#Shapeshifter problem
17 messages in this thread
Kenny: I'm not sure how many extensions you are running but you might try using
Extension manager to disable them one at a time. It could be just one
particular extension that is causing the problem, and if so, you might be able
to live without it. Not all Mac programs are 32-bit clean and the ShapeShifter
as well as Emplant requires them to be.
// John (Warp 4040 & Emplant Quadra 840)
\X/ Mercury@ins.infonet.net
I actually did that, and found out it was the Apple Menu Options Extension
which was the culprit. Works a treat now. Just been playing something called
Pegleg, and playing a couple of QUicktime previews (The quality is very good)
Kenny Green
The Problem with the rat race is that even if you win you're still a rat.
John-
Unfortunately, I missed the beginning of this, since I'd confused Shapeshifter
with a game someone was saying didn't work under their Emplant. Is Jim Drew
saying that Shapeshifter is a ripoff of his Emplant software? Where was this
allegation made?
Mr. Zombie
Hi Paul,
yes, Jim Drew claims that ShapeShifter uses more than 50% of Emplant-code, 30%
of AMax-code and even some Apple-code. This allegation seems to be confirmed by
someone from BlitterSoft (European distributor for UU) who also examined the
code from both products.
Al this started more than a month ago on InterNet Usenet, with alot of
messages from programmers of both Emplant and ShapeShifter. Jim Drew says he is
taking this matter to court, and the author of ShapeShifter (don't remember his
name) is heavily convinced of his innocince.
PS: Reading UseNet is not worth the effort, most of it is flaming anyway. CIS
is much better in this field.
Regards,
Karl Van Hoyweghen on AutoPilot 1.80
Z7 A4000/40-Tower (kvh@pophost.eunet.be)
Correction here, Blittersoft could not disassembly the code if they
tried (I'm in the UK and know enough about them), the supposed
disassembly of the code was done by Jolyon Ralph of Almathera, the
guys in the UK who did Photogenics. I say supposed because it was
cross-posted by Blittersoft. Blittersoft distribute Drew's products
in Europe, and have a vested interest anyway. There are dozens of
conflicting views out there and many programmers have given there
opinions on it. Kenny Green The Problem with the rat race is that
even if you win you're still a rat.
Thanks for the reply Karl.
I agree about Usenet–CIS seems to be much more worth the money in regards to
information density.
As to SS being a ripoff… well, I don't know what to think, since I
have no hard info. It's certainly possible, but then again, it could
be malarky. It's certainly not the responsibility of the users to
make that decision, though, but they should be aware that if they
*do* register and use SS and it *does* get deemed a ripoff by a
court, they very well may never get their money back. But my
impression is that until a court makes a decision, users are not
liable.
Sorry to step in on this thread, but Jim Drew claims that SS is a copy
of both EMplant/Amax, being some % of each. Sound ludicrous, I think
so. What really makes this funny (though it shouldn't be), is that he
claims the main difference in Emplant software / SS, is the extra
error checking in Emplant.
Well, anyone who has used both has been laughing, as SS is more solid
than Emplant from my use. Anyway, if you check out the usenet amiga
groups you will see the accusations made everywhere. In fact if I am
correct, Drew has actually managed to get it taken off Genie, though
everywhere else carries it. Anyway I leave you with a hint: Product 1
costs $300, and is still beta in many areas, plus its latest add-on
for another OS, does not satisfy ANY of the claims that have been
made about it. Product 2 cost $40 to register, is regularly updated,
and debugged (How do you fix bugs that original soft can't fix ?), and
is software only, and does everything it claims and more. Figure what
happens to a good proportion of your market that has a choice.
There are people going around claiming we should wait until a court
case is called (JD claims he will sue) before using and lauding the
software. I say to these people, go play Doom II fullscreen on your
E586DX, oh you can't, who are you waiting for BTW. yup, good ole JD.
(He still had ads running recently with screenshots of
DoomII/Windows).
Sorry for making ths so long (and this is my honest opinion).
Kenny Green
The Problem with the rat race is that even if you win you're still a rat.
