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blackbox

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Posts posted by blackbox

  1. Posted

    Two sets of documents today for very different programs.

     

    First is "Disk Data Base" from Asgard, 1986. Scanned from original printed documentation. The printed font was really too small. I bought this, looked at it, thought it too small for my disk collection - and the time to learn what it was, how to use it, and create a database just didn't give me enough benefit-.... but a clever program anyway. Works best with three disk drives (!!!) and is a pain with a single disk drive. A SSSD disk can handle just 2500 entries (file names) while a DSDD disk can hold 12500 entries. Sorting is in blocks of just 250 file names. Extended Basic load. Did anyone purchase AND use this?

     

    post-47425-0-34121900-1549794493.jpg

     

    Second is the UK documentation for a cassette program from Not Polyoptics, Laser Tank - I added a paragraph on the scoring mechanism. A one player extended basic game. Very few copies sold- a magazine reviewer gave it just 3 out of 5 stars but didn't make a negative comment.

     

    post-47425-0-09840400-1549794504.png

     

    As previously, hi res TIF images for you to ocr, pdf or print as you wish.

    disk_database_asgard.zip

    lasertank_np.zip

    • Like 4

  3. Posted

    There were several disk packages to enlarge what you could do with Extended Basic.

     

    Using a 40 character wide screen was one popular trick.

     

    There was "Enhanced Display Package" from Paragon, which I have and the docs for which may appear here in a while, and then there was this one:

    DISPLAY ENHANCEMENT PACKAGE from Oak Tree Systems, On disk for Editor Assembler, Mini Memory or Extended Basic. Yes, the extensions could be used in TI Basic as well!

     

    Enhancements included selection of 28 or 40 column mode, and the necessary commands to use 40 column mode as all the usual commands had to be repeated eg CALL VCHAR became CALL LINK("VCHAR"...) and so on. It was also possible to set up several pages of display and quickly switch from one to another.

     

    This is the UK documentation, in good hi res TIF format for you to ocr, pdf or print as you wish.

     

    regards

    Stephen

    Display_Enhancement_Package_Oak_Tree.zip

    • Like 4

  4. Posted

    The list is a really good idea, as it points folks to what is out there at the same time that it identifies what is still missing.

     

     

    Two lists- the first is a sorted amalgamated list of what is online, and which site has it.

     

    wht can be a hard site to find things in so some entries have a little pointer on where to look. I have omitted some of the poorer quality documents rather than discourage better copying, and some entries have a quality flag on them.

     

    The final two items on the amalgamated list are not sorted in- sorry, must do better.

     

    amalgamatedlist5feb19.pdf

     

     

    Atariage has a separate list covering the recent additional documents with the actual links to use- these are not formal links but your browser may allow you to highlight text and right click to go to a url, or you can copy and paste to the address bar.

    atariagelist.htm

     

     

    If I have missed anything or you know of another good source, please DM me. Ta.

     

    How often I repost the lists will depend on the number of additional documents- I was thinking of the next one in the first week of March.

     

    A few more odd documents to scan, then I shall move on to the TI manuals, which take forever, there are so many pages with minimal content!

     

    Stephen

    • Like 3

  6. Posted · Edited by blackbox

    Hi there.

     

    We are running on W98 and find that the DOS PC99 runs very well. (But the PC99 debugger crashes in W98).

     

    The DOS PC99 is supplied with the latest PC99w.

     

    The modern MAME/MESS will not work due to relying on specific modern direct X but an older MESS may work well- but you will need an older TI set of files for it, as MAME has been redesigned several times and appears to have little backward compatability.

     

    If you can find a dos version of Mess Vn 0.97 that seems to work but requires the TI files, I can supply these.

     

    regards s

    • Like 2

  7. Posted

    Two sets of documents for you today:

     

    ENTRAPMENT by Thomas D Johnson - a game I still enjoy playing - from ASD&D. This is from very clean and legible 1982 documentation.. I still have the shipping note- dated 12th July 1983. Sold on disk for Extended Basic, Mini Memory and Editor Assembler. Also available for FG99. Booklet page size was 165mm x 200mm.

