Re: Newbie
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> After stumbling upon ticalc.org, I have become interested in buying a
> TI-85. I've been wanting to learn assembly for quite awhile, and this
> seems like the best way. I have a few questions before I open my
If you just want to learn assembly language, it would probably be better
for you to get a decent assembler and a book on x86 (or whatever) assembly
language and learn on a computer rather than a TI-85/ZShell. Look for
WASM. It's a really nice, shareware, x86 assembler. Borland's Turbo
Assembler (TASM, not to be confused with the Table Assembler) is also very
nice, and Microsoft's Assembler (MASM) is very popular, although I've never
used it.
> If I go to Wal-Mart or K-Mart and buy a TI-85, would I most likely get
> the latest ROM? I want to use ZShell (the WHOLE purpose) and it would be
> stupid trying to explain to the return person that "mine has the
> incorrct ROM but that one right there just might."
The likelihood of you getting an incompatible ROM version (3.0, I think),
is very small. All the TI-85's that my friends have purchased in the
recent future have been ROM 10's and mine which was purchased two years ago
was a ROM 9. If you get a ROM 3.0, just return it.
A good place to get calculators is Educalc. They have a mail order
catelog, a web page, a BBS, and a small walk-in store just a mile from my
house. (-: Go to http://www.educalc.com/ for their webpage.
> What stuff do I need to do it? I have a Pentium with W95. I know there
> is some Link cable to connect to the calculator. Is ZShell freeware?
The Pentium with W95 is fine. Build yourself a "$4.00 serial link"
(http://www.edm.net/tobin/TI/TI-85.html) and get Connect85, or buy a
GraphLink85 from Texas Instruments for $50+. I think ZShell is freeware.
At least, you don't have to pay for it.
> Sadly enough, I have never owned a TI-8x caculator so I also don't know
> TI-BASIC. What is a good toutorial for me? I know QBASIC fairly well.
> (come to http://cswnet.com/~wtjones/index.html and try some programs)
The manual that comes with the calculator should get you started
programming in TI-basic pretty well.
<pre>
--
Tobin Fricke
tobin@mail.edm.net
http://www.edm.net/tobin
http://tqd.advanced.org/3615
</pre>
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