From: cohen@GOMEZ.phys.virginia.edu
Subject: Re: NCTIS report
Reply-To: cohen@GOMEZ.phys.virginia.edu
Organization: Dept. of Physics, University of Virginia
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1993 17:48:12 GMT

>In article <1jp9seINNbqj@mailgzrz.TU-Berlin.DE>, willi@zrzsp5.chem.tu-berlin.de (Winfried Winkler) writes:
>>
>>I mentioned DD-diskcontrollers, because for some programs it is really "a pain
>>in the ass" :-> to use'em with SD-drives only -- or very annoying for the one
>>who's writing software to assume only SD-disks available...
>>In the first category  FunlWeb, TI-ArtistPlus, etc come to my mind.
>>About the second category:  Remember that Graphics-Adventure "Legends" ?
>> It had to open a "dummy"file for read and check error-conditions very often
>> if it was loading one of *several* sub-files with additional data... 
>> Just to find out, wether the right (single density) disk was in the drive.
>> (It could've read disknames or similar things  to stay "fool-proof"...)
>>As Text/Data on adventure-type games or graphics (at least for VDP9938!) fill 
>>up a 720 sector-disk very soon sometimes - do you agree? - I think it would at
>>least be easier to assume DD-disks for "D2" or "E" Level, too !
>>That "check for which disk" could be eliminated or completely different, faster
>>(sector-based, for example) options only available with DD could be used.
>>Comments ?
>
>Yes.  Any program should be unprotected and best sold on a set of 1S-1D 
>diskettes.  users with higher disk capacity, RAM disks, HD's, etc. can transfer
>the files to their choice of disk format.  Thus users with original TI issue
>disk system can still use the programs, and those with more advanced capacities
>will have an easier time.  But this is NOT a new level of hardware.
>
>[It is really annoying to find a little 20K program on a protected disk,
>not being able to transfer it anywhere, but I think this is the legacy of the
>past.  At least all those protected programs were doomed to be forgotten
>in favor of unprotected ones.  Who is still using the Quality 99 Software
>disks?  they published dozens of programs on heavily-protected diskettes,
>many of the programs were very small (one pathetic example was an XB 
>autoloader... can you imagine that small thing on it own protecteed disk? :-);
>seems to me they spent more time on protection schemes than on S/W development!
>Now they are museum pieces.]
>
>If you adopt  DD controllers as a new level, you get into a real chaos.  Soon
>people with HRD-4000 will ask for support of 1-2 Meg RAMdisks, etc.
>
>Perhaps you could say that HD's are a new level, like they have changed the
>programs for in the PC world, but since most people do not use those, and there
>are so many problems with them, they are best left as an option as well.
>
>>
>>>> shouldn't be a GRAM-device on that list, too ?
>>Anything *I* learned about GPL I got from one book stating:
>>"Anything in this book comes from hand-analysing the ROM-Code and, after being
>>able to program a disassembler for GPL, hand-analysing some GROMs ..."
>>By the way:  as this book seems to be long out of print -
>>   what about making the (uncommented, as I will not translate and 
>>   type all these german comments in !!) complete GROM #0,1,2 and
>>   console ROM sourcecodes, similar to the ones in this book available ? 
>>   (I could post it as TIED-Archiver file, ready-to-assemble)
>
>You are undoubtedly talking about "TI INTERN".  There is an english translation
>of this book.  It is also available on disk as TI-Writer text files from
>some Users Groups.
>
>>But back to our topic :->
>>You've "level E" for Geneve ... well there's a GRAM device already so wide-spread
>>and compatible to another TI99-GRAM (MG's GRAM-Cracker?) !
>
>And also the Gramulator and the P-GRAM card (both in production and readily
>available).  All are GK compatible.
>
>>There are already several GPL Free/Fairware programs available, from austrian and
>>german, as well as some american users, their number is growing and may grow even
>
>What are these programs?  In the US there is very little software in that arena.
>I think OPA is the only software house that supports GPL.
>
>>Isn't there a copy of TI's own "GPL Manual" floating around at some user groups ?
>
>Yes.  There is also a TEX file to print this complete book, but I have not been
>able to find it yet.
>The book is about as thick as the EDT/ASM manual...
>
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