VICUG Photo Gallery :: QuantumLink RELOADED!

QuantumLink RELOADED!

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Gallery: VICUG Photo Gallery

Album: Commodore Projects

QuantumLink, started by Quantum Computer Systems (which became AOL), was a Commodore-only service based on code acquired through a deal with PlayNet. The system differed from competing online services in that it had a rich user interface, whereas Compuserve and Delphi offered only a simple text based interface. I never had the opportunity to experience QLink (as it was called) before it was shut off in late 1994. So, since 2004, I've thought about how to bring the system back to life. Complicating matters is the user interface. Unlike other services, which could be accessed with a standard terminal program, QLink required a special application to provide the rich user experience. As well, it uses a very complicated packet system to communicate between the client and the server. I started the project in 2004, but put it on hold as my progress was very slow. But, in 2005, a man by the name of Keith Henrickson provide his research into reverse engineering the QLink protocol, and I used his notes to create a skeleton service that utilizes the standard QLink disk. Progress is still slow, but steady.