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Well if x86 was dword aligned or something, then it could be possible to do like a "macro bytecode" thing where certain word/dwords expanded to multiple instructions(where the savings are significant) but it's not possible because of variable length instructions and no alignment and such..

and I thought about a byte code, but as you said, I doubt I could make it so that it didn't use more space..

I'm wanting to make something though to do with self modifying code.. but idk what.. maybe an extremely simple genetic algorithm or something(if that is even possible in 512 bytes)

I've already got enough ideas for the fifth 512-byte contest! (Assuming there's only 1 entry per person allowed.) It's amazing how some of these demos are able to fit into 512 bytes.

That is by far the most confusing website I have ever seen... Could someone please "translate" it's horrible UI for me?

The website hosts a lot of demoscene demos. At the top of the page are two list boxes that are used to filter the demos that are shown. The left is the category (I selected 512 bytes, since it matched the boot sector), the right is the platform (I selected MS-DOS since it is the closest thing to running on bare metal).

In the middle they list the demos the above filters returned (so 512 byte MS-DOS demos), and at the bottom are your next page/previous page/jump to page buttons. Click on a demo's title (left column) to go to that specific demo's page. On the demo's page you can see a screenshot along with comments at the bottom, and a [download] link to the right of the screenshot.

My boot sector looks so primitive compared to some of these.

Here's another little thing I made. A fractal with scrolling 3D text. I've tested it in Bochs and VMWare.

That's very nice. I notice you (as well as a small minority of assembly programmers on this forum) do not indent, nor comment, nor space out your lines, nor do anything to assist readability. Do you actually write your code like that, or do you strip away everything before uploading it?

Well, that's how I write it. I usually don't have a need for comments etc. when I'm writing something since I know in my head what everything does.

That's just... backwards.

Anyways, maybe I missed the expiration date for this contest as I may have an idea or two worth trying out. The last contest that I did here was quite fun.

I'm not sure if it's officially started yet. You certainly haven't missed out.

I think it would be neat to have a "Real" 512 OS compo. Like one with prizes and official judges and such.. and where the results were posted somewhere other than a forum..

^^ Why? Prizes would require someone to buy them, and I see no reason to post the results of a forum.osdev.org event anywhere but forum.osdev.org.

Also, since this appears to have become the entry submission thread, I suppose I'll throw something together. Do we have a deadline?

+1

Well I could offer to host it on a sub domain ? As for the prizes Idea you could give the copyright of all the other OSes to the winner.

Just some ideas, but Really being able to say "I won" should be enough for anyone

I would not opt for judges as it's easier and more sensible to just let the community decide (and it's worked in the past). As for the prizes, I have absolutely no idea, and as there hasn't been a prize before I don't see a reason to have one this iteration.

Yes, like a voting system then would be just as well... (and maybe with categories?)

and by prizes I mean that a competition becomes a lot more formal with prizes. For instance, putting "I won the 4th annual 512 byte OS competition" on your resume at the moment means next to nothing because it's all very informal and for all anyone knows it could've just been a big rigged event that took place without moderator's knowing or anything..