PYC118@uriacc.uri.edu (FO Q) (02/24/91)
Due to several personal inquiries concerning hardware copiers I think a comparison of the two most popular such copiers will be of interest. Currently, the two hardware copiers available are the Supercard ($75-100 Utilities Unlimited) and the Syncro Express (Coast to Coast, $70). Although I personally own a Supercard a good friend of mine owns a Syncro and therefore I an able to more or less compare the two. The Supercard is a small thingamajig that plugs between the disk drive and the computer's drive port. It has a disable switch in case it isn't as transparent as you'd like it to be although I've never needed to use it. The AmigaWorld ads claim it to be 100% succesful in copying any ANY 3.5" media regardless of format. Well, not really. I was impressed that it would make a Mac-recognizable copy right off of DF0: but, alas, Word wouldn't load completely and it caused an SE into an irrecoverable crash. Still, no matter for to me it is only of importance whether it can copy Amiga disks (Although the claim of universal success is untrue right off the bat). Anyway, the Supercard copies just about all Amiga software. There are parameters for copy- ing especially difficult titles too, although sometimes these parameters were unsuccessful in copying games for which that very parameter was expressly written. In conclusion, I would say it copies about 85% of the titles out with varying degrees of difficulty and speed (most copies take 5 minutes, NOT 60 seconds as the ads imply). Specifically, it has an exceedingly hard time copying any ReadySoft titles (Dragon's Lair, Space Ace, etc.) and UbiSoft ones too. But everything else copies eventually. Finally, there are fairly inexpensive updates that come out regularly to deal with new copy protection schemes. The Syncro Express is much like the Supercard in concept. Except that there are no parameters and apparently no updates. However, the Syncro is marginally better at copying compared to the Supercard (Plus it's cheaper!). It is also much faster with the average copy taking around a minute and a half or so. I would recomend buying the Syncro in light of this but I must say that neither one copies everything. ReadySoft titles are impossible to copy (or nearly so) unless you have high density disks. And there are some games that just plain neither will copy as well as ones that will copy under one but not the other. Ok here comes the necessary disclaimer: I'm not a pirate and I discourage any net pirates from approaching me concerning pirate copies of my software. Likewise, any self-righteous preachers out there should know I'll most cheer- fully ignore any moralizing and/or chastisement. I will however gladly answer any further questions people have concerning these copiers. Thanx folx, Rasiel
cmw1725@tamsun.tamu.edu (Christopher Walton) (02/25/91)
Don't go out and buy one of these hardware copiers yet, the reviewer left out a major contender... XCOPY III/Cyclone... I feel that this is the best HW copier out right now, and it is cheeper to boot, I will post a review a bit later, so hold your horses... Christopher Walton cmw1725@tamsun.tamu.edu
colas@lemur.inria.fr (Colas Nahaboo) (02/25/91)
In article <45625@nigel.ee.udel.edu>, PYC118@uriacc.uri.edu (FO Q) writes: > Due to several personal inquiries concerning hardware copiers I think a > comparison of the two most popular such copiers will be of interest. Thanks for such an informative posting! I will add my experience on "Freeze-Frame" devices, such as Action Replay and Nordic Power. These devices allows you to take a "snapshot" of a running program, save them to disk and restart them + other goodies (gradual slowdown of the machine, autofire for joysticks). I will only speak of AR, since I do not know any NP owners (if you are, could you post a review?) I found out that these devices can be used to backup your software, with the added plus that since you dump your memory, chances are that your dump won't work on other people machines with different configs, so that it cant be used to spread disks. However it is I think invaluable for backuping software for archival copies. I was able to backup my copy of lemmings, which wasn't copied with synchro express. It is however tricky to use, since you must find the good spot where you can interrupt the program whithout disturbing it, and it can be a tricky process. Problems are that this card (A2000)/ cartridge (A500) ignores memory higher than 1 mega and HDs, so you cannot save only to floppies (slow), and you cannot save a game that has loaded in real fast ram. it does allow you to run programs in 512K, and save/restore quickly (~ 1 second) to the other 512K, which is a really handy feature. I think it is a mandatory buy for any amiga game player! So you can save your F19 flight during the missions, at the start of each Lotus esprit races, (now I have all the 15 levels saved, so I can re-play any of them) and go in slow motion in lemmings for precise timing (for digging for instance). A great performance/price ratio at ~ $120. It allows you to enjoy a game that was previously unplayable because the programmers were lazy enough not to code a "same game anywhere" option. DISCLAIMER: I am not a pirate, I use a computer at work, and life told me that you ALWAYS need to backup your disks. -- Colas Nahaboo, colas@sa.inria.fr, Bull Research, Koala Project, GWM X11 WM Phone:(33) 93.65.77.70(.66 Fax), INRIA, B.P.109 - 06561 Valbonne Cedex, FRANCE.
cmw1725@tamsun.tamu.edu (Christopher Walton) (02/26/91)
In article <1991Feb25.140458.7578@javelin.es.com> pashdown@javelin.sim.es.com writes: >Is this available in the states yet? Yes it is, sorry no more info for now, but I am real busy... I will post more later tonight... Christopher Walton cmw1725@tamsun.tamu.edu