RE: TI-H:

To: "'ti-hardware@lists.ticalc.org'" <ti-hardware@lists.ticalc.org>
Subject: RE: TI-H:
From: Christopher Kalos <raptorone@geocities.com>
Date: Thu, 5 Mar 1998 18:11:04 -0500
Reply-To: ti-hardware@lists.ticalc.org

and doesn't it make it a lot easier to pirate a TI-ROM with this system?  With all the talk of making clones right now, if we reverse engineer the ROM in order to copy it, then we can start producing garage 85's.  ESPECIALLY since you've released the TI-85 schematic.  Make them bootstrapped versions, and what do we have?  a bunch of ROM-less 85's.  take that, download the ROM, and you have something highly illegal, because who would build a clone of a TI-85?  Either someone who doesn't own a TI-85, or someone willing to sell these to people who don't own a TI-85.
	now, if we modify them, that's a totally different story.  Just remember, there are only a few ways that we can copy the ROM without breaking the law, and white paper reverse engineering is a tough for a bunch of hackers to pull off.
	And finally, you of all people should know this... Didn't you say that some TI-81's have the same boards as TI-85's?  That would mean that internal structure is pretty close (if not identical, I'm accounting for the LCD), and pirating would be possible.
Christopher Kalos
raptorone@geocities.com
VirtuTech Developer's Group
AOL IM: Raptor1CK

----------
From: 	Richard Piotter[SMTP:richfiles1@hotmail.com]
Sent: 	Thursday, March 05, 1998 1:19 PM
To: 	ti-hardware@lists.ticalc.org
Subject: 	RE: TI-H: 


>That is so far beyond illegal I won't even go into it.  Also, why would 
=
>you want to do it that way?  try piggybacking a header onto the ROM so 
=
>that you can have both without breaking the laws.  After all, there's =
>very little stopping you from installing an 83 ROM at that point, if =
>you're resourceful enough...

That so far beyond wrong, I think I HAVE to go into it. It is ilegal to 
copy or pirate ROM, but each calc is different, you can only use a ROM 
designed for it (you could modify it for compatibility, but then it's 
not TI's original ROM). You can legaly rip your ROM out and replace it 
with whatever you want!!! You can even reverse engineer the ROM if we 
were that determined and start mass producing TI-Clones!!! If we make 
our own ROM and load it into the calcs, that's our right, so unless you 
plan on pirating a TI ROM, SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is not ilegal to replace or re write a ROM and replace the original 
with it, so don't go jumping to conclusions. It's no different than 
downloading a ROM for an emulator! If you own the calc, it's LEGAL. If 
you don't it is ILLEGAL. Since the calcs have different internal 
structures, the ROMs are not compatible, so the ROM will only run on a 
calc it was designed for. That makes it very unlikely that any 
illegalact is commited!!! O-K !!!

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