ShapeShifter
| ShapeShifter | |
|---|---|
| Basic data
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| developer | Christian Bauer |
| Publishing year | March 29, 1995 (version 1.14) |
| Current version | 3.11 (January 25, 2001) |
| operating system | AmigaOS 2.1 |
| category | Virtualization |
| License | Shareware , freeware |
| shapeshifter.cebix.net | |
ShapeShifter is a virtual machine for Amiga computers with a 68k processor in order to be able to virtualize classic Mac OS on it. The program was programmed from 1993 by Christian Bauer, who made it available as shareware . The registered version was $ 50. In the last version from the beginning of 2001, ShapeShifter identified itself as freeware .
technology
ShapeShifter, which calls itself " Macintosh-II - Emulator ", runs on Amiga computers with 68k processors like the Amiga 1200 and has the following system requirements:
- AmigaOS 2.1 or newer
- 68020 processor or better ( Amiga 1200 , 3000 and 4000 )
- at least 4 MB RAM
- HD floppy disk drive recommended
- Macintosh -512 ‑ KB or ‑1 ‑ MB ROM
To Mac OS to be able to virtualize ShapeShifter is an original Macintosh ROM needed because this the Macintosh Toolbox ( English Macintosh Toolbox ) contains, without the Mac OS can not run. ShapeShifter contains the program SaveROMwith which the Macintosh ROM can be read from an original Macintosh computer. After that, System 7.1 to Mac OS 8.1 can be run virtualized.
ShapeShifter runs on every Amiga 1200, 3000 and 4000, but not on unmodified Amiga 500 and Amiga 2000 . There are various hardware upgrades (accelerator cards, RAM expansions, Kickstart ROMs ...) that make ShapeShifter run on the latter Amiga models. In addition, ShapeShifter runs on the DraCo, since the DraCo is an Amiga-compatible clone, from MacroSystem.
use
ShapeShifter made a very good impression on the Amiga. The virtualizer made it possible for Amiga users who purchased a Macintosh ROM (or who owned a Macintosh from which they could read and save the ROM) to use Macintosh programs on the Amiga. Since Apple offered System 7 versions 7.0 and 7.5.3 free to download, it wasn't even necessary to purchase Mac OS (as System 7 is called from version 7.6 ).
Succession
ShapeShifter is the forerunner of the emulators Basilisk II and SheepShaver , which were also programmed with the help of Christian Bauer and are available open source .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Review: Shapeshifter 3.4 by Christian Bauer (English), Jason Compton, Amiga Report, Edition 4.05 from March 31, 1996; accessed on May 28, 2016.
- ↑ Example of an assessment by a user: My first "Mac" was an Amiga , baltar, Heise-Forum, July 23, 2015; accessed on May 28, 2016.