majestyx

This user helped repair a few of my TI-99s and also purchased a TI-99/4 + Mini Memory cartridge I was looking place in a good home. Every time dealing with him was a pleasure!

I bought an FG99 from him through ebay last year, although I ended up ruining the manual that came with it by accidentally tipping over a water bottle that landed on it ? I am very pleased with my purchase so just wanted to show my support for MacRorie.

I'm getting back to my adventure game (finally) and wanted to implement some of the new features you've added to T40XB, but have been using the XBGEM cartridge for my development work. What would be the best way to go about utilizing the latest T40XB? Just choose Extended BASIC+ (option 2) from the currently available XBGEM cart (from early January), then load/run T40XB, then load my program?

I spent this past week on my vacation setting up my classic computing space in my garage. In doing so, I've updated my FINAL GROM 99 AID FILES (55 total so far) & am sharing them once again here. As mentioned previously, there is a limit to the size of the files that can be created. In my experience, 146 lines of 38 characters per line appears to be the limit. Due to this, I've only included the following in each file: * cartridge title * TI given description * the Quick Reference Guide * the blurb from the back of each manual Here is what is included this time around, including updates to some earlier ones (fixed typos) as well as white text on a black background: - Diagnostics (PHM 3000) - Demonstration (PHM 3001) - Early Learning Fun (PHM 3002) - Beginning Grammar (PHM 3003) - Number Magic (PHM 3004) - Video Graphs (PHM 3005) - Home Financial Decisions (PHM 3006) - Household Budget Management (PHM 3007) - Video Chess (PHM 3008) - Football (PHM 3009) - Physical Fitness (PHM 3010) - Speech Editor (PHM 3011) - Securities Analysis (PHM 3012) - Personal Record Keeping (PHM 3013) - Statistics (PHM 3014) - Early Reading (PHM 3015) - Tax/Investment Record Keeping (PHM 3016) - Terminal Emulator I (PHM 3017) - Video Games I (PHM 3018) - Disk Manager (PHM 3019) - Music Maker (PHM 3020) - Weight Control and Nutrition (PHM 3021) - Personal Real Estate (PHM 3022) - Hunt the Wumpus (PHM 3023) - Indoor Soccer (PHM 3024) - Mind Challengers (PHM 3025) - TI Extended BASIC (PHM 3026) - Addition and Subtraction 1 (PHM 3027) - Addition and Subtraction 2 (PHM 3028) - Multiplication 1 (PHM 3029) - A-MAZE-ING (PHM 3030) - The Attack (PHM 3031) - Blasto (PHM 3032) - Blackjack & Poker (PHM 3033) - Hustle (PHM 3034) - Terminal Emulator II (PHM 3035) - Zero Zap (PHM 3036) - Hangman (PHM 3037) - Connect Four (PHM 3038) - Yahtzee (PHM 3039) - TI Logo (PHM 3040) - Adventure (PHM 3041) - Tunnels of Doom (PHM 3042) - Reading Fun (PHM 3043) - Personal Report Generator (PHM 3044) - Electrical Engineering: Circuit Analysis 1 (PHM 3045) - Reading On (PHM 3046) - Reading Roundup (PHM 3047) - Reading Rally (PHM 3048) - Division 1 (PHM 3049) - Numeration 1 (PHM 3050) - Numeration 2 (PHM 3051) - Tombstone City: 21st Century (PHM 3052) - TI Invaders (PHM 3053) - Car Wars (PHM 3054) FG99AA-Aid.zip

Well, I THOUGHT that cartridge worked, as it populates the 2 choices in the FG99 menu with the options CASSETTE PROGRAM and DISKETTE PROGRAM. If I choose cassette, it goes to the tape loading screen, but I don't have the programs on tape. When I choose diskette, it clears the screen, then hangs with the | symbol in the upper left of the screen, without it ever advancing the SMU splash screen which should then go to the list of lessons, as it does in Classic99. Not sure if this is an issue with the cartridge image not working properly on the FG99, or if it just won't work with the nanoPEB. I tried mounting both diskettes in DSK1 but the result is the same. Not sure if anyone else is having this issue. It's more an OCD thing with me, not that I'm going to actually go thru this course. Just was hoping to get it working using the FG99 + nanoPEB. I should mention that it isn't locking up/crashing the TI. I can press QUIT and it takes me back to the master title screen. Pressing any key, the options are listed (2 CASSETTE, 3 DISKETTE), but it still won't load the disk when I choose option 3 from the menu.

Thanks! That's the right module, but the diskette you included is something completely different, which only requires TI BASIC for it. I've attached the correct 2 diskettes for use with this module, in case anyone wants to use them. Circuit Analysis 1b.dskCircuit Analysis 1a.dsk

Has a FG99 image been made of PHM3045 (Electrical Engineering: Circuit Analysis I)? I looked in the ZIP file on WHTech & in the list at the beginning of this thread but can't seem to find one. If anyone has it or can make it, would you please add it to this thread? Or better yet, how would I create it myself using the PC99 or MAME files of these carts (two 6KB files)? Thanks~!

