared amongst all developers.

 

  SegaOS has a very small memory footprint. That means that the actual code

  takes up very little of the Dreamcast's internal memory, allowing more

  space for other programming such as AI, graphics or whatever else a

  piece of software uses.

 

3.10.2 What is Microsoft Windows CE?

 

- Microsoft provides a another development environment for the Dreamcast,

  with a simple Windows based setup and the Visual Studio interface. This

  means that developers can use a familiar user interface. This helps make it

  easier and quicker to develop software by comparison to using SegaOS or

  direct-to-hardware methods.

 

  However, this ease of use comes at a price - because of an extra 'layer'

  between the code and the machine's hardware, games using WinCE as the

  development OS will most likely be slower than their equivalents running

  using a more direct hardware access method. The use of the WinCE

  development environment certainly does not guarantee a slow game, however.

  Sega Rally 2 is an example of a fast game written using it.

 

3.10.3 Does this mean my Dreamcast has Windows inside?

 

- No! Windows CE is an optional environment for programming on the Dreamcast.

  If a game is programmed using Windows CE development tools, the WinCE core

  is provided on the actual game disc itself. Microsoft haven't got anything

  inside your Dreamcast, so don't worry.

[Ze_ro]

Oh, and does anyone know what happened to the Iomega Zip Drive attachment?

Cancelled. Never really saw much point in this anyways.

 

And although that FAQ snippet probably answers your questions about WinCE, it's probably worth pointing out that there is no way to actually get a Windows GUI out of the software... it's just the guts of the operating system that are included with none of the fancy stuff that "Windows" usually implies. The fact that they used anything from Microsoft really doesn't matter to the gamer, since it doesn't really result in any visible differences. You can tell what games are actually written using Windows CE because they'll say so when they boot up on the "Produced by or under license from..." screen.

 

--Zero

[Dones]

You know I tought you could tell them out because (WinCE) games always start out with a black screen with the phrase "loading *K" at the center.

[Lost Monkey]

You know I tought you could tell them out because (WinCE) games always start out with a black screen with the phrase "loading *K" at the center.

909658[/snapback]

 

?

 

The only game I can think of with a screen like that is Crazy Taxi and it isn't a WinCE game...

[spacecadet]

You know I tought you could tell them out because (WinCE) games always start out with a black screen with the phrase "loading *K" at the center.

909658[/snapback]

 

Nope. All WinCE games have an obvious and specific WinCE loading screen. It's part of the contract Sega signed with MS. There is no way to miss a WinCE game.

 

Most, if not all WinCE games also say "Powered by Microsoft Windows CE" on the back of the game case. I would think that all of them said this but I just checked my copy of Chu Chu Rocket (which I think is a WinCE game) and it has nothing on the back of the box. I'm too lazy to actually fire up my DC right now, though, so I'm not 100% sure this is an actual WinCE game. I have a few other games that do have the logo on the back of the jewel case.

[Dones]

Cool thanks for clearing that up.

[Famicoman]

Yeah, thanks.