[General Topics] Menneisyys:
UPDATE (06/03/2007):

In the meantime, I’ve been notified of a brand new, Wall-based project; pckDOS (current version: 0.63 001). To install it, just download pckDos_063_001.rar, decompress it and transfer the files inside it to anywhere on your PDA. Create a .lnk file to either pckVGA.exe to pck320.exe (for VGA and QVGA devices, respectively).

Unfortunately, it’s clearly worse than Wall’s version 2.0. While it does have VGA support, it’s even slower, has absolutely no sound emulation (not that that of Wall could be called satisfactory) and has no ways of quickly maximizing the SIP when possible (see “Left” on the D-pad with Wall 2.0 or clicking the upper left corner with n0p 0.63). At least the latter is a major problem; so are the traditional problems with Wall’s app (for example, messed-up characters in Legend Entertainment’s EGA games).

It’s very important to start pckDOS using a link; otherwise, you’ll have MAJOR SIP problems as can be seen in here. With Wall’s original 2.0 (or any other app), no such problems exist – that is, with them, you don’t need to put a link to the main executable in your Start menu.

All in all, this title is NOT recommended. Stick with Wall’s version 2 if the need for setting back the clock isn’t a problem because of (mostly) the maximizable SIP.

As far as MS Smartphone-compliance is concerned, the following needs to be known:

* n0p’s DOSBox 0.63 and the QVGA version of pckDOS 0.63 001 don’t even start on any SP platforms

* Wall’s 1.1 starts on QVGA devices (like the Vox) but has severe problems with text input: on the Vox, it’s impossible to enter characters that have a number of their secondary function

* The best is without doubt PocketDOS (tested with version 1.12): it has excellent text input capabilities using the numeric keypad of Smartphones and supports newer, higher-end QVGA devices (in both Portrait and Landscape mode), in addition to the traditional 176*220 screens (screenshots of the latter HERE and HERE - as can be seen, you can't expect much of the old, low-resolution Smartphone screens. Newer QVGA screens are WAY better.)

A screenshot of running the emulator on a new QVGA MS Smartphone (the HTC Vox) in Landscape mode:

(same, showing running Populous HERE)

Of course, it needs a LOT of learning because of the numerous input modes. This is only explained in the in-program help (screenshot) and, it seems, nowhere else. I’ve collected some of them so that you can have some idea how text input / cursor control work.

Main control:

Back	Backspace

Esc	Escape

Talk	Cycle 'zoom' modes

Home	Minimise PocketDOS

Vol Up/Down	Scroll display left/right

Right Softkey	Menu

Left Softkey	Switch input modes

Text Mode:

# (Hold): Select symbol

#: Space

* (Hold): Select text entry method

0-9: Text entry

*: Cycle text entry methods

This is about the third of the available modes / controls: there are a lot of others.

I haven’t had any problems with PocketDOS running on newer (QVGA) Smartphones, except for the inability to activate the menu – the right softkey just didn’t work on my HTC Vox (tested both of them). It, on the other hand, worked flawlessly on my older WM5 AKU3 176*220 HTC Oxygen.

As usual, in the meantime, I’ve received a lot of praising for the article; for example, HERE is a sticky request at HowardForums, one of the most lively mobile phone forums by forum regular Ago Vino Verita