[Blindapple] Updated MESS emulator package

[Louis Bryant]

It is awesome! Thanks for this.
Not sure if this would be useful, but on BrailleSoft.net, as a ZIP package, there are some Applesoft programs you can try. They're not disk images, so I'm unsure how they'll transfer to be played on either a real Apple II or in the emulator. Best, Louis

----- Original Message -----
From: Jayson Smith <jaybird at bluegrasspals.com>
To: Apple Discussions blindapple at bluegrasspals.com
Date: Friday, August 30, 2013 5:23 am
Subject: [Blindapple] Updated MESS emulator package

>
>
> Hi all,
> 
> This update fixes the Echo pitch issue so it sounds more like the real 
> thing. A few other fixes are included, as well as a readme, pasted 
> below. URL is the same:
> http://www.bluegrasspals.com/messapple.zip
> Enjoy!
> Jayson
> 
> Apple Emulation with Echo II Plus Emulation for Windows
> 
> This package contains an emulator called MESS which I have set up to 
> emulate an Enhanced Apple IIe with an Echo II Plus speech synthesizer. 
> If you're reading this, you've already downloaded and extracted this 
> archive. In the disks subfolder are several talking disk images supplied 
> so you can have fun with your virtual Apple. I have quite a few more, 
> but these are just some to get you started. You'll also see a folder 
> called roms, which you don't need to do anything with. If you go poking 
> around in there anyway, you'll see several zip files. Do NOT unzip them, 
> they are designed to stay zipped.
> 
> Before you start, you'll probably need a full desktop keyboard, for 
> reasons which will become apparent later on. If you're using Jaws, 
> you'll also want to set up a script to put it to sleep when mess.exe is 
> running. Otherwise, it will try to grab some Apple keystrokes, and in 
> general not do very nice things.
> 
> To start the emulator with a disk in drive 1, type the following at a 
> command prompt, for example:
> mess apple2ee comflop1 disks\egames.dsk
> 
> Yes, you do need to type apple2ee with two e's since that's the 
> designator for an Enhanced IIe.
> 
> Once the Apple has started, things pretty much work like you'd think 
> they would. The four arrow keys really do act as the Apple's arrow keys, 
> left and right alt are open and closed apple, F12 is reset. In most 
> cases, even if your real caps lock is turned off, the Apple's caps lock 
> will be turned on, simply because so many Apple games and programs 
> require all upper case input. If you want to change this, just hit your 
> caps lock.
> 
> The program records a wav file of your Apple session in a file called 
> session.wav. If you don't want this file, just delete it. It is 
> overwritten with each new emulator session, so if you do anything you 
> want to preserve, you need to take steps to do so before you run Mess again.
> 
> I currently don't know how to switch disks, so you don't want to use 
> this to play Eamon or for any other purpose where disk switching is 
> required. Working on this.
> 
> Please be aware that this program doesn't significantly speed up disk 
> access, so there may be long pauses while Apple programs load.
> 
> To exit the emulator, hold down the scroll lock and press the insert key 
> on the six-pack, that is, the set of keys with insert, del, home, end, 
> page-up, and page-down. Release both keys, then hit escape. This will 
> flip the power switch on the virtual Apple, so anything you were doing 
> will be lost forever.
> 
> Have fun!
> 
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