OK, so I'm well aware of this Hardware 2 thing and the new AMS 2.03. So, what sacrifices might I be looking at if I buy a HW 2 TI-89 and flash it to 2.03? What losses will I see? I primarily use BASIC programs over ASM programs and am wondering about how easy it is to run BASIC programs. I have an 86 already and I can run programs by using the PRGM key and selecting the desired program from a menu. You can do something similar on the 89, right (for BASIC programs)? What's the deal with program()? Is that for running ASM programs on a TI-89? I don't really need or care about grayscale at the moment but what's the worst case scenario for anything related to the TI 89 with HW 2 and AMS 2.03 if I end up buying one of those units? What limitations will I have to put up with? I'm sorry if I sound like a mindless idiot babbling and ranting but a calculator purchase of about $130-$150 isn't my idea of a cheap mistake and I want to be sure that I know what I'm getting myself into and be prepared for any possible issues in the future.

You'll probably be a little confused when "upgrading" from a TI-86 to a TI-89 :)

If you're gonna run mostly BASIC programs on the TI-89 you will have nothing to worry about and will be better off as it is a tad faster than the originals at displaying stuff. Also the reason that you put a "()" at the end is so that you can pass variable to the program/function. For example: myprgm(myvar1,myvar2), then the variables will be run through the program like if the program took both of the numbers and then added them up, it would look like this:

:myprgm(myvar1,myvar2)
:Prgm
:myvar1+myvar2
:EndPrgm

Oh I see how that method of running programs works; that's pretty ingenious.

Is there a way to run programs a little quicker? Is there a way to select the name from a list like in the 86? I just hit PRGM, F1, and then choose the name with an F key and the program is executed. Isn't there something similar on the 89? It's not the end of the world, but it seems like a step backwards in my opinion.

you can run programs quickly if you name them kbdprgm1()...kbdprgm9(). then you can just hit diamond-1 and it will execute kbdprgm1(). Also since I have an 86, the conversion program on the 89/92+ (diamond-P) seems very slow and clumsy compared to the 86.

-Eric

Yeah, there is the "Var-Link" Menu that has a listing of all the folders and the variables within the folders. However this "tool/utility" that TI made is crap-tastic! I don't really like it, I use Doors Explorer, but thats not (yet) compatible with AMS 2.03. But when it is, it is my choice of "program browser"!

Hope this helps!

Well, this is off the original subject, but what the hay. You could create a custom menu to hold your programs. Custom menus are a...bit diffrent on the 89 than the 86. And I think the 89 is a good buy if you are in high school and above. Your 86 has 10k of memory available. The 89 HWV2 AMS2.03 will have almost 900k of total memory available. Another important diffrence between the 86 and 89 is ARCHIVE MEMORY. This is a portion of memory primarily used for storage. You will have 200k of RAM and 700 of ARCHIVE memory. The change from an 86 to an 89 is drastic. You will need a long time to adjust and there are many hidden features you will probably overlook. I know, i had an 85 and I switched to an 89. But, i might keep that 86 if you have yet to take the act, as the ti89 is not allowed on that test. If you get the 89, read through the guidebook. And as far as the diffrences between ams 1 and ams 2, ams 2 basic games always work, and there are a 'plethera' availble. (Monopoly,Simcity,Nibbles,etc;) And if you get asm games(Which dont work on HW version 2 ams 2.03) You can get tetris and dr mario,and other classics. But, keep in mind, this has come up a lot recently:Are you buying a calculater or a gameboy? Thats all I have to say.Write me for further help.

Ronnie B.
--R

First off, what's the idea behind archive memory? Is that memory contained in flash? Would it be possible to store a group file of programs in there and recall it even if I have to reset the RAM on the 89? Is something like that possible? What I've been doing with my 86 is make one big group file of all the programs I like and use to make restorations easy; if I have to reset my calc., I simply plug in my Graph Link and send the group file back and am ready to go again. It would be nice to be able to store such stuff in flash to have it there indefinitely and in case I had to reset for some reason while away from my PC but I don't want to lose my programs. And another thing; I'm not much of a TI gamer so I'm not worried about things like doing grayscale (if I get a HW 2 89) or running assembly games or programs. I've always preferred BASIC to ASM, especially since I understand the language somewhat. Finally, I'd like to thank all of you lucky 89 owners/users for providing valuable feedback on this calculator and look forward to purchasing mine! I'll make sure to dig through the manual too!

10 k MY BUTT!!!
Id say 128 KB