42 views and not a single reply yet - that says something 😁

Well, those 42 views didn't come out of thin air. However I have noticed noone has posted here much except me for the last two days.

This section of the forum isn't the most active, but there is loads of activity in other parts.

I assume that most VOGONS users have at least one retro computer that is capable of running a few, if not most, DOS games (compatibility varies, of course) without the need of emulation.

Maybe we are all working on other projects... or have other stuff we have to take care of.

I though that the DOSBox section was one of the most active ones here. VOGONS means "Very Old Games On New Systems" but things have changed thru the years.

@vetz: which part of the forum is the most active according to you?
@dormcat: do you know of any online retro-computer building communities?
@cyclone3d: just out curiosity, what are your other projects?
@Gmlb256: isn't every section here about DOSBox in some way?

Hmmm, it seems I got a thread started here.... Yay!

I just browse through the active topics and if I see something interesting I head over... regardless of where said thread is located (that's how I found this thread in the first place).

It's the calm before the storm.... pending new MS OS release and all that damage that does to DOSbox operating flawlessly. 🤣

What are we wanting, new features? ST-512 hard disk mode where it pauses 3 seconds before displaying a directory listing then prints it to screen at about 25 char per sec while making wheep-whoop head thrash noises.

@BitWranger:
I remember those old noisy harddrives! 🤣 - Computers were sooo slow. Especially the media the data was stored on!

Peter Swinkels wrote on 2021-09-13, 14:24:

@BitWranger:
I remember those old noisy harddrives! 🤣 - Computers were sooo slow. Especially the media the data was stored on!

Slow now, but perfectly fast back then 😁

"Whoa! I can't believe it loaded my whole 64kB program in under 30 seconds, it used to take 5 minutes off tape!"

@anders: upgrading to a pc with a ssd was a revelation for me...
@bitwrangler: my computer has color graphics, a harddisk and a mouse? Whoa!

Peter Swinkels wrote on 2021-09-13, 14:12:

@dormcat: do you know of any online retro-computer building communities?

Besides here? Not exactly.

If you check my older posts you'd find me often whine complain about the lack of local communities of retro computing, even though the majority of MBs of 1990's and CPU/GPU nowadays were made in Taiwan in my hometown next to my BS alma mater.

I really want to have something like the recent Vintage Computer Festival Midwest locally but organizing one would be extremely difficult (sigh).

Peter Swinkels wrote on 2021-09-13, 14:12:

isn't every section here about DOSBox in some way?

Well, I see this section to have slowed down recently. I occasionally see new threads when one asks about certain programs to work on DOSBox correctly.

Perhaps it has to do with sites such as PCGamingWiki? Many sites related to old games always have instructions to run games with DOSBox or a source port.

There are other section related to emulation but they're much less active in comparison to this.

Peter Swinkels wrote on 2021-09-13, 14:37:

@anders: upgrading to a pc with an sdd was a revelation for me...
@bitwrangler: my computer has color graphics, a harddisk and a mouse? Whoa!

I used ram as a "harddrive" before solid state disks became commonplace.
1) create a mirror of physical harddrive and ramdisk + install operating system
2) reboot and rebuild the now broken mirror (i.e. put content back on ramdisk)
3) bring physical harddrive offline
4) enjoy the full speed
5) take physical harddrive online and resync the mirror before shutdown

Peter Swinkels wrote on 2021-09-13, 14:37:

upgrading to a pc with an sdd was a revelation for me...

That's was the most meaningful and relevant upgrade that I've ever seen in general as HDD was the most slowest component on a computer.

I dropped my ram....after it bit me.

Edit: It's 4:14 so I thought I'd better post some nonsense.

Caluser2000 wrote on 2021-09-13, 16:08:

I dropped my ram....after it bit me.

Edit: It's 4:14 so I thought I'd better post some nonsense.

No wonder it bit you! You have to treat your animals with some care... 😁