So...does anyone use Slammer?

Ivan X

unread,

May 12, 2013, 2:17:07 PM5/12/13

to

I'll be totally up front and state that the purpose of this post is mostly about my ego needs.

But I am curious: Has anyone tried to use Slammer (http://appleii.ivanx.com/slammer) for anything? It's kind of my one Apple II project that I feel is somehow special or noteworthy. I remember thinking "man, if I'd only thought of this 30 years ago, this could actually have been really valuable to Apple II software developers".

I haven't ever gotten feedback from anyone that they've actually used Slammer, so perhaps it indeed was born too late. But even if that's the case, I'd still like to know if anyone has actually tried it out. (Also, it will help me gauge whether it's worth developing it any further, like an idea I had for creating a web-based version of Slaminator.)

So...does anyone use Slammer?

barrym95838

unread,

May 12, 2013, 3:21:39 PM5/12/13

to

On Sunday, May 12, 2013 11:17:07 AM UTC-7, Ivan X wrote:
> I'll be totally up front and state that the purpose of this post is mostly about my ego needs.
>

Hi, Ivan

I've never used it, but it looks pretty neat at first glance. I promise that I'll try it out soon, and get back to you on my impressions.

If you have the time, I would encourage you to continue development ... for your own enjoyment, if nothing else. I've been doing stuff like that for years, like posting different implementations on 99-bottles-of-beer.net, porting VTL-2 to the Apple 1, and writing a simulator for a custom 24-bit microprocessor (in 6502 assembly)!

I have two more microprocessor designs in the works: a 32-bit 'byte' version of the 6502, and a clean-sheet 10-bit 'byte' decimal one. I don't care who enjoys it; I do it to make my brain "feel good", and to slightly annoy my wife by not paying more attention to her ;-).

Mike

Antoine Vignau

unread,

May 12, 2013, 3:40:36 PM5/12/13

to

No, Ivan, I do not use Slammer.
That is not the kind of tool I use,
antoine

Ivan X

unread,

May 12, 2013, 6:40:54 PM5/12/13

to

Ha, that's because you make the tools*I* use.

Sheppy

unread,

May 12, 2013, 10:38:10 PM5/12/13

to

On 2013-05-12 18:17:07 +0000, Ivan X said:

> But I am curious: Has anyone tried to use Slammer
> (http://appleii.ivanx.com/slammer) for anything? It's kind of my one
> Apple II project that I feel is somehow special or noteworthy. I
> remember thinking "man, if I'd only thought of this 30 years ago, this
> could actually have been really valuable to Apple II software
> developers".

I haven't, yet, but that's because I haven't had a chance to do any
8-bit development recently. If/when I do, I totally expect that to be
on the list of tools I'll look seriously at working with, assuming my
project consists of BASIC and assembly code.

--

Eric Shepherd (Sheppy)
http://www.sheppyware.net

mmphosis

unread,

May 12, 2013, 11:54:39 PM5/12/13

to

Slammer has not gone unnoticed. It is technically interesting, kind of
cool, but sorry not using Slammer.

bloomer_au

unread,

May 13, 2013, 11:05:43 AM5/13/13

to

On Monday, May 13, 2013 4:17:07 AM UTC+10, Ivan X wrote:
> I'll be totally up front and state that the purpose of this post is mostly about my ego needs.
>
>
>
> But I am curious: Has anyone tried to use Slammer (http://appleii.ivanx.com/slammer) for anything? It's kind of my one Apple II project that I feel is somehow special or noteworthy. I remember thinking "man, if I'd only thought of this 30 years ago, this could actually have been really valuable to Apple II software developers".

Maybe up to 20 years for me :)

I was still prolific in making Apple II games until 1996. And I felt I still learned new techniques on each one, and Slammer would have been another technique I would have added.

Today, usually when I program on the II, it's either something really small that I throw together in Applesoft, or something gigantic (E.G. Leadlight) which is already committed to so many Apple II programming systems and tools that there isn't room or need for a new one I'd need to check against all the others first. That said, if I program a mid-sized game in future, I would look into using Slammer. But now that my output rate is now about 0.2 Apple II games per year, it just hasn't come up yet.

- Wade

Ivan X

unread,

May 20, 2013, 10:04:22 AM5/20/13

to

Thanks for all the responses here; I appreciate your taking the time. It's both intriguing and helpful. I think that it's basically right that I will continue to develop Slammer for my own satisfaction first, as we all do with our Apple II projects, and hope that if it happens to be useful for others, then great. And in this case, it's for a niche within a niche. (I could develop iOS tools instead, but then I don't get to figure out clever ways to use the 6502 V flag.)

D Finnigan

unread,

May 21, 2013, 2:01:21 PM5/21/13

to

Ivan X wrote:
> On Sunday, May 12, 2013 2:17:07 PM UTC-4, Ivan X wrote:
>>
>> So...does anyone use Slammer?
>
> Thanks for all the responses here; I appreciate your taking the time. It's
> both intriguing and helpful. I think that it's basically right that I will
> continue to develop Slammer for my own satisfaction first, as we all do
> with our Apple II projects, and hope that if it happens to be useful for
> others, then great.

Think of it this way: even if no one today is using your program, at least
it now exists so that someone in the future could make use of it.