Re: Release of Fargo


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Re: Release of Fargo



More like about their DEC Alpha 1GHz computers vs. the Sun UltraSparc
computers!  But that doesn't matter, because we're, besides bragging,
trying to look at facts to determine which calculator is better, despite
the biased opinions.


"This is the most logical route, Captain"
-= Zenon@bbs.nexes.com =-


----------
: From: clehado@CRIS.COM
: To: Zenon
: Subject: Re: Release of Fargo
: Date: November 10, 1996 8:22 AM
:
:
: Enough about the HPs and TIs. You guys sound like little kids bragging
: about their Segas and Nintendos.
:
: ----------
: | From: Paul M. Bruner <z_brunerpm@TITAN.SFASU.EDU>
: | To: CALC-TI@LISTS.PPP.TI.COM
: | Subject: Re: Release of Fargo
: | Date: Sunday, November 10, 1996 2:36 AM
: |
: | well, consed that the hp is only 4 mhz and the 10mhz and 32 bit
: | processing of the ti-92 makes it have more raw power!
: |
: | -Paul Bruner
: |
: |
: | On Sat, 9 Nov 1996, Karl E. Yeanoplos wrote:
: |
: | > > are the not some one hwo live near David E.
: | > > Hwo could wake him up ?
: | >
: | > > DAVID IF U ARE READING THIS PLEASE FINISH FARGO THERE ARE A LOT
: | > > OF HPs OUT THERE!!
: | >
: | > Amidst all the whining about Fargo, a post like this comes along
: | > which has to make you shake your head.
: | >
: | > Is this why everyone is so impatient for the release of Fargo -
: | > so that their TI92's can somehow be magically transformed into
: | > "HP-killers"?  What exactly is Fargo going to do which will make
: | > the TI92 superior to "all those HP's out there"?
: | >
: | > From the description of Fargo which I've read at ticalc.org,
: | > there is absolutely nothing that Fargo can do for the TI92
: | > which will give it any advantage at all over the HP48. Maybe
: | > it's all the great extras which will be released with Fargo,
: | > like (from ticalc.org):
: | >
: | >
: | > > 1) An MS-DOS program to support both the parallel and serial
: | > > homemade link cables.
: | >
: | > So?  Both the TI92 and the HP48 can do this out-of-the-box.
: | >
: | > > 2) A group of text files categorizing (virtually) everything
: | > > we've found out about the internals of the TI-92...
: | >
: | > OK, this may make for interesting reading, but what new
: | > functionality does it add?
: | >
: | > > 3) FTris, a Fargo game based on GameBoy Tetris. The speed,
: | > > scoring, and game play are equivalent to GameBoy version.
: | >
: | > 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
: | > will become possible following its release.
: | >
: | > > 4) FTerm, a communications program for the TI-92. FTerm can be
: | > > used to dial BBSes if you can figure out how
: | > > to connect your TI-92 to an external modem.
: | >
: | > 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
: | > serial port.  The HP48, on the other hand, does, and people have
: | > sucessfully connected their HP's to external modems.  The
: | > only problem is that things are so slow as to be unuseable.
: | > Though the TI92's processor is faster than the HP48's for doing
: | > certain tasks, the situation would be no different for a
: | > "connected" TI92.  Let's face it - this has value as a novelty
: | > only.  What useful purpose would a slow, RAM-limited device like
: | > a calculator (any calculator) have once connected to a real
: | > computer?
: | >
: | > > 5) Some compilable sample source code to show how Fargo
: | > > programs are written.
: | >
: | > Regarding the HP48, this info has been available from HP for
: | > years.  Unlike TI, HP has done a good job of making available
: | > the information and the tools to write assembly language
: | > programs for its HP48 series.
: | >
: | > > 6) Everything you need to compile your own Fargo programs
: | > > on a PC.
: | >
: | > Available via ftp for the HP48, or included with any number of
: | > "how-to" manuals written by some of the same people who
: | > developed the HP48.
: | >
: | > So, once again I have to ask what is Fargo going to do for
: | > the TI92 which will propel it head and shoulders above "all
: | > those HP's out there"?  Seems to me that, with the exception
: | > of its excellent symbolic calculus routines, a "Fargo-ed"
: | > TI92 will only be playing catch up to the HP48.  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,
: | > and date arithmetic?  Add a speaker?  Add infrared file transfer
: | > capability?  Add an equation library?  Add card slots?  Drop
: | > the QWERTY keyboard so that it can be used on college entrance
: | > exams?
: | >
: | > No, I didn't think so...
: | > If Fargo's purpose in life is to slay the HP, it had better
: | > find a more capable machine with which to do it.
: | >
: | > --
: | > Karl E. Yeanoplos
: | > Denver, CO
: | > kyeanopl@ast.lmco.com
: | >


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