PCTask vs PCx vs Emplant e586 what is the best PeeCee emulator

[Motormouth]

I stayed with PcTask for a while and then got me a Vortex AtOnce286 classic.
This gave me the best experience so far and I used it a lot with M$-Dos, Word v4/4.5/5, DBase, Fortran77 and QuickBasic. I could even run a Windows version for 286 cpus in monochrome mode.

I have a GVP PC 286 which is  basically a Vortex AtOncePlus.  It actually work fairly well especially for CPU bound tasks as it has a real 80286.  There is for one "major" problem.   The video is very slowwwwwwww.  It uses the amiga's hardware to emulate the video.  I noticed you had to use monochrome mode.....  I had 3.11 (not with workgroups ie needs a 386) running with monochrome Olivetti video.   I found the video updates slowly.  

Further GVP PC 286 does not work with the VXL 030, (I only had a GVP A500 HD8+ but obviously works with the GVP A530).  I wonder if work with the vampire.   The vampire should surely improve the video emulation speed assuming it is compatible.

[fishy_fiz]

@thread

I noticed over at eab that Jim Drew mentioned a potential update to his fusion and pcx emulators.
Seemed relevant so thought I'd mention it.

[Dandy]

@Dandy

The AROS box is using an i7-870 clocked at 3.8ghz. I used to use an i5-760@4ghz, but ended up with the spare i7 system so figured why not. The performance for the 2 is currently nigh on identical currently, but the i7 will be a bit more future proof for when I changed to 64bit AROS (multi processor support in the future).

Ah - I see.

Regardless, they're both pretty old machines, but I'm more than happy with them for AROS.

Core i5 and core i7 are 'pretty old'?
How should I call my A4kPPC then (mobo of 1993, CSPPC of 1997)?
 :laughing:  :rofl:  :biglaugh:

As for the ppc options, sorry, I actually meant the "NG" machines.

Ah - o.k.!

Probably the best option for os3.x is the WOS version of Dosbox I did some years back. Unfortunately I no longer have a copy of the binary, but I did send it to a few people so hopefully its made its way onto the net (or at least some peoples hard drives) somewhere.

I never heard of a WOS version of any PC-emulator up to now!
Can't one of them upload it to Aminet?
You just need to remember the name of one of those guys and ask him to upload it or to provide you a copy...

Performance wise I'd guess something along the lines of a 50mhz 386 on a 200mhz 604e.

That's not as swift as an arrow, but its o.k. for this old hw.
Did your version of Dosbox emulate an 286 or an 386 cpu?

As in case of an 286 cpu all I can use is at best Win95 (first Edition - "95a").
Win95b and Win95c already require 386 cpu.
Win98 requires 486 cpu.
Win98 se requires at least 486DX cpu @66mHz
and
WinXP requires at least a Pentium@233mHz with 64mB RAM (better a Pentium@300+mHz with 128+mB RAM

Are there any PC-emulators for OS 4.x?

Besides Bochs though there's nothing on any Amiga-noid system that could run anything beyond Win9x anyway. Speed Aside bochs is the only option that let's you assign enough RAM to even glacially run WinXP and above on classic systems (although bochs is 68k only for os3.9).

That sounds as if there actually IS an OS 4.x version of Bochs.
I think I will give it a try, once I successfully finished my AOS 4.1 U1 setup.

Ram might be an issue for a Win10 install.
My Miggy only has the 128mB 64-Bit Ram on the CSPPC, plus the 2 x 256mB Z-III mem, plus 2mB CHIP. That's just 642mB altogether...

That might even be not sufficient for WinXP...

For my old Miggy there seems to be no better way than to network it with a modern core i5 or core i7 quadcore WIntel box...

[Dandy]

...  
There is for one "major" problem.   The video is very slowwwwwwww.  It uses the amiga's hardware to emulate the video.  
...
I found the video updates slowly.  

Yeah - that's the disadvantage of emulators...

I noticed you had to use monochrome mode.....  

With the 'Windows for 286' version I had back then, yes (Hercules monochrome mode).
With M$-Dos (4/5/6.2) I could use a few color modes (CGA/EGA, IIRC).

I had 3.11 (not with workgroups ie needs a 386) running with monochrome Olivetti video.  

Wasn't Win 3.1 the Version withOUT Workgroups and Win 3.11 the one WITH Workgroups?
I seem to remember something along these lines, but I could also be wrong - its sooooo long ago...

Further GVP PC 286 does not work with the VXL 030, (I only had a GVP A500 HD8+ but obviously works with the GVP A530).  

Well, my A500 back then had just 68010 CPU, but 1.8mB RAM in the trapdoor, 2mB MiniMegi Chipram, full ECS, 8mB SupraRAM and a 'selfmade' HD solution consisting of the so called 'ct-Interface (schematics from the 'ct computer magazine - providing one ISA slot for an OMTI 6510 RLL-controller with 2 65mB HDs connected).

Later I replaced the 68010 CPU and the 'selfmade' HD solution with a Viper520@28mHz+320mB IDE HD.
Then I moved on to my A4kPPC...

I wonder if work with the vampire. The vampire should surely improve the video emulation speed assuming it is compatible.

If compatible, it should offer enough power to speed it up significantly.

[Dandy]

@thread

I noticed over at eab that Jim Drew mentioned a potential update to his fusion and pcx emulators.
Seemed relevant so thought I'd mention it.
 

Thx for the info!

Did he also mention which Amiga-cpus/AOS-versions the updated versions will support?

