A Portable Model I/III/4 -? (via zipit z2)
turnkit
super-tiny portable devices and hack either one of the DOS emulators
into it or Tim Mann's xtrs onto it?
Here are some links:
buy.com $45 - silver/charcoal color - http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=208344140
amazon.com $45 - black color - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00115PR2O
Replacing the OS:
Installing DOSBOX - http://hunterdavis.com/archives/40
Installing Linux - http://linux.zipitwireless.com/
More info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zipit_Wireless_Messenger_(Z2)
If I were to buy several of these and go through all the steps so that
the thing would autoboot into a TRS-80 emulator (free versions) would
anyone be interested in purchasing a converted unit -- i.e. a version
that would automatically start in the emulator?
===
Are there better portable devices to install TRS-80 emulators on? I'd
prefer something very portable...
come to think of it, I'd really prefer an iphone or (soon) a Google
Android TRS-80 emulator
Any thoughts?
Mark McDougall
> If I were to buy several of these and go through all the steps so that
> the thing would autoboot into a TRS-80 emulator (free versions) would
> anyone be interested in purchasing a converted unit -- i.e. a version
> that would automatically start in the emulator?
The LCD is 240x320, though from the photos I'm assuming it's mounted
sideways and there's software to rotate the fonts etc...
In any case, you won't get the full Model I resolution (384x192) out of it -
let alone Model 4 hires (640x240).
> Are there better portable devices to install TRS-80 emulators on? I'd
> prefer something very portable...
You could wait for a Pandora - though it's roughly 10x more expensive! The
CPU alone is at _least_ twice as powerful, runs Linux, has a touchscreen,
gaming nubs/buttons, stereo sound and 800x480 LCD.
Regards,
--
| Mark McDougall | "Electrical Engineers do it
| <http://members.iinet.net.au/~msmcdoug> | with less resistance!"
N Morrison
> The LCD is 240x320, though from the photos I'm assuming it's mounted
> sideways and there's software to rotate the fonts etc...
>
> In any case, you won't get the full Model I resolution (384x192) out of it -
> let alone Model 4 hires (640x240).
Original Model I resolution was 128×48 (1024 characters * 6 bits)
Highest resolutions in the series with a hi-res board were 640x240 or
512x192 (I think).
Mark McDougall
> Original Model I resolution was 128�48 (1024 characters * 6 bits)
That's the graphical resolution. To faithfully represent the TRS-80
character set (and hence use an unmodified port of xtrs) you need 64x6=384
pixels across, 16x12=192 pixels down. You also require 384x192 to support
the Model I "hires" graphics, such as the PCG-80 etc.
> Highest resolutions in the series with a hi-res board were 640x240 or
> 512x192 (I think).
The Model III hires board was 512x192, simply because the Model III
characters were actually 8 bits wide (64x8=512), rather than 6.
Model 4 hires was 640x240, because the Model 4 screen was 80x24 characters.
Characters in Model 4 mode are 8 bits wide and 10 bits high - the graphics
characters appear funny because the bottom 2 rows of pixels are missing from
each character (every 3rd row of pixels).
Using the zipit z2 would require a 5-pixel wide character set for Model
I/III mode (the graphics would thus be distorted). 80-column Model 4 mode
would be out of the question. Not sure how LCD rotation is handled and what
the implications are to, say, xtrs.
In a nutshell, IMHO, a bad choice of platform. A pity... :(
Grinder
> TRS80 Model 4P
The "P" is for the pneumatic lift you need to move that beast around.
Knut
The model-I charactergenerator dots are 384 by 192. Actually on a TV with
interleave the vertical "dots" on the screen would double so 384 by 384. Only on
a monitor it would be 384 by 192.
It would fit 800 by 600 where you use only 768 by 576 and let the extra pixels
be black. Then one TRS-80 pixel would be 2 by 3 which is about right. This makes
two charactergraphic blocks next to each other square and the whole display
would be 4/3 aspect. That would of course get rid of the rather large black area
around the text if you would want it to be real authentic. Are there any 800 by
600 lcd's?
