Well, I Finally Got Around To Trying Windups

[TelcoLou]

I was under the inpression that you needed to flash your bios to use this, like it was a type of firmware, or BIOS or whatever it's called. (Which scares the shit out of me)

WOW. ... it's amazingly cool! I can't wait to make a custom desktop and icons ... okay, commence laughing; I've got some work to do!

 

[pubjoe]

It's better when you falsh your bios with it.

 

[angrypants]

Yeah you don't have to flash the bios to use it. If you are going to be using it, it is best to flash to spiv's muilt firmware which includes it. My take on windups is that it is somewhat cool to look at but really not that functional. I was scared to flash my firmware but I had read so many posts about succesful flashes that I decided to try it. Flashing works fine with spiv's multi firmware, the software is rock solid and works fine the olny problem you might find is running out of batteries or turning off porwer before finishes. I suggest that if you like windups (which I hate) try spiv's firmware. It includes pacrom(which I love), pacrom does not alow the customization that wind ups does but it is by far the most functional firmware out. It's not the best looking but who ever created pacrom really had there stuff together then it comes to creating amazingky functional firmware. Either way che out spiv's firmware I promise that flashing with it is safe if done right as can the countless other posts. That way you can get the most of windups(blah) or can load pacrom on boot(woo) or the original firnware with no boot screen(woo).

 

[TelcoLou]

Thanks, angrypants. Um, a question: Using spiv's firmware, will it simply boot directly into Windups? And what do you mean, exactly by "getting the most out of Windups" ?

* is still scared *

 

[pubjoe]

Spiv's firmware includes the original bios (stripped of opening anim), Windups and pacrom. What happens is you hold select when turning your gp on to choose which you want to boot straight to. So GP can bbot directly to windups if you like. I always prefered windups but there are a couple of programs that won't work with it, in which case you can boot in pacrom or original.

If you have any form of windups flashed to bios it's pretty cool that it boots up instantly (about a second) so it's a lot better trying out loads of different games without waiting for the slow official firmware's menus.

I recommend it anyway, just find a good guide and follow the instructions carefully.

 

[pubjoe]

...good guide

However, as I havn't had a GP for a while, I don't know which is the best multifirmware to use these days. You'll have to just do a search and read the most recent threads about it.

 

[frolik]

hey telcolou, a word of warning. spivs multifw doesn't have the latest version of windups (afaik), it's perfectly funtional but doesn't have file management functions and maybe some other stuff

for this reason I get pacrom to load the latest windups.fxe off my smc and I don't use the firmware version - which takes slightly longer to load

just thought you might like to know.....

 

[Shirohagen]

Glad to hear you've discovered Windups, I think it's great. If you want to start tweaking how everything looks, try my console icons: www.holster.co.uk/icons.zip or my Amiga Workbench theme: www.holster.co.uk/workbench.zip

I know Windups isn't the most advanced program out there but I do love it for the way that it lets you make your GP32 individual. A great thing is that you can have different Windups setups on each SMC so when you put your CaSTaway SMC in you get an Atari background and when yoou ut your SCUMM SMC in, you get a different setup etc. I too, use Multifirmware and that's great.

®

 

[c0ncept]

when I show my friends my gp32 with windups on it, they all get scared and look for trhe software shutdown like on windows

 

[spray]

I've added a windows style background to mine, fun watch people figure out the gp for themselves and instinctively head for the "start" button.