#hp200lx — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #hp200lx, aggregated by home.social.
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As for why I have been hacking on #DesmetC... look how well it fits on my #HP200LX! 300KB for a compiler is pretty sick (and will be even cooler if I can keep it near this small while supporting full C89); compile times are quite fast (for hello world, at least): overall it is a very pleasant tool to use on these small machines.
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Putting Lua through its paces. Here's Advent of Code 2024, Day 13, running on all my favorite hardware that I had on hand, through the power of Lua.
Ryzen 5 9600X modern desktop - 1 ms.
HP 200LX, 8 MHz 186, 640 KB RAM available to Lua: 62 seconds.
TI-92+, 12 MHz 68000, 64 KB RAM available to Lua: 65 seconds.
"Write once, run anywhere".
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Here are the three #BarrenPlanet campaigns running on a Hewlett Packard #hp100lx. You can download the game from https://cyningstan.itch.io/barren-planet, where you will find links to the two DLC campaigns. #hp200lx #msdos #cga
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This #TinyBasic port also runs successfully on the #HP200LX palmtop. It wound up as a 2,799 byte .COM file. Added the ability to LOAD and SAVE the program source, and BYE to quit the interpreter.
Source and a prebuilt COM file here, if you would like to try on your own hardware.
https://gitlab.cs.washington.edu/fidelp/tinybasic
Careful, it may still have bugs! -
More portable #retrocomputing philosophizing: Whether a machine has "Instant-On" makes a huge difference in the tasks it's useful for. By this, I mean whether the machine returns to the same program and screen where you left it, when powered back on from inactivity.
Without "Instant-On", the machine demands to be used for long sessions, (else the boot time is too inconvenient) and demands your constant attention (else the power draw of leaving it sitting around powered on is wasted). Using the machine involves clearing your schedule and devoting yourself to it, like reading a book.
Examples of machines without "Instant-On": DOS-era laptops, #Book8088, #GameBoy, #MailStation.
With "Instant-On", the machine is useful for PDA-style quick jottings, grocery lists, etc. It is also useful for fun activities even in circumstances where you are likely to be interrupted.
Examples of machines with "Instant-On": #HP200LX, #HpOmniBook, #PalmPilot, #PocketPC, #TI92 (and other TI calculators), and, of course, smartphones.
While machines in the first category may offer a more immersive experience, they are far less useful to me than machines in the second category. It's like the difference between a luggable and a true mobile computer.
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Incongruously for a #z80 powered device, the #MailStation is heavily GUI based. There isn't a putc function, or even a fixed-width font, in the firmware. Instead, a windowing toolkit and a selection of widgets are provided, and loadable apps are expected to be event-driven. Each app supplies a main event handler function responding to incoming signals such as init, draw, and keydown. Apps don't take over the whole system as typical on single tasking retrocomputers. While the Mailstation doesn't do true multitasking, (or even #HP200LX-like switching between paused apps!), the event-driven software architecture is helpful for battery life, as the CPU can spend most of its time halted waiting for interrupts.
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This little machine comes into its own during the summer months, when natural light is at its brightest. I'm using it a lot to playtest The #ChambersBeneath. #hp100lx #hp200lx #cga
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I need to get better at photographing this thing, since there's a new Team Droid level pack out, and another new game on the way. #teamdroid #hp100lx #hp200lx #msdos #cga
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Bonus shots of the phone-HP file transfer process. #hp200lx #retrocomputing #200lx
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Bonus shots of the phone-HP file transfer process. #hp200lx #retrocomputing #200lx
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Bonus shots of the phone-HP file transfer process. #hp200lx #retrocomputing #200lx
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Bonus shots of the phone-HP file transfer process. #hp200lx #retrocomputing #200lx
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Bonus shots of the phone-HP file transfer process. #hp200lx #retrocomputing #200lx
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HP Connectivity Pack is now installed on my phone, allowing me to view and convert files from the #hp200lx's native PIM apps. Phone and HP #200LX are now a self-sufficient pair, with no PC required to transfer, view or edit files. (And yes, I also have Lotus 1-2-3 on my phone. Who doesn't?) No lock-in, no bullshit, just data files in well-understood formats readable anywhere. Can it still be called #retrocomputing if it's still so useful in the modern age?
