Re: No-Bash

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Re: No-Bash

CN3612 (cn3612@aol.com) wrote:
:
: The most major difference between the HP's and the TI's is that the TI's
: interface is algebraic and the HP's interface is RPL (reverse polish
: notation).  This makes it harder to learn at first, but it is faster
: overall.  One great thing about HP's is that they natively support
: assembly language.  They have been around for a long time, too, so there
: are many more programs (and games) for them than for the TI's.  You should
: see some of the amazing games that people have made for them!  They have
: some really cool racing games, lemmings, civilization, and many more.
:
: As I look back on what I wrote, it looks like I would prefer the HP's, but
: that's not true.  For some reason, I just like TI's calculators better.

I think there's another way to look at the difference in TI and HP
calculators, too.  Assembly support is a good example of this so I'll
use that to explain what I think.  By the way, just so everybody knows
up front, I have both TI and HP calculators and my prefernce is for the
HP but I know it's only my preference.  I don't really know which one
God uses.  I also don't really care which one other people use.  They're
both fantastic tools.

HP does support assembly right away in the sense that if you have an
assembly program you can run it on the HP without anything like Zshell.
But the 83 and 86 will also do that so TI is obviously moving in that
direction.  The calculators are about even in this.  Maybe HP has a little
edge but only because TI is still selling their older models.  Actually
the older model of the HP (the SX) had more initial assembly support with
an assembly monitor of sorts built in.  That doesn't exist in the GX.

But when you want to develop in assembly, then there is a huge differnce.
HP provides a pretty good set of free tools for PC users for this, fully
documented.  Very well documented, too.  GNU has a C++ compiler for linux
(I'm not sure if there's a dos or windows version but I think there is)
for 48 development.  They also have an improved version of the HP assembly
development tools.

And then there is Jazz.  It is a program, a very large one, written by
a guy in Finland named Mika Heiskanen for assembly and sysrpl development
on the GX itself.  It can't be used in a 48G, the GX is required and even
with the GX you really need a 128k ram card to make it practical.  By that
time you have a sizable investment so this isnt cheap, even though the
program is free.  This is the truly elegant development system which
includes an editor, assembler, disassembler and fully symbolic debugger.
They work well and they work together beautifully.  This thing really
makes the HP shine.

I said this was just an example and it is.  If you compare the 2 machines
right out of the box, it's just a matter of which one you like best.  I
like the HP and you like the TI and that's just fine.  There is a huge
collection of very high quality HP programs on the internet, as good as
Jazz.  That just happens to be the one I know best.  There are stack
enhancers that modify and improve the operation of the HP.  There are
really good spreadsheet programs.  Math programs.  PIM stuff.  There are
aviavtion programs with moving maps for navigation aids.  All sorts of
really high quality software.  That's what makes the HP great.   Otherwise
it's just a calculator.

Now, if you guys want the TI to be better than the HP, make it better.
The difference isn't in the calculator.  It's in what you do with it.
I've been around this group long enough to know theres real talent here.
Games are fine but do some real stuff.

Barry
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