TIME-STAR COMPUTERS
Details are sketchy at this time but there is a company that is planning to acquire merchandising rights to the Timex 1500 and 2068 computers. In a conversation with David Higgenbottom of Trinity Magnum Co. in California, a bold plan to sell these computers under the TIME-STAR name through a nation-wide chain of new stores. Called “THE LITTLE COMPUTER STORE”, a franchise system is being developed.
After-market software and hardware companies are also being contacted regarding their products. The customer could enter the store and purchase both hardware and software on the spot. Over 48 companies so far have expressed interest.
These stores might also sell other in-expensive micros with related software and hardware. One of the big attractions would be that software duplication would be done on location and that consumers could examine programs on the computer before purchase.
Mr. Higgenbottom sees the effort as a metamorphisis for the Timex market with in-roads to be developed in educational institutions.
We wish him luck and success and will help in any way we can. For further information, contact Mr. Higgenbottom at (1-213) 864-7068.
CONVERSION PROBLEMS
People have been contacting us regarding problems with the software programs designed to convert TS-1000 programs to TS-2068 programs. Without mentioning manufacturing names, the ones mentioned to us would only give partial success.
We experienced problems with the ones we used also except with one, and certain rules had to be followed to the letter.
The one we had the best luck with was the one published in SYNTAX (Dec/83 issue – 1-617/456-3661 RD 2, BOX 457, HARVARD, MA, 01451) called FIRSTLOADER which is also available on tape for $19.95 from E-Z Key, Suite 75-stx 711 Southern Artery, Quincy, MA, 1-617/773-1187.
When using this or any of the 1000/2068 conversion programs, I cannot stress enough the importance of adhering to the following guidelines.
- Make sure the 1000 tape has been prepared as clean and free of noise pulses as possible. Disconnect the EAR plug when making the 1000 copy. Running the recorder on batteries rather than A/C helps. Purchased software from vendors is usually noise free and copies don’t have to be made.
- Once the conversion program is in the 2068, advance the 1000 program in the recorder to the segment just before the program starts. This segment usually lasts for about 5 seconds and should be completely noise free. Listen to it with the cords disconnected. If there is noise in this portion, there most probably will be noise thoughout the program. The conversion program will identify these noise pulses as part of the program and either bomb or result in a garbled conversion.
The FIRSTLOADER version has the advantage of keeping the machine language conversion program in memory after the conversion is complete. If the user uses the DELETE command to erase the program and CLEAR to clear the variables, FIRSTLOADER can be called again with the USR comand to convert the next program. NEW will however, destroy FIRSTLOADER.
Converted programs will have any inverse characters converted to normal upper-case characters. Line numbers with nothing after them usually signify commands or functions not in the 2068 vocabulary such as SLOW, FAST, PLOT (different on the 2068), UNPLOT, SCROLL and Shift “Q” (“”) and must be edited accordingly. The numbers following commands or functions such as CHR$, CODE, PEEK, POKE, PLOT and USR must be changed or re-formatted to operate properly.
The FIRSTLOADER version we used was typed in from the SYNTAX issue and occupies about 1/2 K of upper memory. It worked every time with the 1000 programs we converted, but keep in mind, we have equipment that can make very clean copies.
Using this program may mean a lot of time-saving on your part for those favorite programs you were going to sit down and type in from scratch.
1000 HI-RES
We saw a demonstration of hi-resolution graphics on the TS-1000 and were amazed. Without any hardware changes, either the SW-HI-RES program ($20.00) or the HI-RES WORD PROCESSOR ($24.95) can be loaded from cassette tape. Screen resolution is 174 by 255 pixels.
New commands with the SW-HI-RES program include PLOT, UNPLOT, PRINT, PRINTC, DRAW, CLS, SCROL-UP, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT & COPY. Print-out to the 2040 printer is possible. You can create your own character set and it comes with a sample graphics generator that plots a hi-resolution picture of circles and sine waves to the screen.
The only drawback we could see was that the graphics generation took a considerable amount of time, however, pictures could be saved on tape and recalled instantly when loaded.
The High resolution graphics are generated to the top 22 lines of the screen with the bottom two lines left intact. The BASIC program that uses a bunch of machine-language sub-routines, can be broken at any time. The screen, however, will not revert back to normal unless the proper USR command is executed. When another user command is used, the Hi-Res picture instantly returns.
The program seems to use two areas of memory to map the screen and the USR calls allow you to toggle back and forth. Whichever one is used, the other is completely eliminated from the screen.
For further information, contact N. ELMALEH, 5100 HIGHBRIDGE STREET 53, FAYETTEVILLE, NY, 13066