Antique computer games

Thema Allgemein | Karl Geiger | Kommentieren 19/04/2010 | 22:11

Fallout small I am a great fan of antique computer games. Those from an era when most computers didn’t have separate graphics cards, and when you were the envy of all when you had a Voodoo card. Remember Baldur’s Gate? Icewind Dale? Myth (not Myst!)? Wing Commander III?

However, the best of these was Fallout (and its sequel, Fallout 2). Now the Mac OS X versions of these beauties haven’t been running for a long time on modern Macs, but there is a way to get Fallout to run in Windows Vista and 7 – and, thanks to Parallels, on the Mac as well. Since Fallout is ancient, it runs only with 256 colours (8 bit) in 640×480. And in Vista / Windows 7, the colours are pretty messed up.

To play the games, you’ll net to get timeslip’s Fallout 1 extension in version 1.18e here. This only works with a US 1.02 release of Fallout (which can be found as part of the so-called “Blood patch” here… it gets rid of any violence-level-limits imposed on some localised versions of Fallout, too). For Fallout 2, use version 1.29d, available here. The extensions also add some additional capabilities such as mouse wheel scroll in the inventory, play-in-a-window, and more.

Enjoy!



London’s going to the pots

Thema Allgemein | Karl Geiger | Kommentieren 28/03/2010 | 09:34

Report a pot hole Whenever I visit London these days I’m surprised at the grittiness that appears to have taken hold over London life. Panhandlers & Potholes, that’s what it boils down to. While the hotels still have shiny lobbies and beautiful doors, the receptionists are tired, the flowers have wilted, and the hotels are overbooked anyway so you end up in a basement room 50 yards down the street.

The roads are not in very good shape. To avoid the panhandler who’s waving his tin cup under your nose, you have to jump into the street, and chances are you’ll end up in a pot hole filled with oily water. Taxi drivers need to think about adding extra layers of suspension to their cabs as the ride can be quite unpleasant.

Trash is in the street, being blown this way and that, in front of Tiffany’s in Sloane Square, and half the underground lines don’t run, either because there’s a strike going on or because one of the cars has derailed.

In short, London is beginning to remind me of that other favourite city of mine, New York as it was back in the late Eighties, when the mayor was Ed Koch, and “Save water – shower with a friend” posters showed him and the police chief together behind the shower curtain.

So take an extra cushion and don’t forget your wellies when visiting London this year.



IE 8 and popup woes: fix

Thema Allgemein | Karl Geiger | Kommentieren 20/03/2010 | 14:54

I’m running Windows 7 via Parallels on my MBAir. For some reason IE 8 started to misbehave recently: Certain links just wouldn’t work. These were links that tried to open a new window, usually a pop-up, via JavaScript. IE tells me that a script error occurred, and that it is “No such interface supported”.

The solution (again, Google, not Bing was my friend): There’s a collection of scripts that re-register all dlls for the various IE 8 versions in the registry. Get the scripts here: iefaq.info/index.php?action=artikel&cat=42&id=133&artlang=en. Applying the script fixed my problem.



iPad woes.

Thema Allgemein | Karl Geiger | Ein Kommentar 30/01/2010 | 12:01

So the iPad is here. I still have a Newton and I love portable devices so why do I feel not only let down, but actually bothered?

Letdown

This is the letdown: From the looks of it the iPad is essentially an iPod on steroids. (The Economist calls it an iPhone on steroids but the iPad doesn’t make calls.) It’s smaller than a standard netbook which is great; it’s also not much prettier than a standard netbook which is not so great. And even though I understand that the iPad has this black bezel around its screen to prevent the users’ fingers from touching the screen as they push the iPad around in their lap when typing, I find it oooog-ly. (Google Spider: That spells “ugly”.) Essentially I feel let down because there is nothing new here. (And I’m not tempted by the books. I vastly prefer a thick paperback when I’m on a plane to a device that I can’t use because it’s run out of juice, or because the airline company has kindly ordered me to shut it down as it’s 10 minutes to landing).

I really feel let down by:

  No multitasking. I can’t listen to internet radio when I write an email.

  No file access. Whatever I am working on, I have no clue where those files are stored on the system and whether I’ll be able to access them at all. For instance, photo sync on an iPhone is via iPhoto on a Mac. Sync settings are cumbersome to get to. No drag and drop. Very complex and ultimately a joy killer.

  No customization. Well, there’s a little – I can re-arrange the icons on the home screen and change the background image. But I can’t even change the buny “reminder” sound for a calendar entry.

Others are bothered by other things (cf. Gizmodo’s list of things that suck about the iPad).

But what I’m really bothered about is who has control over my device.

Bother: Total Apple control.

Today we have an iTunes Music Store (which incorporates a Video Store), an App Store, and we’ll have a Book Store soon (presumably incorporating the News Store); for file synchronisation, email, online calendar etc we have me.com. I’m beginning to wonder when we’ll have a Search Store, a Photo Store, a File Store. Everything on the modern iDevices (iPod, iPhone, iPad as iPposed to iBook and iMac) is at the mercy of Apple. If Apple decrees a particular piece of software unworthy, it will not happen.

