A89: Cracking AMS 2.01
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A89: Cracking AMS 2.01
First off, let me re-iterate that the letters from TI suggest one of two
possibilities:
1) They didn't develop this version of AMS
2) It isn't an official release, and as such, they won't answer any
questions about it.
Either way, we all know that there will be significant differences
between AMS 1 and AMS 2. The fact: It doesn't matter if they require
signing of programs, or put size limits on them, etc. They will have a
function which returns a true or false after determining if the program
is signed. We can hex edit it to always return true. They will have
another function checking the size, we can change that as well.
Whatever roadblocks they put in the way certianly won't be any more
difficult to break through than it was to put asm programs onto the
other calcs which were never meant to have user ASM on it.
Does it really matter to them that we don't like how the 'AMS 2.01'
handles programs? Not a whole lot. We only represent a small minority
of the total users of TI calculators. In fact, their user base and main
customers are teachers and educators. The teachers and educators
actually WANT to make it hard for students to use their calculators as
gameboys. The teachers also want to know if a piece of software has
TI's seal of approval on it. Once they start saying that a ti-86 is
required for a specific course, then the students follow along. In
fact, it is usually not until AFTER a student buys a calc that s/he
finds out about assembly games and shells and other such stuff. The
majority of TI calculator users don't even know about ticalc.org and
other calc places.
The fact that TI has added assembly programming to their newer calcs is
more in response to the HP calulators and the educators desire for more
powerful applicaions than anything else. It is a nice thing that they
listen to 'us', but we don't hold stock, nor can we say that we control
or even influence a significant portion of their market.
If you think TI wouldn't place restrictions on the calculator, you are
very sadly mistaken. Crying about it isn't going to get you anywhere.
TI is listening to this mailing list a little, so your CONSTRUCTIVE and
useful comments are probably good, but get a grip, this is a machine,
not your life! If you want a powerful more customizable machine, make
one, get another product, or crack TI's products.
You probably wouldn't believe how surprised many people were when TI
announced ASM accesability on newer calcs, but now that they've given
you an inch, you are crying foul that they haven't given you a mile. I
would characterize many here as spoiled brats who let go of their
balloon.
-Adam
"Never ascribe to malice that which is adequately explained by
incompetence" - Napoleon Bonaparte.
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