Looking for 'Snapshot' an 8-bit "Multitasking" app.

[Gunstar]

Back in the early nineties there was a short lived (2-3 years) monthly (later bi-monthly then quarterly the last year) magazine named Atari Interface (A.I.M) that had monthly disks for the ST and later the 8-bits. There were a lot of very cool, modern apps for the 8-bits released through A.I.M. in the last months of publication. One of these applications was a program called 'Snapshot' that allowed two or more programs (depending on extended ram) to be loaded and resident in the Atari, and accessable at the touch of a button. While not true "multitasking," which was also done on the 8-bit (far too slow though), it switched between the programs instantly and was for all intents and purposes "multitasking." I would like to find this utility/app/os extension now. It always intrigued me back in the day, but I did not have the memory necessary at the time. the actual magazine disk it was released on was the volume 4 "Fall" 1992 issue, which I believe was the very last issue released, and incidently is the issue within which I had my first ever, published article.(written&submitted when I was a freshman in college).

 

The Snapshot file on this 8-bit AIM disk is called Snapshot.arc and a HARD DRIVE (maybe MyIDE users might be interested in this version) version called SNHD30D.arc.

I have the magazine in front of me, but disks were ordered seperately.

 

Anyone who might have a copy of this PD program please chime in, or if it can be found online somewhere. Thank you.

Edited August 19, 2006 by Gunstar

[_Fandal_]

I found this in my archive.

 

F.

Snapshot.zip

[Gunstar]

Thanks, I'll check it out. VERY MUCH appreciated. Though I do still want to add more about this program here, as I just re-read the description in the magazine: The original .arc file has 2 versions in it, one for SpartaDOS and one for Atari/Mydos. Then there was another .arc file with the hard disk version. I would like to get all the versions if possible. Oh, and these programs were written by Tom Hunt.

[Gunstar]

I unzipped that file and it's an .ATR image which boots up DOS 2.5 and has a some demo programs on it named demo1, demo2, etc. and at the bottom are a couple of files named SNHDLOW.COM and SNHDMED.COM which I assume are hard disk versions of this program and this zip file was originally the SNHD30D.ARC file from the AIM disk. There is also a .doc file labled SNHD30.DOC, which matches up. I'll look into it further, but my MyIDE hard disk is not currently setup, so I think I might need the spartados or mydos versions for now. But, I am going to see if the hard disk version will work with A.P.E. Still, this will probably be the most used version once I do get my MyIDE setup again. Thanks again Fandal!

Edited August 19, 2006 by Gunstar

[www.atarimania.com]

Found this...

 

--

Atari Frog

http://www.atarimania.com

Snapshot.zip

[Allas]

Well, this type of application arent multitasking. They are Task-switching, the best example that I used is GENIE program. Once you load in the memory you can load a game. After you pressed CTRL-SHIFT-ESC Atari keys, the game stop and GENIE appears at the screen, you have a notepad, a calculator and other things.

 

Its a pity emulator GENIE cant work in the emulator. This combination of keys is tha same that Windows use to call the process list.

[a8isa1]

Well, this type of application arent multitasking. They are Task-switching, the best example that I used is GENIE program. Once you load in the memory you can load a game. After you pressed CTRL-SHIFT-ESC Atari keys, the game stop and GENIE appears at the screen, you have a notepad, a calculator and other things.

 

Its a pity emulator GENIE cant work in the emulator. This combination of keys is tha same that Windows use to call the process list.

Did you try making a custom keyboard template?

 

If you don't need the numeric keypad you might remap one of those keys to be an Atari ESC.

 

For example you remap [Keypad *] = [Atari ESC]. Now if you press Ctrl + Shift +

[Keypad *] you get the Atari action for Ctrl + Shift + ESC but don't trigger the Windows action.

 

Alternatively you can map a single Keypad key to be the whole Atari Ctrl + Shift + ESC combination.

 

Unfortunately, I don't see a way to re-map a PC function key to do this instead. This would be ideal as I like having full use of the keypad.

 

- Steve Sheppard

Edited August 20, 2006 by a8isa1

[Gunstar]

Well, this type of application arent multitasking. They are Task-switching, the best example that I used is GENIE program. Once you load in the memory you can load a game. After you pressed CTRL-SHIFT-ESC Atari keys, the game stop and GENIE appears at the screen, you have a notepad, a calculator and other things.

 

Its a pity emulator GENIE cant work in the emulator. This combination of keys is tha same that Windows use to call the process list.

 

Uh...I realize it's not real multitasking, that's why I have multitasking in quotes and explain exactly what it does actually do in my first post...

But this is far better than GENIE becuase you can have any two or more programs resident in memory and switch between REAL programs instantly, not just a notepad and calculator, something I already have when I use ATOS or BOSS GUI anyway...their called "accessories."

[Allas]

mmm... you right...interesting app... I must to read the instructions... will be work with 2 graphic games?...

Edited August 20, 2006 by Allas

[Gunstar]

mmm... you right...interesting app... I must to read the instructions... will be work with 2 graphic games?...

 

2 or more of ANY game or program, depending on memory, IIRC. you need at least 256k to use Snapshot, IIRC. I still have to read the instructions myself, but I believe I'm right, if memory serves...

[kevin242]

mmm... you right...interesting app... I must to read the instructions... will be work with 2 graphic games?...

 

2 or more of ANY game or program, depending on memory, IIRC. you need at least 256k to use Snapshot, IIRC. I still have to read the instructions myself, but I believe I'm right, if memory serves...

 

 

 

this isnt true. I remember using snapshot on my unmodified 130xe.

[MEtalGuy66]

Yeah. It just "swaps" the base 64k for the first 64k of Extended RAM. KEwl. App. IIRC, it does work on a standard 130xe.

 

Lets you have two complete "instances" of your ATARI base memory map at the same time and switch between them.