TI-H: Re: Fargo
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Obviously you haven't really read the message.
Look below...
----------
: From: kyeanopl@AST.LMCO.COM
: To: Zenon
: Subject: Re: Fargo
: Date: November 10, 1996 10:08 AM
:
:
: >>Wow, a game. (The HP48 has one built into ROM, by the way).
: >>Just as ZShell is to the TI85, I suspect that Fargo's real
: >>attraction is the whole slew of useless calculator games which
:
: >I guess you haven't really looked at even the TI-85s lately.
: >There are power tools that are probably beyond your scope of
: >understanding. It's just that the graphical interface assembly
: >offers inspires more programmers to program what they like versus
: >what is needed. The programmers are partly at fault, and, with
: >that many games out there, who could resist? If you could come
: >up with a good program for TI assembly, maybe we'd hail you...
:
: Well, whatever it is that you're trying to say here is beyond
: the scope of my understanding. Since you won't offer any specifics,
: I will. I just looked at the ZShell program archive at ticalc.org,
: and I see very little which could be called a "power tool". The
: facts are that the ZShell archive is overwhelmingly made up of
: games and similar useless junk. See for yourself:
:
: 3dviewer.zip 3d stereogram generator
: astddemo.zip Asteroids 2042 (v1.0)
: basecnv.zip Base Converter (v1.0)
: bball.zip Bouncing Ball
: bdash10.zip BoulderDash 1.0 Final
: bgwav.zip Brian Gray .WAV pack
: bjack.zip BlackJack (v1.1)
: bombard.zip Bombardment (v1.0)
: boneyard.zip Bone Yard (v1.0)
: boxes.zip Boxes (v1.0)
: brkout50.zip Super Breakout (v5.0)
: calcoff2.zip Turns off the calculator (v1.0)
: caves40.zip Caves (v4.0)
: chemlib1.zip ChemLib: Periodic Table, Lanth/Actinoid...
: .03)
: chess12.zip Chess (v1.2)
: columns3.zip Columns (v3.0)
: compiler.zip Compile ZShell programs on the calculator...
: comrad.zip Comrad (v0.1)
: contrast.zip Contrast Changer
: crunch.zip Crunch (v2.5b)
: daedalus.zip Daedalus - 3D raycasting engine
: debugger.zip Interrupt Debugger
: eblepack.zip Original ZShell games by Dan Eble
: etch.zip Etch-A-Sketch (v1.0)
: eyes10.zip Eye animation
: fakeos.zip Fake Memory Clearing Program (beta)
: froggies.zip Froggies (v1.01)
: gamepak2.zip More of Dan Eble's ZShell games
: globe.zip Spinning globe
: grafwrit.zip Graf-Write, writes text on the Graph screen
: greenday.zip Green Day converted WAV
: gwiz.zip Game Wizard cheating aid (v0.9)
: hexview.zip Hex RAM Viewer (v0.1)
: hidezshl.zip Hide ZShell (v1.1)
: imperial.zip Star Wars Imperial March theme player
: insane.zip Insane - challenging puzzle game (v1.2)
: intzs.zip Interrupt ZShell launcher and utilities
: invader.zip Invader (unfinished beta)
: itest.zip Interrupt demo
: jezzball.zip JezzBall (v2.1)
: jonwv.zip Weak version of Weave
: kclock85.zip Key Code Lock 85 with encryption (v3.5)
: klearmem.zip KlearMem - fake memory reset (v5.0)
: knight.zip Knight (v2.0)
: labby2.zip Labby (v2.0)
: life.zip Life (beta)
: link82.zip TI-82 to TI-85 linking utilities
: link92.zip TI-92 to TI-85 linking utilities
: look.zip A little demo with some nice gfx
: lr18.zip Lode Runner (v1.8)
: magic.zip Compiler utility
: maze.zip MazeMania (v1.0)
: mcmiks.zip M.C. Miks (v1.0+)
: meister.zip Meister Mind (v1.201)
: menutxt.zip MenuText (v1.1)
: minehunt.zip MineHunt (like the HP48 game)
: mutiny2.zip Mutiny2 (v1.0)
: nibbles.zip Nibbles (v1.1)
: organise.zip Organiser update (v2.2)
: othello2.zip Othello2 (v1.0)
: password.zip PassWord protection program
: pic2gray.zip Pic2Gray - 8 grayscale pic program
: plainjmp.zip Plain-Jump (v1.0)
: playwav.zip Play a .WAV file on your calc...
