Show me the Open-Apple!

Yes, there is a new release — finally. The new code includes a completely redone display engine. The new display should give the same or better performance in display and scrolling. More importantly, the new display should work correctly on Leopard (the previous release did not) and should handle resolution independence.

What else has changed?

1. The interface has gone minimal. The Action Palette is gone in favor of an Action drawer which you can toggle on when you need it.

2. Scaling is no longer an option. Scaling can really slow things down in a major way, so it’s gone for now (but I’m still researching how I can increase the display size w/o too much of a performance hit).

3. Color preferences changed to be a bit more WYSIWYG.

4. Under Preferences > ProDOS paths, Deja IIx now looks for AppleWorks folders and provides a complete list (great if you’ve got multiple). No more typing in paths to change which AppleWorks folder you want.

The newest download can be had at Version 2.0 (A16).

RSS feed reminder

One of the reasons for using a blog is that you can subscribe to the RSS feed.

If you use an RSS feed reader, you can either use the link at the bottom of the right column, or if you’re using Safari, by clicking on the RSS button in address bar.

Rebel Teenager?

Deja IIx has reached that rebel teenager stage (although it probably started earlier and I just wasn’t paying attention).

This quick fix resolves a crash on setting up the debugger window at launch, especially under 10.3.9.

The newest download can be had at Version 2.0 (A15).

IMPORTANT: I am *considering* bumping the OS requirements to 10.4 to take advantage of some newer APIs and reduce testing requirements. Your feedback is appreciated. Are you still using 10.3.9? Planning to move to either 10.4/10.5 or not? Let me know.

Warming up!

Ok, it’s been a while since I’ve posted anything new. I decided I needed some warm up exercises before I tried to do any heavy lifting.

This release features some modest changes, undoing some of the last changes made (which I ended up no liking very much). The debugger window explosion has been tamed, consolidating back to a single debugger window + memory windows.

I am also starting some experimentation on improving the display.

The newest download can be had at Version 2.0 (A14).

New Domain!

Yes, I am slowly getting things back on track for Deja IIx, starting with a new domain!

DejaIIx.com is the new home for the Deja IIx project.
The main URL takes you to the blog for now, will probably change that over time.

The latest download can be had at Version 2.0 (A13).
Note: This is still very alpha.

A new location for files

Deja IIx hasn’t seen much action lately, as I’m finishing up the last bits in preparation for Macworld next week.

I moved some domains around and that caused the links to no longer work.

I moved the files to a new location and updated the blog to reflect those changes. In the process, I also removed some of the links to older releases.

After Macworld is done (and I’ve had a chance to recover), I’ll get a chance to do some additional clean up work. Stay tuned.

If today() <= Jan 2007, then yieldToMainThread()

I’m in the midst of preparations for Macworld 2007, a huge deal in terms of exposure, product development, and most importantly money spent.

All my energies are currently being applied to preparation for the show. I’ve got two development projects I’m trying to finish up so that they are ready come Macworld.

As such, Deja IIx development is on hold until after Macworld is complete so that all my time and energies can be spent in making it a successful show. Once the pressure of the show is gone, I can begin to look at the project again.

Thanks for your continued support.

Note: I have the previous release on the server, so if you do have issues with a13, you can drop back to a12.

Lucky Thirteen

I realized that I’ve been sitting on the clipboard conversion code for some time. I apparently put the code in right after I posted a12 and then thought that it was actually part of a12. So here is a new version that includes clipboard conversion support.

What’s New:

  • manual clipboard conversion support for Mac <-> AppleWorks
    (sorry no auto conversions yet)
  • a new actions palette
  • improved save screen handling (Ultra Debugger)
  • support for an illegal Prodos (but legal Mac) name in path for /*/
  • additional cleanup on the Mac specific dot commands

New Version: Version 2.0a13

Get Ready, Set, QA

I’ve been busy with other ongoing projects, so Deja IIx hasn’t received as much attention as I would like, but the effort does continue.

That said, I’d like you to start building a list of issues you’ve run into with Release 2.0a12.

With this information, I can start tracking the remaining issues. I’d also like to get a sense of the importance of some of the missing functionality.

If You Would Prefer


Deja IIx now has a revamped set of preferences. They are categorized into four main groups (General, Display, ProDOS Paths, and Debug).

General is the “other” bucket for preference options that don’t fit into a specific category.

Display is for preferences related to the colors, sizing and opacity of the Apple II “screen”.

ProDOS Paths allows you to specify where your AppleWorks files should reside as well as defining ProDOS Labels, a cool feature that allows you to use the Mac file system’s deep file hierarchy within ProDOS.

Finally, Debug provides the options for debugging the emulator.

All of these are subject to change as we move along. Some of the features, such as Scale Factor, may come out differently as I pursue different approaches to handling the Apple II display.