     

    WAR ZONE by Quinton Tormanen 1989, distributed by Comprodine- written for Extended Basic, Editor Assembler, TI Writer, and Mini Memory. Note- this is WAR ZONE, not War Zone 2. Scanned from original documentation which used a very small print (80 characters across an A5 page).

     

    As usual supplied as hi res tif files, as clean as I can make them, for you to print, ocr or pdf as you wish.

     

    - note- To avoid undue duplication I am keeping an amalgamated sorted list of on-line documentation for my own reference, would you like me to post it here from time to time? (I can't keep an updated link, I will have to keep reposting from time to time). I am listing documents here and on whtech, ti99iuc, and the Adventure Museum. These are not hot linked due to problems with changing urls but point to where to look.

    entrapment_ad_and_d.zip

    War_Zone_Comprodine.zip

    • Like 4

  9. Posted · Edited by blackbox

    The correct way this should work is:

    WHAT SHOULD I DO?
    SAVE GAME

     

    TYPE FILE SAVE NAME:
    DSK1.BRAD (or CS1)

    This requires that you have:

    an operational disk system (real or emulated) with DSK1 set up and

    with a writable disk and

    with adequate space on the disk (over 50 sectors free).

    There is a full stop between DSK1 and BRAD.

     

    NOTE: The program will give you no feed back that a file has been written but will proceed again with

    WHAT SHALL I DO?

    You must check the disk for a file some other way!! (And if using an emulator you may need to refresh a directory).

    • Like 3

  11. Posted

    The software covered today is in the current YESTERDAYS NEWS -

    http://atariage.com/forums/topic/251850-yesterdays-news/page-14?do=findComment&comment=4210739

     

    so here as requested! is the documentation for Command Dos (4A Dos) by Monty Schmidt, published by Ryte Data.

     

    This may not the original documentation but a second issue, but I don't think there is any change. Confusing dating:

    The back cover has a date of 1986 and a statement Copyright 1983.

    Page five, in the normal font for the document, indicates Copyright 1987

    Page three, in a font unique to the document with a hand-drawn © symbol says Copyright 1986.

     

    The document is clean and clear and is presented in TIF format for you to ocr, scan or print as you wish.

    command_dos_4a_dos.zip

    • Like 6

  12. Posted

    Yes please!

     

    Duly moved towards the top of the stack for my next scan job. It will be in the thread "TI-99 - DOCs, Manuals, eBooks, Lost & Found" (forums/topic/248687-ti-99-docs-manuals-ebooks-lost-found/) in the next 7 to 10 days- I have a a good clean clear copy.

     

     

    stephen

    • Like 3

  15. Posted

    If you use an adaptor with a power rating a little too low, it gets hotter and may not last quite as long. If it is well underrated it could blow a fuse- or with modern imports, perhaps catch fire!

     

    I've been using the 500mA adaptor for many years and it barely gets warm. That said I can't recall using it for more than a couple of hours at a time.

     

    As my supply is unregulated, the voltage supplied to the MBX may not be 9v, but the voltage regulator in the MBX unit takes care of any overvoltage, and with a nominal 9v supply , there is enough headroom if the load causes the voltage to drop. Supply too much voltage to the MBX and the voltage regulator gets hotter- ultimately it would burn out- but I think there is quite a bit of room to play with.

     

    s

  16. Posted

    Perhaps my last two Not Polyoptics cassette program documents. Their later Extended Basic programs caused me as a distributor endless problems with stability and playability. These two were offered for sale in the UK for not for very long. I added a lot to the documentation for Tower- so this is a UK only version- but in the end the almost guaranteed lockups made me delete it from the catalog after only a few days.

     

    Tower's "Garbled message" messages were bad enough but when they crashed the program, it had to go. Waldoball I just never understood, and as I could not play it, could not be sure (based on their other offerings at this time) that it was not fatally bugged.

     

    In the UK at least I could never have got away with calling Waldoball "fast paced action" as NP did in their US advert!.