For example, this is happening with Flash support. There’s just no way for an independent developer – or for Adobe – to develop Flash for the iPad if Apple doesn’t like it. For whatever reason. Maybe because Steve’s digestion wasn’t good that morning. I’m no great fan of Flash but I don’t want to wait for Apple and Adobe fo finish comparing the size of their dicks.

I love my Mac for various reasons, one of which is that I own it. It’s mine. I can do with it what I want, including install another OS on it.

The iPad – as the iPhone – feels like someting borrowed from the public library: I can use it but I don’t really own it. Only in this case the public libary isn’t public at all.

This is getting a bit scary. So for the moment at least, count me out as regards the iPad.

 

(Und det habick nu wieda allet uff Englisch jeschriehm weil Guhgl det sonst ja imma noch nich lesen kann.)



Parallels 5 vs Fusion 3.01

Thema Allgemein | Karl Geiger | Kommentieren 12/12/2009 | 11:28

When VMWare released the Fusion 3.01 update on December 10, claiming an up to 80% speed increase of the virtualized graphics over version 3.0, I decided to test it against Parallels 5.

 

Both virtualizers support Windows 7 and Aero, and both virtualizers claim that you can run Windows games on them.

 

I’m running a late 2008 MacBook Air, 2 Gig ram, Nvidia 9400 shared-memory graphics card (which leaves me with 1.75 Gig to for applications, OS, etc).

 

I normally use Parallels 5, the VM is running in Full Screen, SmartMouse is off, and I am using a Realtek AC’97 sound driver as the AMD sound driver delivered by Parallels really sucks. The VM has 768 Mb of memory and runs Windows 7. I assigned it 1 core.

 

To run Fusion, I de-installed all Parallels components and imported the Parallels virtual machine into Fusion. Once that was complete, I de-installed the Parallels tools on that machine and installed the VMWare tools. I ran the VM in Full Screen, optimized the mouse for games, set the machine not to check for upgrades. The VM has 1,024 MB of memory and runs Windows 7. I assigned it 1 core.

 

First impressions:

The display in the Fusion VM kept flickering, I got many odd visual artefacts especially after system boot, the desktop kept redrawing. This got better once I disabled the Fusion tools service (but that left me without copy and paste between OSs). Parallels’ display, while also showing an occasional black bar, is somewhat more stable.

Both VMs hog an incredible amount of wired memory (about 1.45 Gigs of wired memory for the VM), but switching between Mac and Windows is faster and smoother with Fusion. All regular Windows apps (Office, Live Writer etc) run as expected.

Sometimes Fusion seems to be waiting for data to load from the disk; once it has all of them, it plays “catching up” – animations sometimes speed up dramatically for a second or so before reverting to regular speeds.

 

Windows Experience Index

  Parallels: 2.9 (based on the Aero Score) – Processor 3.8, RAM 3.9, Aero 2.9, Graphics (Games) 3.6, HD 4.5

  Fusion: 3.1 (based on the Aero Score)  - Processor 3.7, RAM 4.5, Aero 4.1, Graphics (Games) 3.4, HD 4.7

 

Games:

I have a bunch of somewhat older games that I bought to try out on Parallels – my VM is somewhat weak and slow, and old games are to be had at bargain prices. Every single one of them is working in Parallels; of the three games I tested in Fusion only Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War ran as expected. Icewind Dale (a very old Black Isle title) couldn’t do OpenGL in Fusion, and running it without OpenGL forced Windows to turn off Aero. In Parallels, it runs just fine, including OpenGL. Star Wars: Republic Commando runs quite well in Parallels (only turning on Team Shadows crashes the game), while it doesn’t run at all in Fusion (it crashes past the loading screen).

 

My conclusion: I removed Fusion from my Mac and will stick with Parallels. Maybe in a year or so…?

 

(Und det habick nu allet uff Englisch jeschriehm weil Guhgl det sonst ja mal ja nich lesen kann. N bischen Ess Ieh Oh mussick ja ooch mal betreihm.)



Sumpf.

