QIMSI Gold - getting started

[Maskenlos]

Looks great!

How is the experience, sitting in front of the black brick and having all this features?

Have fun with the QIMSI Gold!

Stephan

[Peter]

Bloomin' marvellous! thanks for all the hints and tips!

I think I see a 65536 color screenshot in 1024x768 resolution.
This display mode is not officially supported, because it massively slows down the CPU.

If you only need 1024x768 but no highcolor, a fast mode is DISP_MODE 4.
A speed/color compromise would be the Aurora mode with 1024x768 at 256 color, DISP_MODE 5.

[Harbars]

So far - very nice indeed.

I do need to fiddle with the keyboard driver - although I'm not sure I'd use my external keyboard a great deal.

Very happy to finally be able to run SMSQ/E and front ends and not needing a variety of addons for video etc.

Many thanks for all your work on this

s.

Looks great!

How is the experience, sitting in front of the black brick and having all this features?

Have fun with the QIMSI Gold!

Stephan

[Harbars]

yup, i noted that in the manual, just playing around to see if this QL/E distribution would do it's thing, unlikely to be using it in anger at this resolution - indeed for many applications it would be counter productive anyway.

cheers
s.

I think I see a 65536 color screenshot in 1024x768 resolution.
This display mode is not officially supported, because it massively slows down the CPU.

If you only need 1024x768 but no highcolor, a fast mode is DISP_MODE 4.
A speed/color compromise would be the Aurora mode with 1024x768 at 256 color, DISP_MODE 5.

[bwinkel67]

Spending some time catching up on some 2024 YouTube retro videos, I saw this project for the Apple IIe on Action Retro and it eerily reminded me of QIMSI Gold, except that it uses an ESP32:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NT5fb6wR5M8

[Peter]

Ooops... I had hoped QIMSI Gold would come across as a miniaturized hardware artwork, not as a software emulator on a clumsy PCB.

[bwinkel67]

True, it's not art, but still kind of cool. I do get Sean's point that you are running it on actual Apple hardware since it's a card connected to the motherboard, even if, in essence, it's its own more powerful system and is really only using the keyboard and speaker of the Apple 2 (and yes the monitor, but that is separate to begin with). On the QL, the other cool thing this kind of device could provide is say, running and Amiga via WinUAE (or ESP32UAE since it has to run naively on that) and having AmigaOS reading, writing to microdives :-/

But I'm not suggesting anyone invest time in creating that. I was just surprised that the ESP32 was that powerful. I think I have one in my Retro Modem that I've hooked up to my QL's serial port. Didn't think it could also run Doom.

[Pepperm]

I have something similar but the text ends at after the PC.Clock like. I have a mouse plugged in. The QL's RGB output works too.

I think (hope) that I have a QIMSI Gold card but cant really tell. I have HDMI out and a small battery on the back of the board. Is this a Gold card?

[Peter]

I have something similar but the text ends at after the PC.Clock like. I have a mouse plugged in. The QL's RGB output works too.

If startup hangs there, mouse initialization fails. You will need a compatible mouse. Pure USB mice will not work.

I have HDMI out and a small battery on the back of the board. Is this a Gold card?

Yes. I surprised though that you don't seem to know what you have ordered.

[Pepperm]

Yes well I've had a lot on my mind of late, haven't got any younger and have struggled to get to play with the unit that I received in November. It doesn't say anything on the board. Sorry