i originally had ams 1.00...i installed ams 2.03 and i was not the least bit satisfied. i want to downgrade back to ams 1.00 but unfortunately all i have is ams 1.05...can i still downgrade to 1.05, even though that is not the original version that i had?

Note that everybody who don't know how to do anything with their calcs never read the manual, nor do they read the answers to their questions which are right in front of them. People who send me e-mails on how to use my programs never read the simple readme.

*sigh*

Isn't there a law against this? I mean, Microsoft was taken to court for their misuse of their monopoly. But what about this upgrade for TI. I mean. How can you stop people from upgrading to 2.03? You really can't. If there was some calculator convention that told everyone not to use the newer version then that'd be good. But we can't really do that because one doesn't exist. But in a nut shell here's how it is. Texas Instruments puts out a calculator. Then makes an OS upgrade that people can download off the internet. But to really program in it, you must buy their really expensive software.

I don't do much programming in assembly. I just like to get the programs from other very talented people. But I'm guessing someone could put out a shell that will be able to conveniently work around this problem. Please people give some of your input on what you think of this idea.

GordonChil@hotmail.com

"How can you stop people from upgrading to 2.03? You really can't. If there was some calculator convention that told everyone not to use the newer version then that'd be good. But we can't really do that because one doesn't exist."

A calculator convention is not the only way to tell people not to use AMS 2.03. Don't underestimate the power of word of mouth (I'm thinking of IRC, but it could apply to message boards as well.)

Besides, stopping people from upgrading to 2.03 is not good; it assumes that everyone uses their calculators for the same reasons. Some might want to upgrade for vanity. And some might want to upgrade to take advantage of the 702KB archive issue (especially HW2 users).

"But to really program in it, you must buy their expensive software."

Don't overlook the fact that you can still program 1.00-compatible and/or 1.05-compatible games etc. even with the release of AMS 2.03.

I could write a quick flowchart of whether you should upgrade based on what you use your calculator for, but anyone with the intelligence and knowledge of TI politics etc. should be able to write one.

-meingts

Of course this is not illegal.
They create their calcs, and an OS for them
Microsoft doesn't create the computers.
Would you attack TI for not allowing users to use an alternative "OS" for the TI 30 ? lol

I think that I have an idea how to break 8K limit.

Someone must make a short ASM program, call it "load" for example. For running ASM programs bigger
than 8K, instead od typing tetris(), an user would type load("tetris"). What "load" need to do?

1) Allocate a space on the heap using HeapAlloc
2) Parse the argument, then load and relocate given program to the heap
3) Call program on the heap
4) After returning, free the memory

Such loader is not so hard to write. I hope that it must work, expect if TI does not more allow allocating space on heap greater than 8K. If they done so, it is really a catastrophe.

What TI programmers think about this idea?

ti-fr has already made a kernal and a loader for AMS 2.01 but it works on AMS 2.03. They also converted phoenix and tetris (which doesn't work on AMS 2.03) to AMS 2.01.

Except two drawbacks:
1) Program will be held in two places in memory
instead one. This is not problem if the program is in
archive memory, but if it is in RAM is is spacewaste.

2) If program require arguments, as Tezxas do, how to
send them.

I think we all are overlooking this problem way too much. Let's take this issue back to when AMS1.05 was just barely released. We all were very disappointed about not being able to run Assembly programs; but in a short time, David Hart made a patcher that fixes the problem. And now, with AMS2.03, the problem WILL be solved. There is always a way for things. We all are falling into a hole that isn't there. What I'm asking is, why does TI even care about what we make. If the talented programmers of 68k asm proggers were not present, then TI would absolutely not be where they are today. I had an 86 for a while, and I bought it for the games, and to make my math homework easier. Then, when the 89 was released, I sold my 86 to my cousin, and bought an 89. My point of this whole thing is, don't worry, the problem WILL be solved. Give this whole thing a break, it was just released today. Of course there's nothing going to be done right now. But later in time, someone will succeed in running asm programs. And it IS possible to make FlashROM games, they're just harder to be made since you have to have the permission of TI. But again, what if we figure out how TI makes it into a FlashAPP? Just have patience for this whole thing, the problem WILL be solved, it's just a matter of time ;)
laters
-bc

God, you are an idiot. <p>
Check the TI page- 384K is all you're gonna get. The rest is used for flashROM Apps that will come later. How else would you be able to store it, you damn fool? Anyway, why the hell would you need to store 384K on a TI anyway? I'm typin' a freakin' novel on mine and it's only 21K so far (I'm starting the 7th chapter tonight). Jesus Christos.<p>
Matthew Glory, ICQ 55807773 AIM: EMPrime

It's called games. :) Street Fight II, with all the bells & whistles, takes up ~100K.

hey, yo, who u talkin to?who's da idiot (just wonderin)

Does anyone think that it is even possible to make universal programs that can work on all the 89 and 92+'s? I mean, we got the 89's with both hardware versions. And also 92+ with both hardware versions.

Also, if anyone knows why h1 can use flash apps with the extra memory but not user archive? What is the limitation? Memory is memory right? Whats the difference if it is flash apps or archived user mem?

Ok, I'll shut-up now. (Correct me on any of this if I am wrong :-)

Just wanted to confirm this, there are HW2 TI-92 Plus calculators also?

I'm just guessing this. The basis for my guess is that TI released the "NEW" 92+ with a better screen and flash built in. I might very well be wrong. If anyone knows about this, please post:-)

Yes the "New 92+" came out last summer with a black pixel based lcd which is really nice and some other new features. Ti was nice enough to replace my old Ti with one last september when the 1.05 dump crashed my calculator. I downloaded 2.03 last night and it did give me 720k. I also noticed that the new ones don't have a rom module in the back at all.

Also, TI's site states:

"All previous TI-92 Plus calculator can be upgraded to Version 2.03. However, on some TI-92 Plus calculators, the user data archive can only occupy a maximum of 384-KB of the over 702-KB Flash memory shared with calculator software applications."

The same thing they say about the 89's.
pjman

Damn, this sucks. I have both a HW1 TI-89 and a TI-92 with a Plus module, which I also assume falls under the HW1 category. :(

So is this whole problem a mistake TI made in making the TI-89/92+ that they can't fix without upgrading the hardware? At least TI isn't doing this on purpose, at least we hope not. :)

They had to upgrade the ROM because Rusty Wagner figured out how to change the FLASH ROM using an assembly program (and simple hardware modifications?).

yes, there are hw2 92+'s. My former alg2 trig teacher had the misfortune of getting one from the school. She got addicted to my friend's tetris on his 89, and wanted me to give her tetris, but I couldn't figure out how to work the OS's on there (yes I did run patch).

For assembly programmers:

1) Do not use shells and libraries. Compile or
assemble in Nostub mode

2) Do not read keyboard directly. Use tios functions
instead

3) Reduce screen to 160x100. In the rest of the
screen write some manuals visible to TI92+ users
only.

4) Do not use grayscale. Assume that video memory
is at $4C00. If possible, use use TIOS functions for
video access

5) Limit program to 8 K executable.

6) Avoid direct access to system variables and
memory. Take care on VAT table.

7) Make relocatable program. Avoid address modes
that will need relocation table (absolute addressing)

For BASIC programers

1) Avoid EXEC funciton :-)