Turbo Pascal alternatives

[matthiaspaul]

(02-23-2015 06:34 AM)MarkHaysHarris777 Wrote:  I still have two towers that boot into real DOS 6.1 (I've got both MSDOS, and PCDOS) and from there I run GWBASIC, QBASIC, MIX C, and DEBUG.

If you work with DEBUG, I'd like to recommend to try out the DR-DOS DEBUG (1.50 or higher). It uses a syntax compatible with the MS-DOS/PC DOS equivalent, but is much more powerful. Not only does it support newer opcodes, it also supports an extended command syntax, many additional commands, symbols, 16-bit and 32-bit modes, various display modes and filters, software and hardware breakpoints, macros, arithmetics, and uncountable other usability enhancements. It also has (limited) conditional scripting and auto-commenting facilities. For a start, typing ?? at the "-" prompt will invoke a built-in interactive help system giving eight screens full of command info in summary style.

Quote:By the way, this is what's wrong with buying vintage calcs (like the Sharp, or the HP15c) because the LCDs from that era were not designed for the long haul... and are starting to go dark. Theoretically, the electronics might last 'forever,' but the LCD won't.

That's right, most old liquid crystal displays have lost much contrast over the decades - some have faded so much that they are no longer usable today, unfortunately. In the 1980s and 1990s, the lifetime of LCDs has been estimated to about a decade. I remember having read notes in camera manuals to have the display replaced after that time. I haven't found such notes in recent manuals, but this may be down to the fact that digital cameras aren't expected to last this long for other reasons - Lithium-Ion batteries have a lifetime of 3-5 years, and OLED displays are typically considered dead after that time as well...

Greetings,

Matthias