: pool.zip Pool (v1.0)
: popchar.zip PopChar, inserts extended characters...
: protect!.zip Protect! - password protection program...
: pwbreak.zip Displays PWProt password
: pwbreak2.zip Displays PassWord password
: pwp124.zip PWProt (v1.24)
: raid.zip Raid (v1.0)
: reader.zip Data Reader (v2.1)
: record.zip Records sound from link port
: recustom.zip Change ZShell's CUSTM menu location
: remote92.zip Use TI-92 via remote mode
: ricochet.zip Ricochet (v1.0)
: rinistys.zip Rinistys - demo presented at Asm'96
: road.zip Road - Racing game (0.5b)
: scrcap2.zip Screen Capture Program v2
: scroll40.zip Scrolls (v4.0)
: snooper.zip Snooper (alpha)
: speedgam.zip SpeedGame (v0.1b)
: spw1b2.zip Spacewar (v1.0 beta 2)
: sqrxz.zip Sqrxz game (v0.1)
: talk.zip Talk (v2.1)
: tetris45.zip Tetris (v4.5)
: tiascii.zip ASCII displayer (v1.0)
: tictac.zip Tic Tac Toe (v1.0)
: tiles20.zip Tiles (v2.0)
: tilogo2.zip TI-Logo 2
: toad.zip Toad Stomp (v0.1)
: toggles.zip Toggles (v1.0)
: trimnt01.zip TriMounts (v0.1)
: tube.zip A simple game - steer through the tube
: turboslo.zip TurboSlow - slow turboed calcs under Zshell
: um.zip Ulterior Motive, execute ZShell programs..
: unlockit.zip UnLockIt - helps crack Master locks (v1.0b)
: vidpoker.zip Video Poker (v1.0)
: weave33.zip Weave (v3.3)
: xc1701.zip XC-1701 v1.3 - grayscale with new enemies
: xmem.zip XMem Memory Unresetter (v0.5)
: zbasic.zip Execute ZShell programs from TI-BASIC (v0.5b)
: zbike13.zip ZBike (v1.3)
: zcasino.zip ZCasino - blackjack and poker (v0.9b)
: zgenie.zip ZGenie (v1.3.7)
: zjoust20.zip ZJoust (v2.0)
: zpong201.zip ZPong (v2.01)
: ztetris.zip ZTetris (v1.1)
As I said, more authors are interested in programming games instead.
ZShell is not at fault, just the programmers. ZShell can be as useful as
any computer program.
:
: >>If you can figure out how to connect your TI-92 to an external
: >>modem? Pretty big if, since the TI92 has no standard RS-232
:
: >There are electronic engineers in these mailing lists that can
: >perform miracles, which a bunch of them are already making a
: >modem for TI-85s and TI-92s. Too bad it will beat the HP at
: >its speed. Anything you can argue about that?
:
: Nope, it's hard to argue with someone who's talking out of his
: butt (again). "Too bad it will beat the HP at its speed"?
: Care to back that up with some facts, like the actual transfer
As a matter of fact, sure. It transfers at 9600 baud and, if you don't use
a modem for anything else besides messages and games, obviously, you will
not find any use in a modem. Many more people have more actual use for a
modem.
: rate? And even if it is faster, my original point was that it
: is hard to come up with a legitimate use for a calculator
: connected to a modem - interesting as a novelty, but hardly
: useful.
:
: >>Can anybody help me out here and post what kinds of things
: >>they're planning to do with their TI92 once Fargo is released?
: >>
: >>Like:
: >>Expand the calculator's RAM to 1.256Mb? Add a clock, alarms,
:
: >boy are you out of it! A RAM Extender is being built that holds
: >4MBs for less than $100! Does the HP have that? I DON'T THINK SO!
:
: What does this have to do with Fargo?? You completely missed the
: whole point of my post, which was to ask how a Fargo-equipped TI92
The RAM Extender can only be activated BY Fargo or ZShell, so that's what
it has to do with Fargo.
: was going to outperform (functionality-wise) an HP48. As expected,
: I've received a bunch of flames and emotional upchuck, but not so
: much as one reply which indicates how Fargo is going to improve
: the basic functionality of the TI92.
If you aren't sure how it will improve the TI-92 then you sure don't know
computers. Whatever it is programmed to do it will do. Capice?
