Hello From France

[djouniot]

Hello,

I am a new member (really interested by the Q68 card .
I am an ealry user of the QL. I go directlyin england buy my QL from France directly in 84 (19 year old at this moment). That was not so easy as today !!
Theorically, it is always functional. I have modified it with a real keyboard (kit buy in 90) and with floppy disk. I drop the original box and put it in a metalic box (in fact a little medical cupboard).
Then I stop to use it when Linux arrive (don't troll, please).
I have, on my QL, The Metacomaco assembler, C, MicroAPL, SuperForth, TK2-EXT, etc. (and a lot of thinks, I think they are now lost, microdriev and floppy disk never stay thos long).

One question turn in my head. We find easely some QL emulators, but why nobody has rewrite the SuperBasic to adapt it to modern OS (like Linux or Windows) ? This was a really good Basic, with lot of interesting point.

Best regards
Dominique

[RWAP]

Welcome Dominique.

If you have the MicroAPL - is it the keyword or symbolic version (the symbolic version needs to be uploaded to Dilwyn's site as both are now freeware).

We also need the manual scanning in if possible...

It would be interesting to know what other software you might have - you would be surprised at how well the microdrive cartridges (once refelted) and disks survive the years!

[vanpeebles]

A very warm welcome to the forum!

[djouniot]

Hello Rich,

I have the version with the rom catridge. this version needs a specifi keyboard (APL). I had to stick paper on my classic keyboard.
When i go to the country house, I will check the softwares, documents and try to scan what is possible. I'll try my microdrive and floppy disk too.

Best regards
Dominique

[NormanDunbar]

Hi Dominique,

Watch out that the tiny foam pads on the microdrive cartridges have not deteriorated. If they have, and you try to use them, you may damage them with little hope of recovery.

I believe new pads are available.


Cheers,
Norm.

[stevepoole]

Hi,
Bienvenu au QL Forum Dominique !
BTW, does anyone know if any French QL groups still exist ?
I haven't seen any such activity of late.
There was a very active group, working with azerty keyboards in the early days.
(I worked on projects with Bruno Coativy for some years).
There is good software in the group, mostly copyrighted.
Il y a du pain sur la planche !
Steve.

[djouniot]

Hello Norman, Steve,

About Microdrive, I will take a look and attention to your remark. Hope They are not too damaged. The only problem, the country house is not so well "protected" (by exemple in winter, temperature can decrease a bit). I don't know the state of all that. I am preatty sure the QL is OK.

To Steve. Honestly I don't know if a QL club still exist in France. I was an active member of this club until 1994/95. We had a lot of real interesting exchange. But, the QL ecosystem was decreasing really fast, and all my projects were turned too "Current Technology". As i want to resist to MS Windows, I am more fan of Linux. I found on it a big part of the applications I use on the QL. My biggest regrets was SuperBasic. All the other Basic were realy boring (and VBA is not Basic). In 1999 I start with Python (In fact, all was better than PHP !!!). I am not a Dev, more consultant (in security and acrchitecture), but I like study programming language : I maintain skill in Forth (Love this one), J (evolution of APL), C, some old Asm (Z80, 68k and Saturn for my HP48SX). During my period in the club, I has follow the developpement of SMS/QE. We had some discussion with T.Tebby about some part of the OS like his Mutex and TAS impelmentation. Since I test regularly the evolution of SMS/QE. I don't know exactly what we can do today with it ! (This could be an interesting subject to analyse usage of this OS, in the actual context).

As I ask before, I never found someone on internet who try to developp a Superbasic (equivalent) for other OS. Perhaps it is not really possible (SuperBasic is, for some part, mixed with the QDOS), but this is a projet i look since many times (but i am too occupied t do it).

Best regards
Dominique

[stevepoole]

Hi Dominique,
I am not quite sure from your reply if you know of the 'QPC2' Emulator for running SMSQ on PCs ?
I have been using it for many years now. It is downloadable free and is exceptionally stable and fast.
There is also QEMulator which I do not have, but which many use.
With 'C68' you can try 'C' programming too.
Hope this helps...
Bien Cordialement,
Steve Poole.

[djouniot]

Hi Steve ,

I know very well QPC2. I use the MAC version. I tried some other, but This one in last version is well.
I use to C68.
Emulators are good product to keep in contact, but i don't find again the feeling of my original one.

Best regards
Dominique

[djouniot]

Hello,
I went to my country house, and mde some "archeology". The QL (in is state) seems not to degraded. but i ma not immedialty able to restart it. I have no monitor to accept the video (antena or monitor!).
First question, I am pretty sure that this point has been evoced on this forum : does exist a way to then the video signal to a modern VGA or XGA monitor ?

My QL is equiped with a Trump Card, a double floppy driver, i keep my microdrive (and have three more form my Spectrum). I have lot of microdrive (and i am not sure they are good, they stay in a cellar without temperature control. Hopefully, they were all backuped on floppy. I don't know the status !! Then second question, before testing the QL, is it possible to read TRUMP CARD formated floppy disk on a modern PC (with a floppy driver) (by example a dd undier linux) and wich transformation to create an image readable by an emulator like QPC2 ?

If some work, i have some program from QLCF (QL club form in France between 86 to 93), program form the Sweden QL club and Belgium QL club, I have (with licence number) form METACOMCO : ASM, LISP, C. MicroAPL, Smalltak (Open source fork), Solution (PC emulation on QL), Pascal and Fortran Prospero. Some games (i must read the floppy to see). Publisher, personnal finances software.

If someone has an idea to save all that (perhaps some are on the database of the forum, but i think not all). I find back some books (in french sorry) : "Au coeur du QL, Besle", "Le désassemblage de la ROM du QL, de Bursac", Some number of the QLCF INFORMA magazin, QL users (some numbers). If some of you look for specific points I can make some scan.

QLCF in time had produced a complete harware plan of the QL. I don't know the quality, perhaps this may help. Say if you think this could have some interest i will try some scan.

Best regards
Dominique