On your Google drive for the Scott Adams Adventures "Adventureson1Disk", the disk image that is in that folder does not contain the adventure games listed. Instead, it contains this:

There are two versions of this title that can be used in O2EM - one is 4 KB in size, the other is 8 KB & indicated as an alternate. They both zip down to below 4 KB (3420 bytes for the 4K vs 3524 bytes for the 8K). Does anyone know if there are any differences between the two and if so, what are the difference? I've been playing both of them and can't really seem to notice any difference. If anyone knows, please reply, thanks~!

The Odyssey² was like that. Some of the coolest cover art while the reality was quite different

Sorry I hadn't commented on this earlier, but you did an awesome job on this! Being that I owned a CV & a TI at the same time back in 1983, this is like reliving 8th & 9th grade for me. Plus with the enhanced version for TI available, it's way cool how this project took on a life of its own. Thanks for the port to CV~! Note that it's also available for the Radio Shack MC-10 (programmed by Jim Gerrie), which is where I got the inspiration to make the all-text TI edition of it.

Family Computing (from Scholastic) published some TI program listings along with their kids-oriented sister publication K-Power. There was a game call Amazin' in a K-Power compilation special, but I don't think this is the program you're seeking. Just wanted to note that those two publications also had substantial TI listings in them. https://archive.org/details/family-computing https://archive.org/details/k-power-magazine

I swear it looks like you are utilizing more colors than the TI can display, not to mention the smooth fast-scrolling of the screen & slick movement of the animated character. The changing color light tubes is quite a sight to see!

I'm now wishing I had asked this question earlier! I'm way too far along to try to combine all the files I have (currently 161) which are each accessed using a specific file name, not to mention having to overhaul the read/display routine, adding more tracking variables, and more. But with that being said, does anyone know the maximum number of RECORDS per file on the TI? I'm thinking about this for future reference.

Thank you, Beery. I do not have a TIPI at this time, but was thinking about how it would work with it should I happen to get one in the future and, more importantly, for those who already have one. Not being able to catalog the files is fine. I just wanted to know if they could be accessed/found when my file reading routine goes to bring each file in.

Since there's not much info on TI's "DOS" (so to speak) that I know of other than the Disk Memory System manual, I was wondering if the 127 file limit per disk is for all types of diskettes - SSSD through DSDD. I am asking because of my latest project which is most likely going to utilize around 500 text files in addition to the program file(s). My consideration is mainly to figure out if I can make disk images in a way to accommodate the 127 files per disk limitation. I know that the TI Disk Drive Controller only utilizes single-density disks so even double-side ones have this 127 file limit. Maybe a later controller overcame this. If I would want to make a DSDD image, would I still be limited to 127 files or is it dependent on the controller card? It's not really a problem in emulation under Classic99, but I'm thinking of "real world" considerations. I am guessing that by checking the "Allow more than 127 files" box in Classic99 makes the emulator treat the directory as either a hard drive or just simply ignores the 127 file limit. All this wouldn't really matter if there was an easier way to utilize the SAMS expansion from the multiple Extended BASICs available (I'm using T40XB for this project) to either store files like a RAM disk or store variables & arrays that don't eat up program memory. Also, I can't find much info on using hard drives with the TI, probably because I've never used an actual PEB with any of the cool expansions that can be added to it, so I am definitely in the dark about this. I don't think I've ever seen any HDD images for use for the TI, but again, my emulation exposure is mainly Classic99 when it comes to the TI, with very limited use of others such as PC99, Win99Sim, v9t9 & js99er (sorry to mizapf for not using MESS/MAME for TI-99 emulation, as I've only ever used that for arcade emulation, and it's been a few years even for that; I always found configuring it for non-arcade systems a daunting task). Does the limitation also apply to hard disks, or does that depend upon the controller being used? Are hard drives even emulated in any of the emulators or is there really no need to if you can place files into directories? And of course, does the TIPI have a limit on amount of files in a directory?

With the TI being my first computer when I was 13 near the end of 1982, I thought it was pretty cool based on the available games. Since we were always strapped for money, I was thinking, well, I'll just get books of type-in programs, learn BASIC, and create my own games just like the cartridges that were available in stores. Then I found out how non-standard TI's BASIC was. And limited. And slow. The need for multiple expensive add-ons to DO anything useful with it (like Airshack, I wanted to create) soured me on it, not to mention TI's abandoning of it less than a year after we bought it. That said, I don't regret having it be my first computer as it's what got me to learn programming in the first place and is why I'm still in a tech field to this day in my own career. Now that there are so many advances and relatively inexpensive add-ons like the FinalGROM99 & the nanoPEB, with nearly every piece of software one could possibly want being just a download away, and of course emulators/simulators to use on modern computers, I got back into the platform with the same, if not more, excitement than I had the day my mom bought the computer for me. My computer evolution: TI-99/4A (1982) ->Apple //c (1985) ->Laser 128EX (1987) ->Amiga 500 (1989) ->Windows 98 2nd edition PC (1998) and multiple PCs after that.

