Okay. So I've been learning a lot of stuff about computers that plenty of you have known forever now. Since I got a Windows Vista system, I've become comfortable with DOSBox, and other emulators and virtualization tools that are required to make my old software work.
I'm sitting here thinking about old computers and modern calculators and how powerful they are, and I'm wondering if it would be possible to install an actual, real ass copy of DOS on a 68k series calculator, preferably the V-200 of course.
Would the processor architecture be entirely incompatible? Could it be done at all?
I've officially made it a long term goal to do this, so this posting is just an initial inquiry to the community to see if anyone understands the hardware enough to tell me if it's even plausible.
I guess it would be easier to try running a linux OS. I've seen Linux run on all sorts of crazy sh*t, but I don't really know much about it or how to use it.
If anyone understands how to do this, or has accomplished this, hit me up.
~Indubitableness
Okay, so the obvious limitation is definitely memory. DOS is too big to fit on any of the calculators. Weak. But lets forget about that for right now.
Let's work under the assumption that this installation is going to be done on a modded calc with expanded memory. The idea here is in fact to get rid of original OS and everything it does. Also. For those calcs with USB ports built directly in, can you plug a Flash drive into them and access and store files? If that capability is already supported on calc, then what's to stop us from using a Flash Drive to represent a hard disk with DOS?
Of course, I don't think DOS supports USB. So some modifications might have to be made to make it possible int he first place.
Over at the TICalc.org site there's a lot of discussion in the archives about custom built OSes for the calc, and what you might be able to do with them. A lot of people kept saying things like "It's a calculator, not a computer, if you care that much about programming just use a computer." And, "Stop trying to make the calcs into computers." I'm paraphrasing of course.
I'd beg to differ. This particular series of calcs ARE computers. They're very good computers, they just happen to be specialized to certain types of computing tasks.
Okay, and here's another thought that might not sit so well with diehard TI users. HP50g comes with an SD memory card slot, and SD cards can get to be pretty friggen big. My sister has one for her camera that's 2 GB (she doesn't even realize how big that is, she almost gave it away thinking that the stick that said 15Mb was better, thank God I was there to stop her.)
This means that not only would the memory issue be solved when attempting this, but you could easily fit proper sized DOS apps and games into the memory and actually experiment with the thing rather than just look at the "C:\>_" and giggle with glee.
I just thought of something right this moment that I'll do a little more research into in a minute. Since DOSBox is an open source emulator, would it be possible to compile a version using TIGCC? I can't seem to find any information about which language DOSBox is programmed in. I just did a quick search, and on the main site it doesn't mention it in the information section, but i'm just willing to bet it's written in C.
Alright, so we all know that the resolution on these calcs is probably too low for a lot of DOS games, and the color is nonexistant. I could imagine a lot of compatibility issues when trying to run games that aren't infocom or some of IF. Of course, that's not the point of all this, the point is to install DOS on a calc and show off how clever we can be. If we can get friggen Castle of the Winds... Wolfenstein, hell maybe even Blood to run, more power to ya.
Keep in mind guys, this is not a serious project or anything... yet, I'm just curious to see if this is possible. Something makes me think it is.
I came across a vague reference to a Linux Mircroprocessor Project in a post on TICalc from 2005. There was a link and everything, but since then the project has obviously either moved, completed their work, or stopped working on it. I googled Linux Mircroprocessor Project to see if i could find it, but it didn't come up with any good hits. If you have information about this, let me know.
Thanks, guys.