Apple IIe Emulator for the Palm OS

After a year of development a open source Apple IIe emulator has been released for the Palm OS. The emulator is still ealy in development but can run almost any Apple][ disk.

The Appalm ][ emulator brings a 64K Apple IIe, 80 column card, and 1 disk drive, to a Palm OS based PDA. Disk images can be uploaded into the internal Palm memory or a memory card. Joystick emulation is provided using the hard keys, the emulator also supports the Sony game controller and high resolution screens.

The emulator comes with a windows utility to convert disk images to a format the palm os can use. The speed of emulation is quite close to an actual Apple IIe on some Palm OS 5 devices, the developer recommends using a model with at least a 66mhz processor.

Apple IIeAccording to Apple-History, the Apple IIe was first released in January 1983. It went on to be one of the most successful Apple computers ever. It was based on the 65C02 processor, which could run at 1.02 Mhz. It came with 64K of RAM and a 32K ROM which included BASIC, an assembly language interface, and several other hard-coded options. The Apple IIe originally sold for $1,395.

According to the developer, this is a very preliminary version meant more as a proof-of-concept. More features and performance enhancements are in the works. The project is open source and its license is GNU GPL. The project page can be found here.

Thanks to gfunkmagic and Hillary for the tip.

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At last

jayhawk88 @ 7/2/2003 2:06:10 PM #
Finally I can begin work on my ports of Taipai and Pirates!

RE: At last
Token User @ 7/2/2003 2:34:39 PM #
If this is an emulator, why would you need to port, just:
1. Locate 5.25" floppy disk with app.
2. Connect Apple Floppy drive to Palm via Universal Connector.
3. Upload.
4. Run emulator.
5. Run software.

Hmmm. Something wrong with this scenario.Ca't quite put my finger on it ....

~ "Don't be too proud of this technological terror you've constructed." - DV ~

RE: At last
jayhawk88 @ 7/2/2003 5:23:15 PM #
Hmmm, your right, allow me to revise my statement:

Finally I can begin work on my ports of Taipai and Pirates!....on the road!

All I want to know is...

palmwiz @ 7/2/2003 2:40:02 PM #
will it run VisiCalc?


RE: All I want to know is...
LiveFaith @ 7/2/2003 3:28:40 PM #
All I want to know is ... what on earth would anyone want to do with such as thing. Outside nostalgia, I can't comprehend ... can anyone help?

Pat Horne; www.churchoflivingfaith.com
RE: All I want to know is...
TedTschopp @ 7/2/2003 3:42:38 PM #
There are tons of great computer games that are no longer available to play except on the Apple.

Ultima series here we come again!

Bards Tale!

Heck even Burger time!

I don't care, I learned to program in the Apple 2. I know that system like the back of my hand....

This is great.

RE: All I want to know is...
rsc1000 @ 7/2/2003 4:33:03 PM #
>>There are tons of great computer games that are no longer available to play except on the Apple.

>>Ultima series here we come again!

>>Bards Tale!

>>Heck even Burger time!

Actually - every single one of these titles was available for multiple platforms. Ultima and Bards Tale series were available for Apple, PC, C64, Atari 8-bit computers and other platforms (i know Bards Tale was done for Amiga and i believe the Atari ST). Burger time was done for all of the above plus a number of home consoles.

Anyway - i hated the apples because they were 3-4 times the cost of the C64 but weren't as good (they had great cases with room for internal expansion though). The c64 had better graphics and w-a-y better sound. The apple II kinda sucked IMO - but its still cool to see it emulated on a Palm. There were some great games for the apple that had lousy ports for other systems - karateka was great on the apple (they actually attempted speech - sort of) but for some reason they did a really lazy-assed port for the c-64 (had no speech even though the c64 had the ability to do much higher quality speech - and a number of c64 titles did this). Anyway - i don't want to reactivate a 20 year old flame war - so i'll just say that this is still pretty cool.

RE: All I want to know is...
Altema @ 7/2/2003 8:25:02 PM #
"There are tons of great computer games that are no longer available to play except on the Apple."

I Think Pat was referring to VisiCalc and not all the other programs. I have a section of my basement full of Apple II and especially Apple /// stuff which was mothballed in December of 1999. I'm looking forward to this with deep interest, but must say that every Palm spreadsheet out there can blow away VisiCalc... and I have the original AND Advanced VisiCalc!

RE: All I want to know is...
TedTschopp @ 7/3/2003 11:05:38 AM #
Oh, I agree the C64 was better, but I didn't have one. And I'll admit the apple was over priced, and still is (How's that for a flame war!).

