Re: A85: new 85 hardware...
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Re: A85: new 85 hardware...
>Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1998 13:06:52 -0700 (PDT)
>From: Humberto Yeverino <humberto@engr.csufresno.edu>
>To: Assembly-85 <assembly-85@lists.ticalc.org>
>Subject: A85: new 85 hardware...
>Reply-To: assembly-85@lists.ticalc.org
>
>
>It seems to me that everyone wants bigger better games. Lately I
noticed
>that the answer was adding new hardware to the existing 85(DHOS & wave
>device.) I tried not to get involved because I disagree and didn't
want
>to rain on anyone's parade.
>
>When someone posted about pressuring TI to make a better
calculator(really
>more of a hand held) someone said "you can only push the z80 so far."
>What confuses me is why most people(or just active message posters)
would
>rather build new hardware than write a better shell to use the z80 to
it's
>full potential.
>
>I'm still amazed that programmers haven't switched to Rigel. The
programs
>are smaller, faster, the code is just straight z80 (no &s here and
there)
>and the shell is also smaller. The only thing Usgard has that Rigel
>doesn't is VAR routines. But I never see them used that much.
>
>The only real problem I have with external hardware is that if I write
>something for it it only gets to those who have the hardware, since
there
>is no wide distirbution my audience is VERY limited.
>
>Hope I get some feedback on this...
>
>-Humberto Yeverino Jr.
>
>"I kick ass for the Lord."
>
>***********************************************************
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>
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>z80 Source Page:
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>
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>***********************************************************
>
>
My question is how much potential do you think the z80 has? In the age
of 64-bit and 128-bit Pentium processors that clock at 400mHz, how many
z80 programmers would ever be satisfied with with the quality of
programs they could write for an 8-bit, 6mHz calc? I always thought that
the reason people programmed calcs in the first place was because it was
open territory. It wasn't dominated by DOS, Windows, or Unix. It seemed
kind of like when the first 8088 or 8086's PC's were made. There was no
one making software for it at first. But even PC companies and users
moved on to faster processors because they realized that there was only
so much they could do with a 8086. Their larger, more complicated, and
more entertaining programs required more processing power and more
memory to run them. I just think its gotten to the point where we've
maxxed out the calc and we're searching for something to do with it
because nothing more powerful has come out.
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