Yah, well, if SS turns out to be bonafide I'll sure be sorry, since I just
bought an Emplant. Otoh, I don't think it's outright impossible that SS is a
ripoff. It might be, or it might not be.
>>I say to these people, go play Doom II fullscreen on your E586DX, oh you
can't, who are you waiting for BTW. yup, good ole JD.<<
SS only does Mac, right? So this isn't a valid comparison. I trust
JD to deliver a working E586DX emulation… eventually… since it's
already released, unlike his other vaporware which never showed.
Don't sell him short–the Emplant arrived years before SS, and is a
remarkable product, even if SS does in fact surpass it now. Otoh,
the PC emulation is never going to have the kind of speed advantage
over real PCs that the Mac emulation has over Macs, because it
requires a CPU emulation along with some software. That's just
naturally going to slow it down. But if I can get the speed of a
386DX40 out of my WE3040, I'll be impressed and satisfied.
Or play doom 2 full screen on your mac emulated amiga on shapeshifter
I don't expect that because it hasn't been promisewd. Yet I can play nearly
everything on the Mac, so its like a bonus.
Kenny Green
The Problem with the rat race is that even if you win you're still a rat.
Doom 2 for the mac is already available from CReative computers and
MAc zone it costs around 50 bucks and the doom networking programs
are probably already availableon cis and internet.
Paul: ShapeShifter is a software based MacIntosh emulator that doesn't
require any special hardware to run. It's been the basis of some very
interesting "noise" on the Usenet newsgroup,
comp.sys.amiga.emulations. This is where I first saw Jim Drews
allegations of it using code from the Emplant, AMax, and Apple
software. He also claims that he will take the author of ShapeShifter
to court to prove his point.
A bunch of other people have come to Christian's defense stating that
it is not a ripoff and that the basis of similarity, which there is
in some parts of the code, comes from the progression of a programmer
to tackle a similar problem. That and the fact that ShapeShifter is
about half the size of the Emplant code, runs better, and has more
features, leads a lot of us to believe that Jim is just blowing smoke
to protect his bread and butter.
I'm not in a position to determine who is right or wrong, but knowing
what Jim Drew has claimed in the past about some of his products, and
vaporware that has never appeared, I take everything he says now with
a grain of salt.
So I guess it will be up to the court to decide IF Jim does sue. Until
that time, I'll continue to use ShapeShifter because it is more
compatable with a lot of the Mac software.
I'll certainly check it out once I get my Cybervision, since it doesn't work
with the RetinaZ3 (yet) but I won't sell my Emplant until the court issue is
resolved, just for in case. (Btw, do you know when your CV64 will arrive?)
>>runs better, and has more features<<
Would you mind briefly running down the advantages and disadvantages? I've
always heard that the Emplant is very stable. Otoh, I still haven't gotten
mine to work with my RetinaZ3, so there you are, I guess.
>>but knowing what Jim Drew has claimed in the past about some of his products,
and vaporware that has never appeared,<<
I think they're different things. I no longer believe any
pre-release announcements from him, but the Mac emulation *did*
finally show up, and it works very well for many people, even if it
is in fact now surpassed, and the PC emulation did finally show up,
and will probably wind up working properly, if not at blazing speed.
Otoh, I was disappointed by the vaporousness of The Edge and the quad
060 board–but then again, you have to give him some allowances for
the market.
Paul,
Over on GENIE Jim is encouraging his beta testers to log onto the UU BBS and
DL the all new PC emulator – and to play Doom on it! SO even with its premature
shaky start I believe we will see a strong PC emulation on Emplant soon.
…Warp Engine Engaged…
-Paul-
That certainly sounds good. I'm always willing to give people some
time to come through on their initial promises, especially when
they've managed something as impressive as the Mac emulation. Perhaps
you and I will be enjoying OS/2 on our Amigas in the not-too-distant
future.
Paul –
> …encouraging his beta testers to log onto the UU BBS and DL the all new
> PC emulator – and to play Doom on it!
He even has put the Doom demo files on the bulletin board!
jsaklad@welchlink.welch.jhu.edu . . JimDoc, on AutoPilot