I mean - back then a WOS Version of PcX was promised.
Precondition for the development being the ownership of FusionPPC.
I bought Fusion PPC back then, but PcX PPC was never ever released.
:angry:
Should I now - one and a half decades later - finally be able to get my WOS PCX Version?
:rolleyes:

[Motormouth]

Thx for the info!

Did he also mention which Amiga-cpus/AOS-versions the updated versions will support?

I mean - back then a WOS Version of PcX was promised.
Precondition for the development being the ownership of FusionPPC.
I bought Fusion PPC back then, but PcX PPC was never ever released.
:angry:
Should I now - one and a half decades later - finally be able to get my WOS PCX Version?
:rolleyes:

ditto +1,  I agree, I have always liked Jim Drew work!   He does come onto Amiga.org occasionally.  It would be fun to talk to him again about emulation!!!!!

[JimDrew]

Today, just as back in the day, PCx and FUSION are hands down faster than PCTask and Shapeshifter...

https://youtu.be/Ga1_wfsl4rg

The beta version of PCx with Vampire optimizations that I released is the fastest version yet!

I have no idea what "WOS" is.  iFUSION along with all of my PPC stuff was sold, so I never made a PPC version of PCx. I have no desire to do anything PPC based ever again.  FPGA is the way to go.  

[Oldsmobile_Mike]

I have no idea what "WOS" is.

I assume he's referring to WarpOS?

Cool, thanks for the update and for chiming in here!  

[Lizard]

Today, just as back in the day, PCx and FUSION are hands down faster than PCTask and Shapeshifter...

https://youtu.be/Ga1_wfsl4rg

The beta version of PCx with Vampire optimizations that I released is the fastest version yet!

I have no idea what "WOS" is.  iFUSION along with all of my PPC stuff was sold, so I never made a PPC version of PCx. I have no desire to do anything PPC based ever again.  FPGA is the way to go.  

Is the beta version for the Vampire available somewhere? Or is it an internal beta?

[BooBoo1200]

This had me look up Softwindows for 68k Macs, and it works surprisingly well on my Amithlon system under Shapeshifter.  I haven't tried it on my  A4000T yet.  Version 1.03 appears to be the last 68k version before it moved to PPC and supporting higher than Win 3.1.

I never got Softwindows working under Shapeshifter - Could you please upload or just gives some details of your setup and source???

[SnkBitten]

I never got Softwindows working under Shapeshifter - Could you please upload or just gives some details of your setup and source???

Softwindows 1.02 install only the main program and register with the key.
https://www.macintoshrepository.org/829-softwindows-1-0
(I don't remember which one I used, I may have tried both)

Softwindows 1.03 install only the disk image files for Windows 3.x.
https://winworldpc.com/product/softwindows/10

[BooBoo1200]

Thank you for your reply very helpful - So the links 1.02 archive has the serial No and 1.03 has the working disk image? Thanks again.

[JimDrew]

Is the beta version for the Vampire available somewhere? Or is it an internal beta?

It was an internal beta.  I haven't been in touch with the Vampire team in months because of my day job.

I plan on releasing the PCx and FUSION (both optimized for the Vampire boards) when I get a chance.

[Motormouth]

I plan on releasing the PCx and FUSION (both optimized for the Vampire boards) when I get a chance.

I think will all are looking forward to this............:-)

Just curious.  forgive me if this is a sensitive subject, but How would you handle the purchase/ distribution of a Vampire optimized version,  I for one would be willing to pay you for your hard work!!!   (I bought emplant, emplant pro, e586, fusion and PCx)   Also would you still allow access to the emplant board for better compatibility? ie if the vamp 500 is in a 2000 or an a500 with a zorroII to 68 pin adapter.

[Dandy]

Today, just as back in the day, PCx and FUSION are hands down faster than PCTask and Shapeshifter...

https://youtu.be/Ga1_wfsl4rg

The beta version of PCx with Vampire optimizations that I released is the fastest version yet!

That's great!
I'm just wondering how usable it is today.
Roughly 15 years ago I ran PCx on an 060@50mHz and used M$-Dos and Win3.1 with it.
IIRC, it was not possible to run later versions of Windows, although the old HAAGE & PARTNER Amiga page says it would support the Pentium instruction set.
With a Pentium cpu @233mHz and 64mB RAM (better a Pentium@300+mHz with 128+mB RAM) it should be possible to run Win XP.
But today we have Win10 and I doubt I could use that seriously with PCx - even on a Vampire, not to speak of an 68060@50mHz...

So I'm afraid PCx is only a practical utility if one wants to run old Win Version with the associated (old) Software.

I'm afraid that if it is required to run modern productivity software with a modern Win version, the only option is to use a modern WIntel box and to network it with the (old) Amiga (e.g. with RDesktop/smbfs)...

I have no idea what "WOS" is.  

WarpOS (for BlizzardPPC and CyberstormPPC accelerator boards).

Back in the days a PCx version optimised for the BlizzardPPC and CyberstormPPC accelerator boards was promised, but was never released.

iFUSION along with all of my PPC stuff was sold, so I never made a PPC version of PCx. I have no desire to do anything PPC based ever again.  FPGA is the way to go.  

The PPC versions had been promised by 'Microcode Solutions'. iFusion PPC was released, but unfortunately PCx PPC was never published.

[psxphill]

But today we have Win10 and I doubt I could use that seriously with PCx - even on a Vampire, not to speak of an 68060@50mHz...

Windows 10 checks for PAE, NX & SSE2 before it will install. These came out after PCx, so unless they've been added recently then won't be able to use Windows 10 with PCx at all. Let alone seriously.