The Sinclair QL Forum

Hi,

There was a plug in module into the Atari Catridge port, that could load SMS2, which could run in the Atari high resolution mode (800x600). Though dedicated Atari monitor is requred, but I modified a Mono VGA monitor to work with the screen mode.

Does anyone have any experience SMS2?

Derek_Stewart wrote:Hi,

There was a plug in module into the Atari Catridge port, that could load SMS2, which could run in the Atari high resolution mode (800x600). Though dedicated Atari monitor is requred, but I modified a Mono VGA monitor to work with the screen mode.

Does anyone have any experience SMS2?

The ROM catridge could also be used for QL purposes, I once had the Level E complete there. That starts QL in a few seconds.

TT once gave an Atari disk to me, which could generate an SMS2 BOOT disk. SMS2 takes a bit of getting used to. There is just a little CLI (similar to a daughter SBASIC in SMSQ/E). No SuperBASIC but QL jobs run and QLiberator jobs also. I think, no Turbo compiled programs. TT has written elsewhere, that there is "an environment for QLiberated programs", whatever this will mean.

actually, this is what I was looking first (the SMS2 cartridge I mean), but apparently they are as rare as a Bebox I tried to ask the german distributor, he answered me that he don't have them anymore sincle long. I tried to ask QLvsJAGUAR on youtube about a dump of the cartridge, but I didn't get an answere.

Anyways, I tried to play with Hatari to create disk partition, nothing that I tried could be addressed by SMSQ/E at all. I'm affraid I'm don't know the QL subtilitys enough to be able to cope with that...

If somone have a ready to go partition or disk image or whathever, I would be thankfull at this point

I do not really know the way Hatari addresses hard disks, but I fear, it does not use physical partitions. Under Atari SMS, you have to FORMAT a "real" partition of your harddisk, the same as the Q40/Q60 or the Miracle harddisk use. No way to use XXX.WIN Files, as used with SMSQ/E under QPC2.

When you FORMAT an harddisk under SMS, it asks you, which Unit and which partition. I once had a MegaFile 30 with my MegaST4, set in two partitions under TOS, so I had Unit 1, partition 2 for QL.

with SMS, you mean the SMS2 cartridge?

RalfR wrote:

pjw wrote:I cant remember the many different modes, but for example, you could run Atari programs like Calamus (DTP) in hicolor on an ordinary non-Atari monitor.

More than MODE 4 isn't possible with QVME (as Edwin Holtmann said), because of the QVME hardware. The QVME Atari driver disk, Jochen supplied, is for 1024x768 in b/w under TOS.

I may have mis-remembered hicolor, but Im pretty sure QVME allowed resolutions of more than 1024x768 (the SMSQ/E ST User manual states up to 1600x496) on a good, non-Atari, monitor for both QL and Atari programs. Of course we're talking nearly thirty years ago, and layer upon layer of changes happened then - and since, so memories have merged and faded. Whatever, it was a damned good system for the time.

guibrush wrote:with SMS, you mean the SMS2 cartridge?

I mean both. SMS2 is also BOOTable with a disk (I have one) but it it does not make any advantages to a Level E driver or SMSQ/E itself. It is just a bit nostalgia.

pjw wrote:Whatever, it was a damned good system for the time.

Yes, even Calamus was a dream to use with QVME. And with the Gemini dektop and NVDI, it was really great!

From Markus Dettwiler for Hatari:

Configuration
System TT
CPU 68000 32Mhz
TOS EMUTOS512k.img v1.0.x
Floppy MSA/ST 720kb optional
Hardisk
ACSI optional
SCSI -> QXL.win
GemdosDrive -> folder with bootconf.app / smsqe3xx.prg
fire it up
bootconf.app set screen to compatible
reboot optional
start smsqe.prg
wait

RalfR wrote:

guibrush wrote:with SMS, you mean the SMS2 cartridge?

I mean both. SMS2 is also BOOTable with a disk (I have one) but it it does not make any advantages to a Level E driver or SMSQ/E itself. It is just a bit nostalgia.

Is this bootable disk complete with the desktop? It's possible to copy it?