I have one like this that I picked up locally in a lot of 3 last year. I thought it was odd too. I'm wondering if it actually was manufactured like this or if the person who owned it previously replaced it. I do know that the zero and = keys get stuck sometimes by the backs of the keys rubbing up against the molding behind them, so it could be that if it was a replacement keyboard, it wasn't put in exactly right.

Speaking of the Dimension 4 - anytime I see a bid retraction, as both a seller and a buyer, I get a bit mad. Makes you wonder if the person was just fishing to see if they could find out how high the highest bid was. In my experience as a seller, it also usually upsets the rest of the bidders with them wondering if that bid was on the level.

It would appear the guy selling it was an ex-TI employee. Based on the item description, he apparently bought 2 of these from the TI employee store back in the day, one of which he donated to a computer museum which has since closed, with the whereabouts of that donated machine being unknown. This is his second one. So indeed, he does realize what he has & that it is absolutely an extremely rare item. Look at the final scan in the pics he posted to see he's the person who donated the first machine to the museum. Pretty cool story!

Well, my baseball sim is on hold for the next version of RXB which will hopefully allow me to utilize SAMS in a simpler way. It's fully functional right now but doesn't have nearly the statistical depth that I'd like for it to have. I'm using T40XB for my Choose-You-Own-Adventure style game because it makes accessing 40 columns easy, along with screen formatting subprograms which make it ideal for this type of a game. I've attempted learning FB-Forth as suggested by that language's author, but just learning it and implementing it is a pretty huge task for what I am trying to accomplish, especially with limited time to dedicate to this & other projects I'd like to work on. Oh if only I was independently wealthy with all the time in the world... ?

If someone pays that much for it, good for the seller. The only thing that makes it unique is the actual diskette (which may or may not even be good anymore) & that sticker in the lower left of the package. Otherwise, it's the same grey box packaging Infocom used for all their titles to standardize sizing for computer stores. You can play this game on any platform, including the TI, through emulation or make your own physical disk from an image & find the packaging scans online quite easily. But hey, if you've got the money & think it's worth it, you'll make the seller quite happy, & quite possibly yourself for a few hours.

Once again, Lee states what I should have. Here's a sample of my actual code that now works correctly because I moved the GOSUB to be before the string assignment: 300 GOSUB 5150::IF DR+COM<6 THEN GOSUB 6180::FN$="E286" ELSE GOSUB 6190::FN$="E663" However, as Rich has mentioned, the GOTO is needed for this line of code, as the GOSUB would be immediately before the ELSE without it, resulting in the FN$="E642" & GOSUB 5000 executing, which is NOT what I wanted: 310 GOSUB 5000::FN$="E654"::GOSUB 5000::GOSUB 5150::IF DR+NTU<8 THEN GOSUB 6100::GOTO 320 ELSE GOSUB 6110::FN$="E642"::GOSUB 5000 Thanks again to all for their input, as it has been quite helpful!

I wasn't trying to start a war here and I do appreciate all the input. Hopefully I won't offend anyone with the below post that I was about to submit before senior_falcon did in post #13. I'm mainly posting it to provide as much info as I was able to put together & especially for my own reference in this one thread. ---- Lee is correct on this. Here is a program that WILL work because there is no additional code after the ELSE. 10 INPUT DR 20 IF DR>8 THEN GOSUB 100 :: PRINT DR;">8" :: GOSUB 110 ELSE GOSUB 120 30 PRINT :: GOTO 10 100 PRINT "LINE 100" :: RETURN 110 PRINT "LINE 110 (>)" :: RETURN 120 PRINT DR;"<=8" :: PRINT "LINE 120 (<=)" :: RETURN It's when you place any additional code after the double colon of an ELSE statement that it will execute for both conditions (THEN and ELSE), something I wasn't aware of. Here is an entry in the XB manual that explains what cannot be used in an IF-THEN-ELSE statement, as well as an example of using GOSUB, but without any additional code after the ELSE. The description indicates that it should continue on the line following when returning from the subroutine. In this case, this is correct. But not in the case of another statement after the ELSE X=X+5. Anything after the ELSE will run for both THEN and ELSE. This could be used as a feature, but it takes knowing that this is how it actually works in order to take advantage of it, as well as how to avoid that it DOESN'T work as I had expected in my original post.

Thanks for the link to the bug report & for the suggestion on the order of operations. I believe this will work.