For HIRES there were no standard, unfortunately. My Video Genie hires has 384 by
192 pixels synchronized with the charactergenerator pixels so that the hires
pixels xor with the charactergenerator pixels. Attilas emulator has this hires
(LE18).
Knut
Grinder
> N Morrison wrote:
>> On Aug 12, 5:04 am, Mark McDougall <msmcd...@no.spam.iinet> wrote:
>>
>>> The LCD is 240x320, though from the photos I'm assuming it's mounted
>>> sideways and there's software to rotate the fonts etc...
>>>
>>> In any case, you won't get the full Model I resolution (384x192) out
>>> of it -
>>> let alone Model 4 hires (640x240).
>>
>> Original Model I resolution was 128�48 (1024 characters * 6 bits)
>>
>> Highest resolutions in the series with a hi-res board were 640x240 or
>> 512x192 (I think).
> Hi
>
> The model-I charactergenerator dots are 384 by 192. Actually on a TV
> with interleave the vertical "dots" on the screen would double so 384 by
> 384. Only on a monitor it would be 384 by 192.
>
> It would fit 800 by 600 where you use only 768 by 576 and let the extra
> pixels be black. Then one TRS-80 pixel would be 2 by 3 which is about
> right. This makes two charactergraphic blocks next to each other square
> and the whole display would be 4/3 aspect. That would of course get rid
> of the rather large black area around the text if you would want it to
> be real authentic. Are there any 800 by 600 lcd's?
12.1" monitors are typically 800x600, but many of those are touchscreens
or significantly more expensive than a standard 15" (1024x768) monitor.
Grinder
> N Morrison wrote:
>> On Aug 12, 5:04 am, Mark McDougall <msmcd...@no.spam.iinet> wrote:
>>
>>> The LCD is 240x320, though from the photos I'm assuming it's mounted
>>> sideways and there's software to rotate the fonts etc...
>>>
>>> In any case, you won't get the full Model I resolution (384x192) out
>>> of it -
>>> let alone Model 4 hires (640x240).
>>
>> Original Model I resolution was 128�48 (1024 characters * 6 bits)
>>
>> Highest resolutions in the series with a hi-res board were 640x240 or
>> 512x192 (I think).
> Hi
>
> The model-I charactergenerator dots are 384 by 192. Actually on a TV
> with interleave the vertical "dots" on the screen would double so 384 by
> 384. Only on a monitor it would be 384 by 192.
>
> It would fit 800 by 600 where you use only 768 by 576 and let the extra
> pixels be black. Then one TRS-80 pixel would be 2 by 3 which is about
> right. This makes two charactergraphic blocks next to each other square
> and the whole display would be 4/3 aspect. That would of course get rid
> of the rather large black area around the text if you would want it to
> be real authentic. Are there any 800 by 600 lcd's?
You might be able to repurpose one of these:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882597026
tur...@gmail.com
So at this point it's almost cheapest just to get a Windows or Linux
netbook and run trs32 or xtrs on it -?
:)
I was thinking of something handheld... maybe an iphone trs-80
emulator is best, even if it only emulates graphics properly (no text).
Grinder
That sounds right. Woot has refurbed Asus eee 900s (linux) for $175
every few weeks.
Michael Black
I bought an Aspire One last September, and at $299, it was still a hundred
dollars less than I paid for my Model 100 back in 1985. The characters
are smaller, and the keyboard is smaller (and no serial port) but other
than that, the Aspire One is nearly infinitely better than the Model 100,
a full screen, 512megs of RAM, 8gigs of "hard drive", the cpu is
clocked at about 800 times the speed of the 8085 in the Model 100 (or
maybe it's 1600 times, I can't remember whether the clock speed that
the 8085 saw was 2MHz or 1Mhz), runs a full operating system, had
ethernet and USB, and slots for memory cards, and is somewhat smaller.
The model 100 seems to have better battery life, though.
Michael