sparkdrummer Posted February 6, 2018 Author Share Posted February 6, 2018 Everything in the newsletters I publish is all "OLD NEWS". I did this by design because Shift838 produces a newsletter that reports all the latest and greatest things happening in the TI world. I have an absolute TON of material from old user group newsletters, magazines,etc. They are all in a digital format so I can manipulate them easily. The newsletter is composed entirely on a TI-99/4A system using PAGE PRO as my primary publishing tool. Once I have put an issue to bed I send it via RS232 to my PC that is right by my TI system to be produced as a pdf. THIS IS my greatest fun using my TI system - pushing it as far as I can to make a good reading and good looking(hopefully) newsletter. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omega-TI Posted February 6, 2018 Share Posted February 6, 2018 I thought Shift838 stopped making his. I've not seen anything new from him in quite a while. Maybe he will pop in confirming or denying. If he's stopped someone could pick up the slack, if not we'll be sure not to step on his toes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkdrummer Posted February 14, 2018 Author Share Posted February 14, 2018 MAR18.pdf 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omega-TI Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 MAR18.pdf I love the image on next months calendar! Besides that, which actually happened to me once, I'm too impatient for that methods speed and have too little space to store them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinphaltimus Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 In issue YN_03_02 - Mini Memory - the last section talks about not being able to run some programs from cassette due to the disk system and VDP.So far, I haven't experienced this with anything I've loaded from tape yet. Is there an example program where this issue and MiniMemory solution can be demonstrated? I'm just curious. I found that article really interesting. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkdrummer Posted February 14, 2018 Author Share Posted February 14, 2018 Omega - That has actually happened to me as well - Way back in the day when all I had was cassettes for storage. Me being the screwball that I am - I still like cassettes and floppy disks - I guess it's the intrinsic value of having them and using them. Sinphaltimus - I will look in my files - but I'd bet there is a programmer or two on here that can answer that question quite well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Opry99er Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 Atlantis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airshack Posted February 15, 2018 Share Posted February 15, 2018 I read with much interest the article about mini memory, because I bought one of these recently. The article describes the undocumented EXPMEM1, but says nothing about its limitations. It seems to me that it does not work for storing BASIC programs, but only for data files. But I am not sure about my finding, it might be that my minimemory is not working reliably. I'd like to know more about EXPMEM1. Did you replaced the aged battery inside your mini-Memory cart? There's threads around here somewhere on the topic... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airshack Posted February 15, 2018 Share Posted February 15, 2018 Everything in the newsletters I publish is all "OLD NEWS". I did this by design because Shift838 produces a newsletter that reports all the latest and greatest things happening in the TI world. I have an absolute TON of material from old user group newsletters, magazines,etc. They are all in a digital format so I can manipulate them easily. The newsletter is composed entirely on a TI-99/4A system using PAGE PRO as my primary publishing tool. Once I have put an issue to bed I send it via RS232 to my PC that is right by my TI system to be produced as a pdf. THIS IS my greatest fun using my TI system - pushing it as far as I can to make a good reading and good looking(hopefully) newsletter. If you went to a TI Users Group meeting in 1983 and abducted the newsletter guy, froze him for 35 years, then thawed him out... you would have my man Sparkdrummer. Old News is his thing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinphaltimus Posted February 15, 2018 Share Posted February 15, 2018 Atlantis This is one I can demonstrate that VDP info with? I'll have to put that on my list of things to test someday. I guess what I'm trying to understand is this: If tape stored programs are limited to 11k max, how could there not be enough VDP available in order to take advantage of the minimem work around? Yes, I'm thinking unexpanded console but you would think at bare minimum any tape program should work without issue unless there are things within a program that could eat up VDP only after they are run? Not sure I understand completely. And also, could the same limitation issue happen on an expanded console? Yeah I know VDP doesn't get expanded with 32k - not same ram and all. I'm just trying to figure out why such a program would exist in the first place? For someone without a minimem or the knowledge of the workaround, it could be frustrating unless ATLANTIS requires a MMM? It would only make sense to me if the program is publish with MMM as a requirement is what I'm saying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+9640News Posted February 15, 2018 Share Posted February 15, 2018 In issue YN_03_02 - Mini Memory - the last section talks about not being able to run some programs from cassette due to the disk system and VDP. So far, I haven't experienced this with anything I've loaded from tape yet. Is there an example program where this issue and MiniMemory solution can be demonstrated? I'm just curious. I found that article really interesting. I