Thema Allgemein | Karl Geiger | Kommentieren 30/08/2009 | 15:13

Also neulich binnick von Chicago nach Toronto jefahn. (Die umjekeahte Strecke hattick drei Tage vorhea hinta mich jebracht.) Mohngs um achte binnick los in Chicago und um fümwe war ick da, also in Toronto, wobei det ne Stunde Zeitfaschiebung hat. Ick bin in Chicago einmal uff die eine Straße jefahn, dann musstick einmal links abbiejen, 8 Stunden wahtn und hin und wieda n Auto übaholn und dann warick in Toronto am Flughafen. Det war schon öhngdwie komisch, voa allem, weilet voll heiß war, also so etwa 40 Grad und fies luftfeucht. Mohngs in Chicago waret schön, so anna Skyline vorbeifahn, dann kommtet, der Süden von Chicago, links die Neja, rechts die Iahn, die sich wohl nich so grün sind, det is ja ooch die Fahbe dea Iahn, und weswejen eina von den Böhgameestan, wat in Chicago ja n erblichet Amt is, ehm die Autobahn zwischen die beeden Viertel jebaut hat, damit se sich nich so nahekomm, die Neja und die Iahn. Na jehnfalls wenn man da weitafäaht, kann man sehn, wieso det da südlich von Chicago Rust Belt heißt, weil da übaall Fabriken und Gießereien und wat weeß ick wat für Hüllen der Schweaindustrie rumstehn, aba ehmt leer, kaputte Fensta, umjefallne Schornsteine, richtije Wracks. Sieht schick aus im Mohrnglicht, aba ick möchte da nich so wirlich jerne wohn.

Na und denne komm Bäume, Wiesen, hin und wieda n Sumpf oda n Feld und nochn paar Bäume d.c. al fine (det fine kommt ehmt etwa siehm Stunden späta). Imma uffe Autobahn, an derse übaall rumbauen und stolz Schilda uffstelln, wo druffsteht, dass det janze vom Steuazahla bezahlt wird mit dem American Recovery Act oda so. Also ick hätte ja den Voaschlag, dass sie ooch ma n bisschen Jeld in die Eisenbahn stecken – mit dem Auto von Toronto nach Chicago dauat, naja, mit Stau und Grenze, vielleicht so zehn Stunden, man dahf ja nu ooch nich besondas schnell fahn; mit dea Eisenbahn dauat det etwa 16 Stunden (ohne die Wahtezeiten beim Umsteijen).

Denne kommt Detroit und damit dann och die Grenze. Beim Rausfahn aus USA jing det so. Schlangen wie wennwa früha von Berlin zu Oma wollten im Transit. Dea Kanadia hat sich den Pass anjesehen und mich durchjewunken, det jing janz jut, war nur zu heiß. Aba drei Tage vorhea, also als ick rin wollte nach USA, det war schlimm. Also wennwa früha ma inn Osten wollten, dann kam wa da in so Zimma, die wahn etwa so jemütlich wie det Kabuff, in dem die Amis ihre Gäste heute empfangen. Der Ami, bei dem ick vorfuhr, wollte wissen, wat det fürn Pass sei, den ick ihm jejehm hatte – German Democratic Republic oda Federal Republic of Germany? Ick hab ihm dann erzählt, dass die DDR vor 20 Jahn implodiert is und det det Land nich meah gibt. Da wara fadutzt. Ick ooch. Naja, der Kolleje war noch janz schön jung, vielleicht hatta dette damals nich mitjekricht und dann hattet ihm wahscheinlich ooch keena azählt. Oda der Computa, in dener meen Pass rinjesteckt hatte, braucht n Update. Seit 20 Jahn. Dann ham se mich jehnfalls in iah komischet Kabuff jeschickt, wo lauta Leute rumhäng und uffn Stück Papier wahtn, mit dem se dann weitafahn könn. Jeda hat ne Jeschichte – dea eene hat keen Pass, aba ne Mutta, die in USA wohnt. Die zweete hat ooch keen Pass, weilse mit Kumpeln untawegs is und die ham doch welche, det muss doch reichen. Und so weita. Det hat noch mal ne Stunde jedauat da in den Kabuff. Dea Ton wa aba noch schärfa als damals im Osten: “Sir! Could you please remove your hand from your pocket, Sir!” Alta Schwede. Wie im Knast. Die ham echt ne Macke. Da wahn die Kanadia dann schon deutlich entspannta.

Hinta dea Grenze dann in Kanada jibtet nich mal meah Bäume, nur noch Sumpf oda Feld oda Wiese. Die nächste Raststätte ist 273 km weita, wie eim n Schild azählt. Det janze fühlt sich etwa wie die Po-Ebene an. Riecht ooch ähnlich. Und im Radio jibtet n italienischen Senda. Jibt nur keen Po. Und den Espresso konntick nöhngdwo koofn weil jab ja nüscht, wo man koofn kann.

Blöd beim Fahn is, dass man nich besondas schnell fahn kan, weil übaall mit Radar jekiekt wird, dassde nich schnella als 120 (USA) bzw. 100 (Kanada) fäahst. Zum Glück hatte det Auto n Tempomat. Da dann alle fast gleich schnell fahn, dauat einmal übaholn etwa ne halbe Stunde. Außa det isn Lasta. Da jehtet schnella. Manche ham ooch keen Bock, links zu übaholen, die fahn dann rechts an eim vorbei, macht ja ooch nüscht. Oda man übaholt noch schnell und dann aba hurtich rechts raus in die Ausfaht. Ooch nich schlecht.

Naja, also det war schon ne janz interessante Faht, und meem Bruda jehtet ooch jut, aba jehn Tach muss ick sone Faht ooch nich machen.



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