I read that Nick Disabato helped in testing the unofficial/fake rom release for the TI-89 for bugs, so how come ticalc.org hasn't released a news article on it? Could it be because of their close correlation with TI Inc. that they haven't mentioned this information which most all the other sites seem privy to? If that's it then what is this crap: "Ticalc.org is not affiliated with Texas Instruments Incorporated in any way. Ticalc.org may revise these Terms at any time by updating this file."?

sorry this is off topic, but i would like to know the whole story about this new rom v2.01 and its possible defects and bugs.

I don't know your source, but if this is true, I would like to know why. The release of that software was definitely news-worthy. Dim-ti made my post of the upgrade into news, and ticalc deleted it.
On the subject of the flash app, I think it's great. I like seeing the programs integrated better. Can flash apps be run from OS's like ion though?

Check http://www.ti-files.org/

"Can flash apps be run from OS's like ion though?"... This App does not require a Shell (ION), since it is located within FlashROM and executes directly from there. The App has everything its needs (e.g., sprite routines), which ION does provide in itself, however, this App isnt associated with ION at all...

Jason_K

Because according to TI, they didn't make it. That's what several people have gotten when they e-mailed TI about it. Go figure.

Anyway, even if TI made it, its not an official or legimate release, maybe not even legal. That's why ticalc.org hasn't posted a news item.

If TI didn't make it then someone is a damn good programmer. Plus, TI requested that the ROM be taken off ti.fr's website, so, unless they don't like other people programming ROMs, itj has to be theirs. Another question... is it illegal to make a ROM for the TI-89 (or 83 for that matter) yourself? Because once you buy the calculator TI can't tell you what to do with it, but you can void your warranty.

In the UK TI can't do anything if you change the FLASH memory. They can't even invalidate your warranty if you do do something long, so long as you haven't taken the back of your calculator or anything like that. The only thing they can do is put a copyright on their ROM versions.

Getting back to topic, I'm sure these games are very good for you ti83+ owners - I've played them on a friend's calculator, but in comparison to ti86 stuff they're pretty lame (no offence). The reason for this has got nothing to do with the processor (they're _almost_ the same), but rather that wretched operating system. Now, why can't someone just use an ASAP to create an ExecAsm( function, and save all that messing with programs within programs and so on?

BTW, is it OK to use entity references in messages? They aren't the same thing as HTML _ELEMENTS_ (they are not tags - go and read the specifation at www.w3.org), and it would make cross platform compatability easier. And when is ticalc going to become standards compliant?

Keesh
ti86 Assembly tutorial: http://www.asm86.cwc.net/

Actually to void your warrenty you actually have to make a modification to your calculator, you can't void the warrenty just by opening your calculator (at least the 82, 83 and 83+. Check the instruction book.

Opening the calculator is modifying it (at least in the UK).

Ciaran McCreesh
Visit my website (link above) for a ti86 assembly tutorial.

Well I'm in the US so that might be why.

just adding another matter,
Why doesn't someone just come up with an OS modified to every calculator where all programs are compatable with all the z80's.

Um... I'd like to see you try running an 86 program on the 83(+)'s screen. Patrick Davidson explained that most of the time spent in programming is dealt with the display. Besides the fact that they have different resolutions, this would be impossible, unless you wanted to copy Tezxas and merge pixels.

~ferich

Little known fact: This may be possible with only two small code modifications. The 86 has something called Port 4 which allows you to change the buffer width of the screen. Set it to 12 and you've got the same screen resolution as the 83+, the screen memory can also be changed via ports. I can't be bothered doing the maths to work this out, but I reckon you may be able to 'emulate' an 83+ from an 86 to a certain extent. OK, you'll get a load of crap around the outside of your screen but still, as long as greyscale isn't used you should be OK.

Ciaran McCreesh
http://www.asm86.cwc.net/ for a ti86 assembly tutorial

The 85 has this port as well. But he was talking about running an 86 program on an 83+, which would be impossible. It's fairly easy to emulate an 82/83 screen on the 86, without using that port. Unless the program accesses the display controller directly, which probably none do, this method will work. When it calls the routine to copy the buffer to the display controller, it's copied (and centered) to the 86's display ram. Simple.

