TI-H: Re: Reform


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TI-H: Re: Reform




I write long, so if you want the big idea for this post, read my last 
paragraph first. Then read the beginning if you like.
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I always got a kick thinking about crazy ideas and cool addons. I didn't 
care how stupid or simple they may have been, nor have I ever cared 
about how dificult a project would be.

If  would have listened to the complaints and teases, the SPinTerface 
port would surely not exist. I realize that it is simple and redundant, 
but it still makes so much more possible. It is a standardized way to 
connect to the link port and power supply simultaneously. Some people 
said it would be better to make it 8-pin, and even though it would have 
been better, people had been building them as 10-pin ports for quite 
some time. Making them otherwise would have been defeating it's purpose.

I have seen countless IR links and claims of IR links, half of which 
probably barely bork or only transmit one way or something like that. I 
don't care. They are cool, not because they don't work perfectly, but 
because the people had an idea and tried.

Some people don't have the resources to create projects on their own. 
Others, like me, don't have a clue as to how to make a driver cause we 
don't know ASM. Others don't have the time. Some aren't good with the 
soldering iron, but are great with the assembly.

How about we work together on projects rather than say how difficult it 
would be. I would rather try and fail than never try it. I have designed 
so many devices, but I couldn't find anyone to make drivers, so I 
ditched them. My only devices being made are the backlight, SPinTerface 
port, and the battery expander, and AC adaptor. I build temp sensors, 
Sound cartridges, ESF and EuPs, and a few other things, but those are 
the devices that have been created. There have been almost NO NEW 
DEVICES LATELY! We are debating on things totaly unrelated. I brought up 
interfacing to the ADB port and people jump in on the "Will MacOS run on 
Intel???" That is definitely not TI related. 

I think we need to be more open with the stuff too. we worry about 
people coping our source code for a microcontroller. Then we complain 
about not having enough time to make the things. I think microcontroller 
source files should be posted to ticalc.org so people with the equipment 
could make their own chips. I realize that there were inceedents that 
were problematic to our trust, but we need to SHARE ideas or they won't 
develope. We would need to keep the source standardized, soo if there is 
some read protection option on the files, then it could be possible to 
send them safe. People who want to develope the code could ask 
permission from the original coder. This would mean any one could make 
the equipment themselves. All drivers should have puplicly posted 
source. How can you expect development if you won't do it yourselves and 
you won't give it out, don't complain. We are so worried about others 
coping stuff. IF ANYONE COPIES, thier code would be seen and it would be 
obvious that it was copied. Action could then be taken.

We are also so worried about how little time we have, that we say 
something is impossible or infeasible if it doesn't fit our time slot. 
Maybe there are people willing to give up time over a long period to 
make something possible. Maybe we could ask if anyone is interested and 
then form development teams, taking comments and suggestions from the 
others as well. Try stuff. If it doesn't work, then you know. You don't 
need to speculate anymore. I once wrote an update for a Mortal Kombat 
clone for TI-82 BASIC. It was fast, had cool graphics (cool for basic, 
but then again, I've seen ASM with cheaper graphics), and had lots of 
features. I soon added other features such as saving your game and full 
screen animated finishing moves. It was awesome, but it got slower each 
time I added something. I realized that if I finnished the link mode, It 
would be unbearable. You'd NEED a turbo upgrade for it! I looked at the 
program for stuff I could take out, but everything was important, but 
then I realized that the software was designed for the ORIGINAL short 
loop. It was never designed for that much data. I reallized then that I 
could shorten the loop and make multiple ones, that individualy would 
run faster. I never did it because I realy got into the hardware stuff, 
but I was glad to know I could do it.

Everyone was saying how slow a mouse would be, but has it been DONE yet. 
Everyone says how hard an IR link would be. It has been done before on 
profesional devices, and circuits probably exist, but we don't KNOW 
about them. We need to try stuff, not cry about how tough it is to do it 
or say there's no way to do it quickly. The Apple Lisa was a mere 5 MHz. 
That is slower than a calc. It had a mouse, a 720x300 something screen, 
1 or 2 disk drives, and a GUI, and it ran. It was slow, but what do you 
expect. People are asking for a simple mouse or trackpad that has 3 
pieces of data. x,y, and button. If you're that worried about space and 
you don't think a trackpad uses low enough power, you could connect a 
cheap TRS-80 joystick to an Analog to Digital converter that uses I2C or 
something. You could use a PIC (oh forget PIC cause they suck, use the 
AWESOME AVR instead!).

Here is what we NEED to do. DON'T send a response if it won't help 
development of a device. THAT MEANS NO flames, insults, claims that it's 
impossible, or claims it isn't worth the time. No more debates over 
unrelated topics, no more OS's, no more debates on the future of Macs 
and PCs. No more complaints about hotmail screwing up, cause sometimes 
it does, sometimes you forget something and quick click stop and you're 
too late. No more complaints about how that signature takes a whole 400 
bytes or how it takes 4 more seconds to load the old text from previous 
messages. Lets keep it to Hardware for TI calcs, and hardware that 
allows TI calcs to connect to other devices. If you have a comment on a 
signature, a complaint on something else, TAKE IT TO PRIVATE E-MAIL. If 
you do respond, do you realy want to know you're thestart of another 
non-TI debate or a flame war??? Come on people! lets do this right. I 
have said before. THIS IS A HOBBY! I like doing this stuff, but I can't 
do everything. Chris was right we need reform! We have forgotten about 
our hobby and run off the topic. 

Richard Piotter

E-Mail:
richfiles1@hotmail.com
richfiles@usa.net

The Richfiles:
<A 
HREF="http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Lakes/5081/Richfiles.html">The 
Richfiles TI Page</A>
<A HREF="http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Lair/8510/Richfiles.html">The 
Richfiles Model Building Page</A>


>This will probably be one of my last posts on this list.  I have seen a 
serious degradation in the attitude of this hobby.

>	When I signed onto the list, I expected it to be a place where people 
would share ideas and work together in order to enhance the 
TI-calculators in general, with the "veterans" aiding the less 
experienced.  I had originally been proven correct.

>	However, I saw things go to crap pretty quickly.
>I will regret having left this community, but the lack of cohesion has 
gone too far.

>Christopher Kalos

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