I just want to replay some of those old games. That's all.

This Rocks!

Lisa2dotcom @ 7/2/2003 3:36:25 PM #
I see this as great step towards my goal of getting a PCXT emulator or even a Macintosh emulator running on the Palm. Years ago I used a program called SoftPC on my MacPlus (8Mhz 68000, 1 Meg RAM, BW screen) that emulated a PC and ran MSDOS. I don't see why that same code could not run on my Palm (33Mhz 68000, 8 Meg ram, Gray screen) any even use VFS to simulate disks with Memory cards.


RE: This Rocks!
Strider_mt2k @ 7/4/2003 10:50:48 AM #
I guess the next step is to set up a phone line BBS system on one so that others with the same hookup can call in...

strider_mt2k@yahoo.com
RE: This Rocks!
Strider_mt2k @ 7/4/2003 10:52:56 AM #
Oh yeah, it will be great!
People can share files and posts messages, and even play games WHILE THEY'RE ON THE BBS!
I just hope someone come out with a version of Qmodem for DOS for PALM. ;)
--

Actually I would do all that for a taste of that old time fun.

strider_mt2k@yahoo.com

YEAH!

anthonymoody @ 7/2/2003 4:39:58 PM #
1 word: WIZARDRY!!!
RE: YEAH!
Nebari @ 7/3/2003 12:12:20 AM #
Yes, Proving Grounds on the ][+ was excellent.

The UWA release unfortunately uses the IBM graphics and messed up the random number generator used in level up. An emulation of the original would be really nice.

Now my question is how do you get the disk image from the Apple format disk into DOS/Windows? The only way I knew to do that was a card that went between the floppy drive and the controller card and I haven't seen one of those for about 15 years.

F,F,F,P,P,P

IIIxe-->M505-->TT

RE: YEAH!
dnottingham4 @ 7/3/2003 5:41:21 AM #
Wizadry - that's what makes this wonderful to me!

http://www.truthaboutwar.org

Amiga

grg @ 7/2/2003 5:14:54 PM #
Apple II emulation for Palm is cool. Amiga emulation would be even better.

Apple games
dickius @ 7/2/2003 6:45:18 PM #
Where's my Miner 2049er?
RE: Amiga
bjbyrne @ 7/3/2003 5:30:54 AM #
I have been waiting for somebody to port/clone Miner 2049. I still play it evey few years when I dust off my old Atari 1200xl

80 columns?

mikecane @ 7/2/2003 6:48:04 PM #
So how do you get 80 columns of text across that nasty square Palm screen?

(CLIE clamshell owners: Shut up!)

RE: 80 columns?
Nebari @ 7/3/2003 12:19:29 AM #
The Apple was only 40 columns out of the box. You had to buy an 80 column card to get 80 columns.

Am I remembering this right????

IIIxe-->M505-->TT

RE: 80 columns?
calamari @ 7/3/2003 12:17:26 PM #
there is a font for fonthack that was able to cram 80 columns onto the palms lo-res screen. the characters are only 3x2 pixels, and its really hard to read, but it can be done.

its much easier for hi-res devices, and particularly the sony clamshells :)

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

RE: 80 columns?
mikecane @ 7/3/2003 7:46:29 PM #
Hmmm... I thought the IIe was the first Apple with 80-columns built-in. Apple's own site is ambiguous about this.

http://tinyurl.com/fzo9

Perhaps an actual owner will chime in?

(I used a II+ at work, had a C64 at home... like everyone else, I wanted that damned II+ but that price put it out of my range!)

RE: 80 columns?
stillaresident @ 7/5/2003 3:15:32 AM #
Wow, I can't believe I get to discuss the //e after all these years! If memory serves me correctly...

The Apple //e originally shipped with an 80 column card (which fit in its own special slot in the //e) as standard equipment. They offered, however, an "extended" 80 column card which also included "double hi-res" graphics plus an extra 65 K of memory. Towards the end of the //e's production cycle, they included the "extended" 80 column card as standard equipment.

This brings back so many memories! I learned how to program as an 10 year old kid on the //e. My only regret to having become a doctor is that I always wondered what could have been, if I just kept programming from those //e days.


Hah!

mikecane @ 7/2/2003 6:49:28 PM #
"Thanks to gfunkmagic and Hillary for the tip."

-- wow, gfunk, you must be happy.