:
: >>and date arithmetic? Add a speaker? Add infrared file transfer
:
: >who needs a clock in there anyways when you got a WATCH!? WHAT ARE
: >THOSE THINGS YOU HAVE ON YOUR WRIST FOR?! Speakers eh? Well,
: >that's already OUT IF YOU DIDN'T NOTICE! Much easier to attatch
: >than to the HP! And Infrared eh? Well, IR as well as radio links
: >are being made, and since the ports speed is 9600bps, it's probably
: >much more efficient than the old, outdated HP. Worthless junk.
:
: Your ignorance is showing. A built-in clock is useful for setting
: alarms which control program execution, and for allowing date
Look, you obviously don't use a watch. Do you know why people sell them?
: arithmetic like finding the number of days between any two
: arbitrary dates. And how can your external speaker be much
: easier to attach the the *internal* HP speaker, as the
The internal speaker is of no value if it is to annoy people during tests
or classtime or whatever. With the external type, you may attatch
earphones onto it and listen to your sound privately.
: HP speaker requires no "attachment" at all? And to quell some
: some talk out the ole anus, the amazing 9600bps IR port speed
: of which you speak is the same rate at which the "old, outdated HP"
: operates at today. "Worthless junk"? Maybe. Worthless talk?
: Definitely.
Don't you think you're talking worthless junk as well? The 9600bps can at
least be used in some legitamate way compared to the HP one where you say
it is not useful with a modem. Too bad.
:
: >>capability? Add an equation library? Add card slots? Drop
:
: >With assembly, anything's possible, especially with the nice
: >processor! And who needs card slots when the thing can use anything
: >through the link port?
:
: No, anything is not possible if the basic hardware won't support
: your end goal. See, this is exactly my point - everyone seems to
: think that Fargo is some kind of panacea which will cure cancer
: and beat the HP's. And, as you said above, the work is being
Well, computers use assembly, see where its gotten them? I'll bet you
wouldn't be writing this mail if you didn't believe in computers would you
now? You'd probably be home trying desperately to type up a message that
can be transfered from your powerful HP calc via modem to the net eh?
Pretty lame...
: done by "a bunch of electronic engineers on this mailing list".
: You can believe whatever you want, but why exactly would "a bunch
: of electronic engineers" spend their time tinkering with a
: calculator on their own time and for no profit?? Ain't going
: to happen.
Some people like to contribute their time to help other people, and not
just take everthing in and not give. Obviously, you expect things from
people without return. If you had any generosity left in you, you'd
produce things for the good of other people as well. Nothing is needed in
return but their happiness. You don't understand, do you?
:
: >>Drop the QWERTY keyboard so that it can be used on college
: >>entrance exams?
:
: >The QWERTY keyboard is an improvement over conventional ones
: >since it probably helps with experienced computer users and
: >only uses that because
: >it comes closer to a computer than the HP does.
: >It signifies its power.
:
: The QWERTY keyboard signifies its power? Are you serious?
: Emotional blathering aside, all it really does is render
: the machine unusable for many entrance exams, courses, tests,
: etc.
Maybe so, but if that was the case, I don't think it would be disallowed
from tests. It's only prohibited because it's too powerful for it.
:
: >>If Fargo's purpose in life is to slay the HP, it had better
: >>find a more capable machine with which to do it.
:
: >If that ain't capable enough, I'd really hate to see what the
: >HP's like.
:
: Look, the point is simply this: Fargo will no doubt plug some
: basic holes in the TI92's functionality, but it can't make gold
: out of lead. If everyone would take a deep breath and look at
I wouldn't call the HP "gold". It would lend gold a bad name.
: what Fargo is likely to do (or not do) for them, maybe all this
: crying and bitching about release dates would stop.
I haven't been "bitchin" about the release of Fargo and I don't think
anyone else should, but get this straight: juse because Fargo is the
beginning of the anihilation of the HP, doesn't mean it stinks. It stinks
only because it can gain even more ground over the already lesser HP calc;
it's just called jealousy.
:
: And to my buddy "Zenon", some advice: "it's better to keep your
: mouth shut and look foolish than it is to open it and remove all
: doubt".
Don't you think it applies to you as well? Or are you oblivious to the way
the world works? Open your eyes and look around. Maybe you'll actually
learn something from these groups.
:
: --
: Karl E. Yeanoplos
: Denver, CO
: kyeanopl@ast.lmco.com
References: