Fun500 Brandon Cornell
I started Fun500 in 2005 with a simple goal, to make a new DOS Shell for a 386 I had. Since then I've lost the 386, but I've gained a lot of programming knowledge though the various versions. The latest version can multi-task, manage files, view text files, and launch DOS applications.
Awards
2nd Place GUI Awards 2005 - Fun500 1
1st Place GUI Awards 2007 - Fun500 3
2nd Place GUI Awards 2007 - Fun500 2007 Gold
2nd Place GUI Awards 2008 - Fun500 4
GUI of the Month Apr. 2010 - Fun500
Downloads
2005 -64 Downloads
2005 Bronze -41 Downloads
2005 Silver -40 Downloads
1.00 -42 Downloads
2.0 -42 Downloads
3 -43 Downloads
4 -41 Downloads
Fun500 5.1.1 Gold -49 Downloads
Fun500 2007 Gold -48 Downloads
6 Gold -97 Downloads
6 -56 Downloads
6.1 -21 Downloads
6.2.1 -53 Downloads
| News | Fun500 6.2.1 by Brandon | 2010-07-11 09:22:41 | I updated FCQML to version 1.1 (added support for a couple missing things), as well as removed the old boot screen and added a QML quick start guide in it's place, and fixed a bug with file dialogs.
6.2.1 | | Comments | Fun500 6.2 by Brandon | 2010-07-10 17:55:13 | Yeah that's right, it's been under a week! Included are SVGA graphics, a QML Browser, and just for Horvat: a calculator with bigger buttons.
NOTE: QML uses WGET for DOS, you need a packet driver.
6.2
 | | Comments | Progress! by Brandon | 2010-07-09 22:21:01 | | I have added SVGA support, all that's left with it is the configuration tools. I also have almost finished a QML browser, so this next release should be pretty exciting. | | Comments | Fun500 6.1 by Brandon | 2010-07-07 20:33:16 | It's finally here, the latest Fun500. It's a FreeBASIC port of 6 with a some bug fixes and upgrades.
6.1
   | | Comments | Some Progress by Brandon | 2010-07-05 20:47:57 | | I worked on "Speed", FM and file dialogs now work, I need to fix the text editor and I could release a new version. | | Comments |
Screenshots
     
Reviews
 Version: 6.0/6.0 Gold | Reviewer: HorvatM | Pros: * Multiple windows at the same time. Finally.
* A small yet clear monospaced font.
* As with the previous version, the clock.
* Customizable just as 5.x.
* Can launch DOS applications.
* The Gold version elegantly implements compatibility with 5.x apps, allowing outside developers to make their own applications (that unfortunately cannot be multitasked) with the easy to use 5.x SDK.
* Source included, for those who want it.
* Fast window redrawing, partially thanks to my font routine optimizations. The only thing that slows it down is the picture in the About window, however you won't usually have that open so it's not such a problem.
Cons: * Only built-in applications can be multitasked.
* There are limits to how many instances of a certain application you can have open; 2 windows of Text and FM each, and 1 window for other apps. Strangely, you can have an unlimited number of "5 menu" apps open, up to the global limit of 10 windows. Probably a coding oversight.
* The functionality is somewhat lacking. Without third-party apps, it is currently only useful for reading text files (up to 2 at once) and doing simple calculations and file management.
* Can't switch drives in the File Manager and file dialogs. That means you can't easily open files you have stored on volumes other than the one Fun500 is installed on.
* The startup screen forces you to press a key to proceed to the desktop - you can't click the mouse. In case you forgot to load your mouse driver you can still quit Fun500 by pressing a key, then typing Esc and Y to quit. You can also disable the startup screen altogether.
Other: * As listed in the About window, I (Matej Horvat) did optimizations to the font loading and drawing routines (which can be found in the source almost unchanged) and tested the prealpha and release candidate versions so they could be debugged. | | Version: 6.2 | Reviewer: HorvatM | Pros: * The new QML browser, which can have up to 4 windows open at once.
* The calculator has buttons twice the size of the previous versions.
* Now supports resolutions up to 1280*1024, in 16-bit color. This means that you can see all your windows at once!
Cons: * Drive switching in FM still doesn't work for me.
* When you have a QML window open, or more of them, the windows redraw very slowly when you move or close them. Surely at least the ones that take a long time to redraw could be saved into memory, or to disk? Of course on today's machines everything is lightning fast, but Fun500 appears to be aimed at older machines too.
* There doesn't appear to be any advantage to using 8-bit or 16-bit color, because QML pages are 4-bit color, the Config app is 4-bit color, and the F5I icon format is 4-bit color.
* The splash screen still forces you to press a key, but let's forget that for a minute. It always displays in 640*480 (probably in 4-bit color as well), so the display will change resolutions twice, even if your resolution is 640*480. As always, you can disable it.
* The SVGA modes did not work for me outside DOSBox, but even inside DOSBox, the 1280*1024 mode didn't work - it crashed DOSBox to text mode. I'm sure it's just my configuration, however Fun500 apparently does not even check whether the video mode is supported on the hardware before it switches to it. This meant that I had to edit the SYS\PREFS.INI file manually. On one occasion, that file was trashed completely, so I had to rewrite it from scratch! If the source code wasn't included, I'd have to reinstall Fun500.
Other: * My font extensions are put to good use in the QML browser. |
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