     

    All a pity when their TI Basic programs were really rather good!

     

    So here we have documentation in TIF format for you to ocr, pdf, or print, for WALDOBALL, and the UK only docs for TOWER (Civilian).

     

    s

    WALDOBALL_NP.zip

    TOWER_NP.zip

    • Like 5

  18. Posted

    I am using a 500mA Uniross multi adaptor, set at 9v, tip positive. The connector to the MBX is around 2.1 to 2.5mm female- that is, it has a central hole for the pin in the MBX unit to go into. I think probably 2.1mm but it isn't marked and I can't tell by sight.

     

    The documentation has nothing to say but I believe the DC in requirement for the MBX is a nominal 7.5V. It is just easier to get a 9v adaptor- there is an immense voltage regulator inside the MBX unit.

     

    s

    • Like 1

  20. Posted

    There are possible differences (notably in the naming conventions and number of files) but I often use exactly the same files in my FG99 as in my FR99. Where FG99 only files exist it is often better to use those, obviously for FG99 only- these have GROM content that FR99 can't cope with but often work happily with no 32k ram.

     

    BIN files with GROM content are only for FG99, but where FR99 is using a program converted to run in 32k ram you can use that also in FG99 but it will still need 32k ram.

     

    Note that FR99 can only cope with a limited nuber of files per card, and no directories.

     

    have fun. s

    • Like 1

  21. Posted

    Use the command line or Extended Basic program line: CALL VERSION(A) -

    throws an error if no Extended Basic module and you are in TI Basic, else A is set to a number the packager thought fit- in one third party case it fills the screen with text but normally A is set to a value eg 100, 110, 120 etc.

     

     

    When you say "programatically" - using what language? And what other modules could you have in place? 32k ram in place?.... If there is a disk drive, place an Extended Basic program onto the disk and call it LOAD- either a generic cataloguer program or something as simple as:

    100 PRINT "EXTENDED BASIC READY" and the Extended Basic auto-load feature will help you.

     

    s

    • Like 1

  22. Posted

    I have found a few more Not Polyoptics programs! These were in Extended Basic - and this one, Bankroll, failed to mention it in the documentation, so this is a scan of UK-only documentation. Programs for 2 players just didn't sell here, and there may not be too many copies of this around.

     

    Documentation for the Extended Basic cassette program "Bankroll" by Not Polyoptics - as usual a set of TIF files for you to ocr, pdf or print as you wish. Hi res and clean.

     

    post-47425-0-84979000-1548885307.jpg

    s

    bankroll_np.zip

    • Like 4

  23. Posted

    Back when, some UK TI employees designed a computer around the 9995 cpu and the 9929 vdp (pal), which was called the CORTEX. I recall seeing a demonstration of the Cortex in which text was displayed over external video (live cctv) although the principal ETI construction articles (1982/1983) didn't cover this. It may be worth looking through the Cortex newsletters.

     

    Cortex documentation including newsletters is at: http://www.powertrancortex.com/documentation.html

     

    The whole point of the transparent colour was for external video- 36 layers being black-external video-background-foreground-32 sprite planes. Plane 3 had to be transparent to see the external video.

     

    I have also used the modulator output from a 99/4a to title videotapes- pretty fair quality.

     

    stephen

  25. Posted

    November 1983 was when TI had had enough- November 1984 is when UK TI owners at last got together in a big way, as over 1000 somehow got to the first TI UK users meeting, held at Manchester's RITZ Ballroom on a very wet day.

     

    This photo shows at left a stand for Timeless Software from Glasgow, with a hazy Ian Martin, who died only a few months later. In centre is a joint stand by Stainless Software and Arcade Hardware with the very dark hair of Howard Greenberg, hero of the Thorne Games. To the right is Dennis Webb and his family on the Intrigue stall. Behind is a very large stall (not visible) for Parco Electrics of Honiton with Francis Parrish.

     

    post-47425-0-22525900-1548775174_thumb.jpg

     

     

     

     

    • Like 6
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