Test reports
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Test reports
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For the second time, I have the honor of writing an article for AMIGA aktuell International. This time, it is the test report on the CD-ROM "The Best of Airsoft Softwair Gold Edition", which is sold by Andreas Falkenhahn. For 29,95 DM (~15 Euro) you get a self-made CD-ROM without a label in a "naked" jewel case. [The final version will contain a CD cover; Rem. of editor i.ch.] But it's the contents that count. So I will now beam into the domain of software tests...
Test configuration:
Computer: Amiga 1200 in a Micronik Tower, Blizzard 1260, 48 MB Fast-RAM, 20 GB hard disk, CD-ROM-drive, Picasso IV
Installed OS: Amiga OS 3.5
Well, you will find a lot of software on this disk, including some programs with real potential. These programs are in the directory "full versions": DaCoolInstaller, InstallKit, NewInstaller, RB2Exe and Rainboot3
DaCoolInstaller might be interesting for people with an extensive disk archive who want to move this onto a hard disk. But the disks should be in DOS or DMS format. NDOS is not supported yet.
The trackdisk.device is emulated on the hard disk. You can even use the built in degrader.InstallKit: finally a program that can install CD32 games in such a way that they actually work afterwards.
My test with Last Ninja 3 was almost without problems, but don't try to install games on partitions that have been formatted with FastFileSystem V45.1. Then InstallKit complains: "Not enough space on this partition! Required: 6597770897 Bytes Available: -1440645120 Bytes. Please make space and try again!"
[This is not a bug. It is caused by a 16-bit limitation of the compiler that was used. There is a workaround that circumvents the problem by omitting the calculation of free disk space. This workaround can be activated in the menu of the GUI; remark of editor] Besides that, a fine program...
NewInstaller is a program that can save program authors a lot of work because they don't have to write scripts anymore. The NewInstaller does it for them. It is easy to use, just set a few Tooltypes in a project icon and you are done. Internet access is also included, which makes online registration much easier. As well, it is possible to integrate multimedia contents that can be run during installation.
But you can also keep your scripts compatible with the original installer.
| RainBoot | makes it possible to create multimedia scripts that run during the bootup of the |
| system. | Unfortunately, I couldn't make the program work, because taskhelds kept |
| appearing. Seems not to work on my system. | But the author can come over and inspect my |
| system, if he wants. | |
RB2Exe is a tool to create executable programs from the scripts of RainBoot3. Because of several incompatibilities, I couldn't test it either.
Then there are a lot of HD installers for games. Take a look at the list in the screenshot.
Cheat programs can be found as well. Again, I would ask you to take a look at the screenshot.
Result:
The CD-ROM is well filled with software that seems to be programmed on standard Amigas and will probably only run well on these. But to everyone who wants to install his CD32 software on the hard disk, I can only say: buy this disk, you won't regret it. You also find a certain amount of HD installers and cheaters for disk games. The other tools might be of interest to some of you. But if you expect to find good multimedia shows or demos, you will be disappointed. But I think the price is justified by the programs in the Full-Versions-directory alone (finally, I can again buy CD32 games secondhand). The rest of the software on the CD-ROM is beginners programming and hardly usable in my opinion, but take a look for yourself.
Price/Performance-ratio: adequate (because of the many bugs)
Contact:
Andreas Falkenhahn
An der Trift 2
36132 Eiterfeld-Arzell
Germany
E-Mail: Andreas.Falkenhahn@gmx.de
Internet: http://www.airsoftsoftwair.de
Marco Wolff <Marco.Wolff@ksk.ivm.de>«
