SymbOS 3.1 released

SymbOS CPC & MSX & PCW & EP 3.1 has been released.

Exactly 2^2 years and 2^2 months after the last one, the team have finally launched a new full release of SymbOS.
It's a very hardware focused one. After SymbOS made platform independent software for Z80 systems in a modern multitasking environment in 2006 possible it is now introducing a new era of platform independent hardware expansions for 8bit systems as well.

Release notes for 3.1 [30.12.2021]

SymAmp with advanced audio hardware support

• New driver system: A new driver-like system for including and managing hardware and sound module support has been added to SymAmp. All detected hardware is listed in a new dialogue window where you can select your prefered sound device.
• Enterprise 64/128 Dave AY emulation: The AY emulation by IstvanV and Geco is now official part of SymAmp and can play Soundtrakker 128, Starkos and PT3 modules with the Dave soundchip of the Enterprise 64/128.
• MP3 for nearly all platforms: MP3MSX and compatible sound cards (SE-ONE, SYMBiFACE 3) are now supported on the Amstrad CPC and Enterprise 64/128 as well.
• CPC PlayCity 6 channel Dual PSG: Finally available PlayCity support integrated in the official release version of SymAmp.
• MSX Darky 6 channel Dual PSG: 6channel PT3s can be played on the MSX with the Darky cartridge.
• PCW Dk'tronics AY board: SymAmp is now able to play Soundtrakker 128, Starkos and PT3 modules on the Amstrad PCW as well, if a Dk'tronics AY hardware expansion is connected.

Kernel improvements

• Memory management: The memory management has been optimized again. The system now searches for free transfer area space starting at the very end of the memory, when loading an application. This reduces memory fragmentation again.
• Relocation table handling: During loading an application the temporary relocation table is loaded to any free memory location, which can be in any 64K ram bank. This makes it possible to load applications which are using the full available 63K of one bank.

GFX9000 fullscreen game mode

• P1 patternmode support: The Quigs IDE is now supporting screen mode P1, which provides two pattern layers, 127 sprites and up to 61 colours with a resolution of 256x212. Flappy Bird is the first game, which is using this and running on all supported platforms (Amstrad CPC, MSX, Enterprise 64/128)
• GFX9000 interrupt handling: The kernel supports the handling of V9990 line interrupts. This can be used for enabling splitscreens in fullscreen games and will be supported by the Quigs IDE soon.

Desktop Manager

• Context menus: This new features allows an application to open a context menu at any place on the screen.
• Frame resizing and movement: The user can resize and move a dotted frame on the screen. This makes screen area selections possible.
• Modal window unclick events: The GUI sends an event, if the user is clicking outside of a modal window. This can be used for creating own complex dropdown menus.
• Transparent bitmaps: a new graphic control allows bitmaps with a transparent colour (0).
• CPC mode 1 textoutput speed: The speed of the textoutput routines has been increased on the Amstrad CPC in mode 1.

New applications since 3.0

• SymbOS E-Mail: The full functional E-Mail client is now available for SymbOS 3.1 (by EdoZ, using Quigs).
• Flappy Bird: This is the first game which is using the new Quigs IDE feature for creating fullscreen games on the GFX9000 graphic card (by EdoZ & Trebmint, using Quigs).
• Sokoban: A very advanced implementation of the classic Sokoban game.
• ChessSym: The first chess application with a strong AI for SymbOS (by Trebmint, using Quigs).
• Doom: Play Doom in SymbOS - even multiple times! This 3D egoshooter has been ported from a TI-calculator to SymbOS (by zDoom team, NYYRIKKI, Prodatron)
• 2048: Another well-known game is now available for SymbOS as well (by Trebmint, using Quigs)
• DiskDumper: This dumps a complete floppy disk to a DSK file, used by Amstrad CPC emulators.
• VDP screen adjustment tool: Adjust the screen position and screen frequency of your MSX VDP or GFX9000.
• Hexe: Simple Hex monitor and editor.

Relevant link: SymbOS 3.1
Relevant link: Applications