wrote a program (Pacman) in extended basic and saved it to cassette. When I got my first standalone disk drive (not sure if I already had prior a standalone 32K), I had a really hard time getting the program from cassette to diskette because the program was just too big. The little bit of extra memory the disk drive took up, was just enough to cause the program to not load. I eventually broke the program up into a couple of pieces and tried merging one into the other. That was over 35 years ago, so I do not recall with certainty if I was able to restore the program back to its original state and save it to floppy. Basically, my program had a lot of GCHAR and VCHAR statements in it taking up a lot of memory due to character definitions. That was my first attempt at a program for the TI. The monsters chased you around on the screen trying to move in the shortest direction possible. If you were below them, you could trap them on turns until you went above them or went to the other side. They would not "roam" on their own. In hindsight now, I probably should have added a random function to their path of travel. Beery 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+9640News Posted February 15, 2018 Share Posted February 15, 2018 Right now, I am assuming it was written in extended basic. It may have been basic, and I was trying to bring it into extended basic as well with the floppy disk system. Beery Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinphaltimus Posted February 15, 2018 Share Posted February 15, 2018 Yes, I think that's the point I forgot. It is the disk drives taking up extra ram that causes this - The entire ;purpose of the work around. It makes sense now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omega-TI Posted February 15, 2018 Share Posted February 15, 2018 Yes, I think that's the point I forgot. It is the disk drives taking up extra ram that causes this - The entire ;purpose of the work around. It makes sense now. Have you ever used the HDX without the FDC? BARE BONES TI-99/4A in Extended BASIC Memory with TI FDC installed Memory size WITHOUT the TI-FDC but with the 32K installed You pick up a 2,088. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ti99iuc Posted February 15, 2018 Share Posted February 15, 2018 is this the why of the CALL FILES (0) in Classic99 emulator maybe ? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinphaltimus Posted February 15, 2018 Share Posted February 15, 2018 No I haven't. Funny tho' before my upgrade on my other computer, I was running low on ram due to disk drive and hard drive buffers. So this completely makes sense to me now. A bit slow I know but there is a literal CLICK sound in my brain when it finally clicks. And it finally clicked, dunno if you heard it - it's not very loud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tursi Posted February 15, 2018 Share Posted February 15, 2018 is this the why of the CALL FILES (0) in Classic99 emulator maybe ? Yes. Classic99 doesn't use the TI disk controller so it doesn't need to allocate any VDP space. However, to be compatible with some software, it needs to reserve the same amount of space anyway. CALL FILES() on the Classic99 DSR thus reserves the equivalent space, but it doesn't use it for anything. CALL FILES(0), which doesn't work on the TI disk controller, reserves the equivalent of 0 disk file buffers, so has the same memory layout as cassette only (but disk still works). The down side is that if you create a file in this configuration and save it, it may not be able to load on a physical disk system (but should load fine from cassette if you get it converted ). This transfer to physical disk systems was why I implemented the CALL FILES method at all -- the earlier versions of Classic99 never did. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+RXB Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 Strange my post is not here? Ok well RXB 2018 does have CALL FILES(0) just so you know this is actually a option. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Count9929A Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 Did you replaced the aged battery inside your mini-Memory cart? There's threads around here somewhere on the topic... No I didn't replace it yet. But I don't think it is related to EXPMEM1 not working because: EXPMEM1 is in the 32k memory expansion, so not connected to the mini-memory ram if EXPMEM1 would work, it would only do it with power on, so not related to battery EXPMEM1 is undocumented, so it smells like something that TI planned but was unable to make it work I think I have read somewhere somebody else reporting that you can save but not read back BASIC programs on EXPMEM1, but I can't find the reference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkdrummer Posted March 1, 2018 Author Share Posted March 1, 2018 YN_03_03.pdf YN_03_03.DSK Rainman loves this game. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Schmitzi Posted March 3, 2018 Share Posted March 3, 2018 Hi, what is the "MyArc DSQD FDC" ? Is it the modded DDCC-1 ? xXx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkdrummer Posted March 5, 2018 Author Share Posted March 5, 2018 Schmitzi - Yes, It is a Myarc FDC with the 80 track eprom installed. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkdrummer Posted March 16, 2018 Author Share Posted March 16, 2018 APR18.pdf It's what's inside that counts - including beige... 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omega-TI Posted March 17, 2018 Share Posted March 17, 2018 Sparkdrummer, Just to let you know, all your hard work is being well cared for... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkdrummer Posted March 17, 2018 Author Share Posted March 17, 2018 That's way cool Omega - Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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