Version 1.8.0

Costa 1.8.0 is a minor release, mostly focused on bugfixes. One new feature is that COSTA.BAT has been replaced with COSTA.EXE.

• New launcher, COSTA.EXE, which works independently of current path, making the SETUP.EXE program that created COSTA.BAT obsolete. SETUP.EXE has been removed, and setup of Costa is no longer required. Internal code to handle paths removed, resulting in quicker execution.
• Fixed a bug that resulted in Minesweeper mistakingly thinking 1 field had yet to be cleared, when the game had actually been won.
• Fix mouse selection in file browser dialog, that was offset by a few pixels.
• Fix bug that resulted in icons being unmovable when no mouse driver was loaded.
• Optimized mouse code to only call mouse driver interrupts if a mouse was detected at startup, improving speed on systems without a mouse.
• Code to check if file exists rewritten to use MS-DOS interrupt calls, resulting in quicker execution.
• General optimizations to reduce overall size of Costa.
• Text viewer now uses a variable width font, allowing much longer lines to be displayed.

Version 1.7.5

Costa 1.7.5 is a minor release, with few enhancements. Most notable is the ability to move icons between desktops, without having to delete and recreate them.

Version 1.7.4

Aside from a wide range of "under the hood" improvements, this version brings a classic PC game to Costa for the first time - Minesweeper!

Version 1.7.3

Costa 1.7.3 fixes a bug, where no icons could be added to the desktop if the last one was removed (issue #38).

Thanks to @Axle-Ozz-i-sofT for submitting the issue!

Version 1.7.2

Costa 1.7.2 brings a grid to the desktop, where icons are moved/placed in 8 pixel increments. This makes it much easier to align icons nicely. Other than that, a bunch of bug fixes are included.

Version 1.7.1

The focus for 1.7.1 is performance improvements, and reduction of file sizes. Not many new features have been implemented, but some have been removed. The config utility has seen a complete rewrite and many icons have been remade. VGA support has been removed, as EGA 640x350 looks good on both old CRT monitors, and modern widescreen monitors where the aspect radio fits nicely.

Version 1.7.0

Version 1.7.0 is all about making it easier to work with files. To fulfil this goal, a file selector has been added. This can be used to visually browse folders and select a file, instead of having to type path and filename in input fields. This is used for example when adding a desktop link, or opening a file in the text viewer.

Also included is a major UI overhaul, bugfixes and various improvements in speed and size.

To download a version suitable for distribution to users, go to http://costa.jacobpalm.dk/.

Version 1.6.0

The most notable change of 1.6.0 is the addiction of EGA support. Now, Costa will run on computers with an Enhanced Graphics Adapter with at least 64 KB memory, broadening the range of computers on which Costa is supported. The new EGA mode is also considerably faster on older machines (pre-1990).

Many visual changes have also been made. Almost all icons have been replaced, and a new default theme has been implemented.

To download a version suitable for distribution to users, go to http://costa.jacobpalm.dk.

Version 1.5.0

This version comes with many minor improvements and changes, but three stand out from the rest: A new UI design based on Costa 0.9.4, massive speed improvements to handling of data files, and full keyboard support in all accessories.

Code optimizations has also helped reduced the combined size of Costas executables significantly.

To download a version suitable for distribution to users, go to http://costa.jacobpalm.dk.

Version 1.4.0

Released on the 22nd of May, 2021.

As with the previous release, the focus with this release has mainly been on behind-the-scenes improvements. A long requested flood fill function has been added to the icon editor.

To download a version suitable for distribution to users, go to http://costa.jacobpalm.dk.