Re: A86: New operating system...
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Re: A86: New operating system...
In a message dated 2/23/99 5:01:11 PM Pacific Standard Time, PXGray@aol.com
writes:
> The only time I ever use my calc for math anymore is on tests, even then,
> anything is better than TI's piece of garbage OS...
Piece or garbage OS? I have yet to see ANY environment made for the 86 that is
more desirable than using TI's OS. Yes, shells look pretty and playing ZTetris
is a heck of a lot more fun than graphing differential equasions (for most
people, at least ;). But could we, as a group, even if we were allowed to
replace the ROM chip, come up with something better? I think not! While it's
not that powerful, I find the BASIC interpereter to be exteremly useful (you
can do all kinds of neat stuff with it without delving into a programming
language that requires years of practice) and the interface to be INCREDIBLY
well integrated (you can call just about any other function from anything
else) and the math tools EXTREMELY powerful. There is math stuff on there that
I haven't the slightest idea how to use yet; there are very few people in the
world who know enough math to know how to use the entire thing! I have no
problem hacking and modifying the OS to allow optimal gameplaying ability and
to find more things to do with it, but please- don't call TI's OS garbage! It
was not made to do some of the things we are trying to get it to do!
TI's OS supports, with hacking modification, an infinite (or dang close)
number of possibilities. ZTetris alone can be endlessly entertaining, and even
if TI did a truly awful job of making the OS (which they didn't) it would
still support enough games to keep me entertained forever, while utilities and
math tools could be made to expand it's possiblities endlessly. While, yes,
there are some things that must be done with an 89/92+ or a computer, that
little 86 is an extremely powerful tool, and the OS is extremely well-suited
to do enough stuff to make all $120 of it's price worth it.
While it's not perfect (and what OS isn't?!) it's not a piece of garabage.
Please don't call it that.