TRANSCRIPT: A CONVERSATION WITH READYSOFT ABOUT "AMAX." ======================================================= This is a heavily edited transcript of a live conference which took place on the Evening of Friday, December 23, 1988 in the AmigaZone Club on the American People/Link network. If you have downloaded this file from a BBS or are reading it in a user group newsletter and are interested in becoming a People/Link subscriber you may sign up or obtain more information by calling: MODEM: 1-800-826-8855, 24 hours daily, 300/1200/2400 baud or VOICE: 1-800-524-0100, 9am-6pm Mon-Fri (Central Time). The contents of this file are Copyright 1988 The AmigaZone, all rights reserved. This file may not be commercially redistributed for profit by any means, printed or electronically î@ted, except from the data library of the AmigaZone Club. For non-commercial redistribution (such as in User Group newsletters or not-for-profit electronic Bulletin Board systems) please contact CBM*HARV via People/Link email for advance permission. This file must remain intact if it is redistributed - no further editing permitted. --------------------[BEGIN FORMAL CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT]-------------- (With approximately 40 people in the conference line, we begin...) (CBM*HARV) Tonite, our special guests are from Readysoft, soon to be publishing "AMAX", the Macintosh emulator for the Amiga. Readysoft... Thanks, please intro yourselves, and let everyone know what amax is all about (*READYSOFT) Here tonite is Don Holtz David Foster to be inserted The hardware adaptor also allows a Mac 800K disk drive to be connected as well as passing through the Amiga disk port. (CBM*HARV) READYSOFT - THE TWO QUESTIONS PEOPLE ALWAYS ASK IS "HOW MUCH" AND "WHEN." DO YOU HAVE AN ANTICIPATED PRICE AND RELEASE DATE YET? (*READYSOFT) The retail is tentatively $150 and the "when" is ten tatively February (CBM*HARV) OKAY GREAT. READY FOR SOME QUESTIONS? (*READYSOFT) sure (TERRY R) Readysoft, will the mac drive be readable by the Amiga? ga (*READYSOFT) if you mean will the Mac drive be usable from Amiga mode... (TERRY R) thats what I mean (*READYSOFT) the answer is not directly, only through supplied transfer software...that will allow you to transfer files in both directions (GROGERS) thanks for being here, will the Amax run Midi software? ga (*READYSOFT) this is next on our list of things to do however...we are pessimistic because most midi software goes directly to the hardware (GENEH) Do we have to wait for DOS 1.4 to emulate a 1 Meg Mac..and will we be able to use an Amiga hard drive partition in Mac mode like the bridgeboard (*READYSOFT) we have had a 3 meg Mac running. the new chip set from Commodore makes life easier as it gives 1 Meg continuous memory which is what the Mac is looking for, however we have devised a method to use all of the memory available but with a degree of reduced compatibility...There will be no hard drive support in the first release. (CMI*BILL) Is there any thought going into support for AppleTalk or other network? Are any thought going on to support Apple talk? (*READYSOFT) we have ideas for AppleTalk but not in the first rel ease (MAVERICK) is this going to run basic programs only like the amiga transformer... or will it do graphics and sound GA (*READYSOFT) No the compatibility we have found to be very good with most progs...Word 3.0, Excel, HyperCard, PageMaker, MacPaint, MacWrite and all system versions run OK. (AMIGA*BOB) What's the availability and cost of the 64K and 128K ROMS?? (*READYSOFT) 64k's are readily avail for $40, 128's harder to find; $100 (*MR*CURIOUS*) Can it access expanded memory on an A1000? Like w /Insider? What lost of compatibility if so? If any? ga (*READYSOFT) A-Max will find all mem in the system. Insider not yet tried tho. (CHRISTIAN) What will be the capabilities of ... Hypercard under Amax and how much testing have your done. (*READYSOFT) Hyper seems to run very well but not yet extensively tested. (OES928) What emulation does it do ? macPlus mac se macii? ga (*READYSOFT) We take 64K and 128K ROMs. This determines what machine you get. Other ROMs may be later supported. (*HARRY) How fast is AMAX compared to a Mac+ and what are the re quirements for the 3Meg model you mentioned <1Meg fat ag nus..what else?> (*READYSOFT) AMAX runs a little faster than a Mac PLUS.....Just a regular A2000 with 2-meg card. Any mem is now supported as well. (DEMO*D) will the AMAX run on '020ed amiga? Any thinking on a NuBus adapter? (*READYSOFT) The 68020 requires the 128K ROms. Apple bugs in the 64's mean they won't work in 32 bits....No thoughts on NuBus as yet. (DR*GLENN) how compatible are we ...could i run a mac arcade game...is the amy mouse supported? (*READYSOFT) We have run Megaroids, Loderunner. Mac games pale compared to Amiga anyway.... often copy protected which causes problems with Amax. The Amiga mouse emulates the Mac's; no problems. (UK JEZ) readysoft... is A-max code in any way related to Dave Small's stuff?... also, Can Amax read mac format disks with no extra disk drives...? if not, why not? (*READYSOFT) No completely independent of Data Pacific/DSmall....We can read only 34% of a Mac disk in an Amiga drive.....because of the multispeed format that the Mac uses our cart. has a connector for a 800K mac drive which gives full disk compat ..... YOU OWE US A STAR GLIDER II . (UK JEZ) thanx readysoft... my specs in front of me say the mac bit density stretches from 1.3 microsecs, to 2.0... sounds like its feasible to read more than 34% on an Amiga! indeed i do! (J. WOLF) How much is A-MAX? Do you guys supply or know where we can get 128K roms? How is the screen proportions?...How does A-MAX run with a Processor Accelerator at 14mhz? ga (*READYSOFT) Approx $150....We wont supply roms, but Computer Shopper has listings. Under investigation are other sources .....Screen proportions are good in interlaced or 640 by 400 mode. We have several screen formats incl. a 512 by 342, for full video compat....we also support the A2024 in 1008 by 800 line mode and the new chip set which gives 640 by 400 non interlaced. (RON K) Can AMAX support a