alan@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Alan Algustyniak) (01/28/84)
Hi, I, too, have spent hours with the Tandy 2000 and find it to be a great machine. Unless the Lisa IIs are really surprising, i'll get one pretty soon. Unfortunatley, the HW tech manual, and the Programmer's Guide haven't been released yet. There is only one question i am having any difficulty getting answers to. That is: wha is the memory speed?/ how many wait states are there? I received one answer of 150 ns. but have yet to get it verified. One big question on the net seems to be about the compatiblity of the 2000 with existing SW. Well, i was able to get pieces of a memo which Tandy has sent to their stores, addressing just this question. You should be able to be it also, since there is a paragraph in it expaining that the memo is to be used as a guideline in advising the customer. Unfortunately, i don't have the title page. I have 3 items: 1) one sheet of paper titled: IBM-PC packages which do not run on the Tandy TRS-80 Model 2000. 2) one sheet of paper titled: IBM-PC packages which will run on the Tandy TRS-80 Model 2000. 3) Pages 2,3 And 4 of expalnations of code #s on item 2. Item 2 has a subtitle which says: boot on Tandy 2000 DOS, then run the program as described in the manual. For each software package, it gives the name, the vendor, and 0 to 3 code letters. A code letter refers to special instructions necessary to get the SW to run. Th code letters are breifly described as: 1-Load BASIC.EXE(Model 2000 BASIC), run the program 2-Copy BASIC.EXE to the program disk and "Autoexec" 3-Install ANSI.SYS 4-Configure printer 5-Copy applicaton program to Model 2000 Format/S disk 6-Special printer driver (not currently existing) required for full function. I notice that the 4 IBM packages are coded 2,6 , and several Oasis Systems packages are coded 3,4,5. All of the IUS packages listed are uncoded. Item 3 lists in step-by-step detail the manner of handling necessary for each of the code letters. It ends with a note saying: Wordstar...should now be added to the list of sw that WILL run on the Tandy TRS-80 2000. This vendor has made available to the public a generic MS-DOS version (format code A-5). It then goes on to list the procedure one must go thru to run that version of Wordstar. The middle of the item 3 , i reproduce below: CATEGORY III The 3rd category (will not run) is generally due to one or more of the following situations: a)The program makes direct calls to IBM-type video memory.... B) The program is assuming the presence of some IBM specific HW, for instance the terminal configuration for their monitor. ... c) Generally, if the SW has one or more of the following characteristics, it may not run on the Tandy 2000: 1. It is a version specifically for the IBM PC, running only under PC-DOS 2. Any program stating that it utilizes Direct Memory Addressing 3. The program is primarily graphics-oriented 4. The program requires heavy video access and screen updating (e.g. the current version of Lotus 1-2-3 and VisiCalc) 5. A product advertised as improving performance over an earlier PC-DOS product... 6. The program operates under an Operating System not designed specifically for the Tandy 2000 (e.g. P-system for the PC, any other non-Tandy 2000 system) NOTE: The only way to tell for sure if a product will run on the Tandy 2000 is to try it, ... Software vendors requiring more detailed information on the information contained above should contact the Outside Software Support Group: 1300 One Tandy Center Ft. Worth, TX 76102 ------- This is probably about as much info as one can get on compatibility without dealing with the above group. P.S. Just about every other word in the note is a trademark of some company or another. I'm not about to list them all, and, to be fair, won't list any. So there!