Fast loader
From C64-Wiki
A fast loader, also called turbo loader or floppy speeder, accelerates the loading of programs. Fast loaders are available for the datasette and the disk drive, and with a simple fast loader on software basis the 5- to 15-fold of the normal loading speed is reached.
For disk drives there are also hardware fast loaders. These are switched either between the serial interface or at the disk drive itself or they are installed with a cartridge at the C64 by the expansion port or userport. A hardware fast loader reads the data from the disk up to about 35 times faster than the normal speed.
However, not all programs are compatible with fast loaders and especially such programs which already contain a fast loader and are read again with a hardware fast loader do not work properly or not at all.
With a higher reading speed more reading mistakes can occurr, so e.g. graphic faults in games, which have been loaded with a fast loader can be explained.
Some cartridges as the Final Cartridge 3 even have a speeder for saving.
See Comparison of fast loaders for a speed comparison of various fast loader/hardware combinations.
A special case of fast loader is the IRQ loader, which is used by games and demos that want to keep running, e.g. to play music and display graphics, while loading in the background.
[edit] Overview of hardware fast loaders
The hardware fast loaders are delivered on circuit boards or chips and have to be built into the home computer and the disk drive.
| Name | System | (F)loppy (D)atasette | Factor | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dela DOS | C64 | F | ? | |
| Dolphin DOS | C64,C128 | F | ? | Versions 2.x for C64 and 3.x for C128, Dolphin DOS  , Dolphin DOS 2.0
|
| Dynamic DOS | C64 | F | ? | |
| FSD System | C64,C128 | F | ? | |
| Exos | C64 | F | ? | |
| Hypra-Load | C64 | F | ? | |
| Jiffy-DOS | C64 | F | 15 | compatible with VIC-1541/71/81 CMD-HD/FD and for VIC-20, C64/128/16, SX-64 and Plus/4 |
| Mach 71 | C128 | F | ? | |
| Pro Speed 71 | C128 | F | ? | |
| P3/128 | C128 | F | ? | |
| Professional-DOS | C64,C128 | F | ? | Professional DOS
|
| Prologic DOS Classic | C64 | F | ? | |
| Ross-Drive | C64 | F | ? | |
| Speed-DOS | C64 | F | ? | |
| Turbo Access | C64 | F | ? | |
| Turbo Trans | C64 | F | ? | there are versions with a RAM extension |
| Ultra-Load | C64 | F | ? |
[edit] Overview of cartridge fast loaders
Some fast loaders were released as a cartridge for the expansion port.
| Name | System | (F)loppy (D)atasette | Factor | Comment | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ? | C64 | F | ? | Only fast loader | ||
| Action Replay | C64 | F | 5,5 | Multi-functional cartridge | ||
| DELA DOS | C64 | F | ? | Only fast loader | ||
| Disk-Booster 64 | C64 | F | ? | Only fast loader | ||
| Epyx FastLoad | C64 | F | 5 |
| ||
| Final Cartridge 3 | C64 | F / D | 6,5 / 10 | Multi-functional cartridge, also fast saving | ||
| Magic Formel | C64 | F | 11 | Multi-functional cartridge | ||
| Retro Replay | C64 | F | ? | Multi-functional cartridge | ||
| Super Snapshot | C64 | F | 5,5 | Multi-functional cartridge |
[edit] Overview of software fast loaders
A software fast loader is a small program and is loaded and started first, then the actual program is loaded which of course should be considerably bigger than the fast loader.
| Name | System | (F)loppy (D)atasette | Factor | Comment | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accelerator | C64 | F | ? | Magic Disk 64, Edition 12/1988 | ||
| Fast Disk | C64 | F | ? | Magic Disk 64, Edition 05/1988 | ||
| FLOAD | C64 | F | ? | Magic Disk 64, Edition 02/1989 | ||
| Turbo Tape | VC 20, C64 | D | 8 |
| ||
| 1581 Speed | C64 | F | 16 | Only for VIC-1581 | ||
| ZAP 1581 | C64 | F | 16 | Only for VIC-1581 | ||
| Gigaload | C64 | F | ? | |||
| Heureka-Sprint | C64 | F | 25 | 64'er Edition 3/87, Listing of the month | ||
| Hypratape 64 | C64 | D | ? | |||
| Hypraload | C64 | F | ? | Only for VIC-1541 with C64 | ||
| Cyber Loader | C64 | F | 16 | Only for VIC-1541 with C64 | ||
| Speedload | C64 | F | ? | Only for VIC-1541 with C64 | ||
| Mr. Byte | C64 | F | ? | Only for VIC-1541 with C64 | ||
| Most-Access | C64 | F | ? | Only for VIC-1541 | ||
| Ultraload Plus | C64 | F | 8? | 64'er Spielesammlung Volume 3 | ||
| SuperTape D2 | C64 | D | ? | INPUT 64, Edition 04/1985 | ||
| MultiTape I | C64 | D | ? | INPUT 64, Edition 05/1986 |
