Re: A85: Saving the 85

To: assembly-85@lists.ticalc.org
Subject: Re: A85: Saving the 85
From: "Matt Butch" <mjb25@hotmail.com>
Date: Wed, 05 Aug 1998 15:18:37 PDT
Delivered-To: assembly-85-outgoing@towerguard.unix.edu.sollentuna.se
Reply-To: assembly-85@lists.ticalc.org

I'm in.  First we need the specs so that we know what we are exactly 
programming.  Then a block diagram so that we know the organization of 
the OS.

So, any ideas for the specs(besides the one's already stated below)?



>From: "Steve Ranck" <psufreak@mindless.com>
>To: <assembly-85@lists.ticalc.org>
>Subject: Re: A85: Saving the 85
>Date: Wed, 5 Aug 1998 12:46:01 -0400
>Reply-To: assembly-85@lists.ticalc.org
>
>
>Hey, I'm with you. My main goal is exactly what the subject says. 
Anybody
>else want in?
>Steve Ranck
>psufreak@mindless.com
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Kaus <kaus@cybrzn.com>
>To: assembly-85@lists.ticalc.org <assembly-85@lists.ticalc.org>
>Date: Wednesday, August 05, 1998 12:12 PM
>Subject: Re: A85: Saving the 85
>
>
>>
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: TGaArdvark@aol.com <TGaArdvark@aol.com>
>>To: assembly-85@lists.ticalc.org <assembly-85@lists.ticalc.org>
>>Date: Wednesday, August 05, 1998 1:17 AM
>>Subject: Re: A85: Saving the 85
>>
>>
>>>
>>>> We need to in a way reverse ASE or Rascall (is that
>>>> what it's called?) and get 86 emulation for the 85.
>>>
>>>As great as this sounds in theory, it's nearly impossible.
>>>The TI-85 was not made to run assembly and the ROM
>>>calls that asm programs can use are quite limited.
>>>The TI-86 has a much larger number of ROM calls, in
>>>fact almost everything is a ROM call.  TI-85 emulation
>>>just required an 86 version of the ROM call table found
>>>in ZShell.  It can't be reversed because the great
>>>majority of the calls on the 86 are not available on the
>>>85.  You'd have to put half the ROM in the shell.  And
>>>even then, TI-85 programs call the ROM through
>>>the shell.  TI-86 programs call the ROM through the
>>>ROM.  You can't change ROM.
>>
>>
>>Excellent Point.  Also, other memory locations for screen locations, 
etc,
>>are all wrong. some do not even exist on the 85.  The 86 has Paged 
RAM,
>>which most programs for the 86 are forced to use, and therefore, it is
>>impossible for the 85 to even attempt an emulation.
>>
>>Furthermore, this is NOT a solution to our problem.  It only 
encourages the
>>86 programmers, because they will have a larger market.
>>
>>What we need to do is create something entirely new that cannot be 
emulated
>>right away on the 86, but that allows definitely good things only on 
the
>85,
>>until someone builds an 86 version, which WILL EVENTUALLY HAPPEN.  
But,
>>since IT will have originated on the 85, most of the programs for IT 
will
>be
>>for the 85, although, when the 86 gets a port of IT, the 85 games WILL
>>spread there too, because they are the only games for IT.  This would 
mean
>>much more recognition for us who program the initial programs, if only 
we
>>can keep IT semi under wraps for a while, at least until IT is 
finished,
>and
>>a few programs are.
>>
>>This IT i am talking about is an entirely new operating system.  
Completley
>>new an almost unbased on any others.  WE will have ZShell support, and
>>probly Usgard too, and it will have relocation, most liklely Usgard 
Style
>or
>>slightly enhanced for backwords compatiblity.  It will also have many
>>extended features that allow programs to not care about the system 
they are
>>programing on.  We will have routines built in that allow easy link 
port
>>communications, and definelty routines that automatically use the 
Expander.
>>That will be a major point.  We can have huge programs, becuase only 
parts
>>of the program that is currently being run needs to be in RAM at any 
given
>>time.  The Expander can be used to do Overlays and DLLs and such, and 
also
>>for holding levels of big games that are not currently being accessed.
>With
>>512K  (or more after he may put in the 1MEG!)  we could do whatever we
>>wnated, at the price of only some speed.  Turbo may be a recomended 
feature
>>for this OS, but I'll have to get me a turbo thing and see what wil 
happen.
>>True, this will limit the operating system to ppl who can buy 
Expanders,
>but
>>it is a way through our situation.  Any of you read the "Future of 
Assembly
>>Language Programming" or whatever on TI-CALC?  Well, this eliminates 
all of
>>his problems pretty much.  WE can program huge programs that can do
>>spreadsheets and word processing and more.  Anything is possible.
>>
>>We really need this thing, and it will be a bit of work, but I think 
we
>>could pull it off if we all helped each other.
>>
>>Come on guys,  what do you say?  One last grand effort to save the 
TI-85 as
>>a viable programming platform?
>>
>>I say, Lets do it!!!
>>
>>Jonathan Kaus
>>kaus@cybrzn.com
>>
>>
>
>


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