Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Basilisk II VS MESS

Compare Basilisk II VS MESS and see what are their differences

Basilisk II logo Basilisk II

Basilisk II is an Open Source 68k Macintosh emulator.

MESS logo MESS

Emulates most gaming systems that exist, emphasizing accuracy over speed.
  • Basilisk II Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-08-23
  • MESS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-11-05

Basilisk II features and specs

  • Open Source
    Basilisk II is an open-source emulator, allowing developers and users to contribute to its improvement and customization without any licensing costs.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    It supports various operating systems including Windows, macOS, and Linux, offering users flexibility in choosing their preferred OS for running the emulator.
  • Classic Mac OS Experience
    Basilisk II provides the opportunity to run legacy applications and games from the era of Apple's 68k Macintosh computers, preserving software that may otherwise be inaccessible.
  • Active Community
    There is an active community of users and developers who contribute to forums and documentation, helping new users get started and troubleshoot issues.

Possible disadvantages of Basilisk II

  • Complex Setup
    The initial setup can be challenging for new users, as it requires obtaining a legally compatible Mac ROM image and configuring system settings properly.
  • Performance Limitations
    While capable of running many old applications, Basilisk II does not perfectly replicate the performance of original hardware, which can result in bugs or slowdowns.
  • Limited Hardware Emulation
    It focuses mainly on software emulation and lacks support for certain hardware peripherals, which can limit use scenarios for specific applications.
  • Legal Issues
    Using Basilisk II legally requires access to a Macintosh ROM and OS, which can be a legal gray area if users do not own an original Macintosh machine.

MESS features and specs

  • Versatile Emulation
    MESS (Multi Emulator Super System) supports a wide range of computing and gaming systems, allowing users to emulate various hardware configurations within a single platform.
  • Open Source
    MESS is an open-source project, which means that its code can be freely used, modified, and improved by anyone, fostering a collaborative development environment.
  • High Compatibility
    MESS aims for high compatibility with the original hardware, ensuring that a wide variety of software titles work as intended across different emulated systems.
  • Comprehensive Documentation
    MESS includes extensive documentation for users and developers, making it easier to understand and utilize the emulator’s features.
  • Community Support
    The MESS project benefits from an active and enthusiastic community, providing help, sharing knowledge, and contributing to ongoing development.

Possible disadvantages of MESS

  • Complex Setup
    MESS can be difficult to set up and configure, particularly for users without technical expertise, due to its wide range of supported systems and extensive options.
  • Resource Intensive
    Running MESS can be demanding on system resources, requiring a relatively powerful computer, particularly when emulating more advanced hardware.
  • Incomplete Emulation
    Some systems and games may not be fully emulated, leading to potential issues such as graphical glitches, sound problems, or functionality limitations.
  • Legal Concerns
    Using MESS to emulate proprietary systems and software can raise legal issues, including potential violations of copyright and intellectual property laws.
  • Steep Learning Curve
    Due to its complexity and the breadth of possible configurations, new users may face a steep learning curve when starting with MESS.

Analysis of MESS

Overall verdict

  • Good

Why this product is good

  • The MESS (Media Education Service Society) organization provides media literacy resources and educational programs aimed at improving media consumption skills. They offer workshops, seminars, and online courses designed to help individuals understand and critically evaluate media messages. Their programs are highly regarded for their comprehensive curriculum and their commitment to enhancing digital literacy.

Recommended for

  • Educators looking for resources to teach media literacy
  • Individuals interested in improving their media consumption skills
  • Schools and organizations seeking to integrate media education into their curriculums
  • Parents who wish to educate their children on safe and critical media usage

Basilisk II videos

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MESS videos

Military Surplus Mess Kit Comparison

More videos:

  • Review - Tana Mongeau's MTV Show Is A Mess - A Comprehensive Review
  • Review - Madurai Kumar Mess Review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Basilisk II and MESS)
Group Chat & Notifications
Gaming
22 22%
78% 78
Emulators
15 15%
85% 85
Media Player
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Basilisk II seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 9 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Basilisk II mentions (9)

  • Software Applications Incorporated
    Https://infinitemac.org, which is https://basilisk.cebix.net compiled for the web using https://emscripten.org. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • How to Get and Run Rolypolys 2
    Basilisk II, at least for me, had issues when it came to loading game saves. It also had an issue where sound cut out entirely about an hour into the game, so I cannot personally recommend it for this particular game. I was recommended SheepShaver as an alternative. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • [Mac/PC] [90s?] Top down 2D action/arcade game
    ShadowWraith would have run best on a Mac with a 68040 processor, at least 10 MB RAM, running System 7.1, 7.5, or 7.6.1. You could try setting up Basilisk II to run it. MAME’s Mac emulation has also come along quite a bit in the last few years, although it can still be a bit rough around the edges. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Anyone have access to Apple’s serial number database? Case refers to a PowerMac10,1 with 1,42GHz G4 but actually boots into a PowerMac10,2 with 1,5GHz G4. SN is YM54904UTAA. Might just be the cleanest and prettiest lunch box Mac I have ever laid my hands on after a restoration job.
    I have a Mac mini (Early 2006) (Intel Core Solo) that I upgraded to a 1.83 GHz Core 2 Duo, on which I run the Basilisk II 68k emulator (informative support forums are here). Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Any way to open windows 69 word files
    That's actually really good news and explains why they don't have a file extension! It might still take some work, but you could very likely find the exact version of Word that he used to create the files on macintoshgarden.org and could then use something like Basilisk II to run it and open the files. Hopefully from there it's just a simple Save As to something a modern computer can understand. Source: over 3 years ago
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MESS mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of MESS yet. Tracking of MESS recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

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