RE: Hah!
gfunkmagic @ 7/2/2003 7:19:08 PM #
My toes are twinkling...

----------------------------------------
"Computers are useless. They can only give you answers."

-Pablo Picasso.

RE: Hah!
mikecane @ 7/2/2003 7:24:44 PM #
That's probably the gangrene.

From the man!

RhinoSteve @ 7/2/2003 7:37:42 PM #
Woz is going to love this one!

DEUX_CHIENS @ 7/2/2003 10:19:48 PM #
Homme, j'ai aimé APPLE II que je ne peux pas les croire ai fait cette course à l'OS de paume! J'espère ceci rhum VisiCalc et beaucoup d'autres programmes de volonté de Apple II! J'ai une couleur de la PAUME 3! je ne peux pas attendre jusqu'à ce que je puisse commencer à mettre en communication à l'OS de PAUME. Mais comment horrible il obtiendra 80 lignes de texte sur l'écran horrible de paume!
RE:
punshon @ 7/3/2003 7:15:24 AM #
80 columns shouldn't be that bad... if i remember correctly the apple 2 screen resolution was 280x210 or something similar - this would fit nicely on my 320x320 screen with some room down the side for status info and controls (floppy drive light, floppy change button, menu bar, etc).


RE:
I.M. Anonymous @ 7/7/2003 3:17:32 AM #
Ici on parle ANGLAIS.

By the way this is what a Google search for "French military victories" brings up.

http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/text/victories.html

Quite revealing.


Land of the free

Palm emulation scene getting it on!

Adalipu @ 7/3/2003 6:57:26 AM #
I'm always happy to read news about any new or improved Emulator for the Palm Platform, since it proofs the old fairy tales of PalmOS being inept for such complex tasks wrong.

To inform about emulation on PalmOS and related topics, I created the site http://www.palmemu.com/ where I try to keep a little directory of must-see-sites and even have a commentary feature for my visitor to suggest new entries, put their rants online or just chat over experience with this or that tool. Perhaps you might want to have a look!

See you when you get there,

Simon

RE: Palm emulation scene getting it on!
mikecane @ 7/3/2003 7:50:21 PM #
Wake me up when you add Pocket PC emulation...

RE: Palm emulation scene getting it on!
dyspareunia @ 7/3/2003 10:29:02 PM #
The year is 2040, man has achieved eternal peace and erradicated world hunger.

And Palm inc announces the release of OS 6.5, followed two months later by emulator for CE 3.0. Microsoft announces the the previous week that Windows mobile 2039 for PPC which is based on winCE 38.4 is ready for sale.

RE: Palm emulation scene getting it on!
mikecane @ 7/4/2003 10:03:07 AM #
By 2039, there won't be a Windows Mobile. We'll all be using Windows Universal.

Next release: Windows Infinity.

From geeks for geeks

HeavyUser @ 7/3/2003 8:48:17 AM #
nuf said

RE: From geeks for geeks
mikecane @ 7/3/2003 7:50:44 PM #
And thankfully so! Would non-geeks create it for geeks? I don't think so...

Apple EMU with Tungsten T Problem

jingtex @ 7/5/2003 1:56:42 AM #
Screen for this Emulator cannot be read.
I have ever used the older version that hang.
This version is not hang but screen cannot be read.


What's happening to PalmInfocenter?

I.M. Anonymous @ 7/7/2003 2:42:51 AM #
Is this the best we can come up with in terms of articles and discussion? This site looks like it's slowly going the way of Palmstation and other sites that have died off over the past couple years.

What ever happened to the scoops, interesting discussions, flames etc that used to make this site so much fun to read? Nowadays it looks like the few posts are all coming from about 10 people. And if Dork Cane ever manages to stay on the lithium and haloperidol ****tail his psychiatrist started him on last year, the posts will dry up completely. You need to do something to save PIC *NOW* - before it's too late.

This is how PIC ends - not with a bang etc etc.


Land of the free

RE: What's happening to PalmInfocenter?
I.M. Anonymous @ 7/7/2003 2:58:17 AM #
Nice to see C_O_C_K_T_A_I_L being censored. It's such a filthy, disgusting word. Mixed drinks have no place in a family-oriented site like this!


Land of the free

RE: What's happening to PalmInfocenter?
mikecane @ 7/9/2003 5:56:14 PM #
> Dork Cane

-- that from someone whose brain is so shrunk the best he could come up with for a handle is the default one that used to be assigned by the system.

Let's meet in person, pal. I've got a drink for you!

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