Okay, looks like I started something here intresting. Anyway You can modify the OS to run Programs for calculators with smaller resolutions in block form, the graphics may suck but it will run the program, and all z80 processer calculators are capable of greystyle, you just need the right OS.

Just to add, you could always exclude the 86 program compatability, theres always the problem with the 81,82,83,83+, and the 85 compatability, the 86 can have an OS that runs all of those while the rest exclude the 86. Just think all you great programers can use your time creating something rather than changing something. I'm sure it would also give you a little break from the requests of ports.

"(they're _almost_ the same)"

Ummm... all of the TI-8x calculators (with the exception of the 89) use Zilog's z80 processor. They're "almost" the same so much that they are the same processor.

~ferich

No they're not. They use different versions of processors that behave in a similar way. The ti86's processor runs over 100kHz faster than that in the ti83. Also, the undocumented opcodes differ, and the ixh, iyh, ixl and iyl operations don't set the flags correctly on the ti83+.

And BTW, the ti80s don't seem to have 6MHz processors - experiments with an oscilloscope seem to indicate that it has a 4MHz z86C000004 (I think that's the number) processor.

Ciaran McCreesh
http://www.asm86.cwc.net/ for a ti86 assembly tutorial

Actually, the 83+ uses an official 8 (not 6 or 4) mhz zilog z80 chip, but it is only being run at ~6 mhz.

-Dan

I didn't have to say it my self after all.

Notice he said "almost" and they do have diffrences but a new OS could be used to fix certain commands. The only hard thing to fix which isn't that big a deal (unless its a fast pased action game) would be the speed in which the programs run.

Have you ever opened a calculator, I opened an 83 and I didn't see a zilog processer, it may be z80 but not from zilog, only the 83 plus has it right out in the open where you can see zilog written on it. Maby the others do including the 83, but where is it.

That's because the processors aren't amde by Zilog, except for the 83+. I think one of the 92s uses a genuine MC processor, whilst another uses an XC. I can't remember the details...

Ciaran McCreesh
http://www.asm86.cwc.net/ for a ti86 assembly tutorial.

oh yea, and has anyone noticed that the zilog z80 processer in the 83 plus is right under the del key.

If ticalc didn't put this up as a news article because it's possibly "illegal" what about copies of Tetris, Mario, Sonic, Zelda, and all the other games that some say are pirated to the calculators?
It does seem weird that ticalc didn't have any news posts regarding AMS 2.01, seeing as how it's the biggest news in the TI community in a long time. Possibly they are involved somehow....

isn't the next rom version supposed to be 2.00 not 2.01 it says on ti's site that ams version 2.00 should be out by fall of 99 so they only have 17 days to release it.

TI has made changes since the initial AMS 2.00 was to br released. The leaked AMS 2.01 is a beta and was never to be seen by the public. TI will be releasing AMS 2.02, the new graphlink software, and a few apps within a week or so.This was stated by a TI employee (Paul King).

The ugliest thing I remarked is limit to 8 K for assembly programs. In 1.05 the limit was 63,5 K.
I wrote program 8189 bytes long and it worked. The program long 8197 bytes or more reported error "Argument must be an expression". Therefore failed all programs that rely on Doorsos and Plusshell as their kernels are longer than 8K. Also programs that do not need kernels, but longer than 8 K (Tezxas and Manpac) can not be started.

Currently there are less than 10 assembly programs that can work on 2.01: CReversi and some programs based on Lexos.

This limit is obviously commercial sabotage to force purchasing of TI SDK.

> The ugliest thing I remarked is limit to 8 K for assembly programs. In >1.05 the limit was 63,5 K.
> I wrote program 8189 bytes long and it worked. The program long >8197 bytes or more reported error "Argument must be an >expression".

I think we can use a tiny program which runs all other program ? - Like mimix-