One thing for sure, I am new to computing and computers are new to me.
My first computer was the 2ZX-80. Next came the ZX-81 followed by a TS-1000 and now the TS-2068. Neither myself or any of my computers understand hexidecimal (hex). My computer refuses to use anything but decimal. Realizing it is not intelligent, I figured for the last five years there must be something wrong with all of my computers. They must be inferior not recognizing hex!
All humans associated with computers converse in hex language. Why not my computers? After all, this is what all the programs written in hex are for!
Now I understand in the beginning, BC (before computing) why hex was easier to work with, when computing was done by switches and later by a limited sixteen key pad, but now we have full typewriter keyboards and do not have to use obsolete methods to program.
Finally I realized the reason my computer did not recognize hex, is because it did not need to. It is smart enough to convert decimal to binary. It didn’t have to take simple decimal and convert to an un-understandable language, called hex to finally convert to its own language. It is smart enough to leave out the middle man and go direct.
Yes, hex is obsolete. -NO!!- How about Latin? The reason we don’t use Latin is because it is too limited and no longer fills todays requirements. Neither does hex.
The new, smarter generation will dispense with hex. After all, hex only goes to 16! We now have 32 bit microprocessors and need a base 32. Pretty soon it will be 64, then what!? Give me good old decimal. That way I don’t have to learn a language most of todays computers don’t understand.
Here is a good example. Jeff Mazur wrote the Intermediate/Advanced Guide for the 2068. Throughout the book he used both decimal and hex. Sometimes separately and sometimes together. The computer he wrote about understands only decimal. As a result, neither the computer or I could use a lot of the information presented.
Now me, being a little smarter than the computer, went through the book and with the help of my handy-dandy calculator, converted all the hex to decimal and wrote in what the author left out. Now by gosh I can understand what he was talking about. You see Jeff, in spite of your attempts to confuse me, I out-smarted you. Now the computer understands.
When I tried to tell my 2068 to OUT 7F, it balked. It just wouldn’t do a thing. The 7F should be presented as 7Fh. The h denoting hex. OUT 127 it understood perfectly.
Now here is a good one to demonstrate just how far the hex nut will go. I read an article that took easily understandable decimal and converted it to un-understandable hex, then created a BASIC program to convert the hex to decimal so the 2068 could understand it!! I read that one twice to see if I missed something.
There you have it. After five years I finally reallze what my dumb computers knew all the time. Neither one of us can use hex. Viva la decimal.