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HP Connectivity Pack is now installed on my phone, allowing me to view and convert files from the #hp200lx's native PIM apps. Phone and HP #200LX are now a self-sufficient pair, with no PC required to transfer, view or edit files. (And yes, I also have Lotus 1-2-3 on my phone. Who doesn't?) No lock-in, no bullshit, just data files in well-understood formats readable anywhere. Can it still be called #retrocomputing if it's still so useful in the modern age?
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HP Connectivity Pack is now installed on my phone, allowing me to view and convert files from the #hp200lx's native PIM apps. Phone and HP #200LX are now a self-sufficient pair, with no PC required to transfer, view or edit files. (And yes, I also have Lotus 1-2-3 on my phone. Who doesn't?) No lock-in, no bullshit, just data files in well-understood formats readable anywhere. Can it still be called #retrocomputing if it's still so useful in the modern age?
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HP Connectivity Pack is now installed on my phone, allowing me to view and convert files from the #hp200lx's native PIM apps. Phone and HP #200LX are now a self-sufficient pair, with no PC required to transfer, view or edit files. (And yes, I also have Lotus 1-2-3 on my phone. Who doesn't?) No lock-in, no bullshit, just data files in well-understood formats readable anywhere. Can it still be called #retrocomputing if it's still so useful in the modern age?
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HP Connectivity Pack is now installed on my phone, allowing me to view and convert files from the #hp200lx's native PIM apps. Phone and HP #200LX are now a self-sufficient pair, with no PC required to transfer, view or edit files. (And yes, I also have Lotus 1-2-3 on my phone. Who doesn't?) No lock-in, no bullshit, just data files in well-understood formats readable anywhere. Can it still be called #retrocomputing if it's still so useful in the modern age?
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omg I was not expecting winning #Freecell on the HP #200LX to do the bouncy cards thing
#HP200LX #retrocomputing -
omg I was not expecting winning #Freecell on the HP #200LX to do the bouncy cards thing
#HP200LX #retrocomputing -
omg I was not expecting winning #Freecell on the HP #200LX to do the bouncy cards thing
#HP200LX #retrocomputing -
omg I was not expecting winning #Freecell on the HP #200LX to do the bouncy cards thing
#HP200LX #retrocomputing -
omg I was not expecting winning #Freecell on the HP #200LX to do the bouncy cards thing
#HP200LX #retrocomputing -
I bought a large storage card for the #HP200LX. Sadly, the HP itself is the only machine I have working right now with a PC card slot. The card came preloaded with neat #200LX-ready software, which I am backing up to my PC. Copying hundreds of megabytes of software over 9600 baud serial... takes... um... a while!?
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I bought a large storage card for the #HP200LX. Sadly, the HP itself is the only machine I have working right now with a PC card slot. The card came preloaded with neat #200LX-ready software, which I am backing up to my PC. Copying hundreds of megabytes of software over 9600 baud serial... takes... um... a while!?
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I bought a large storage card for the #HP200LX. Sadly, the HP itself is the only machine I have working right now with a PC card slot. The card came preloaded with neat #200LX-ready software, which I am backing up to my PC. Copying hundreds of megabytes of software over 9600 baud serial... takes... um... a while!?
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I bought a large storage card for the #HP200LX. Sadly, the HP itself is the only machine I have working right now with a PC card slot. The card came preloaded with neat #200LX-ready software, which I am backing up to my PC. Copying hundreds of megabytes of software over 9600 baud serial... takes... um... a while!?
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I bought a large storage card for the #HP200LX. Sadly, the HP itself is the only machine I have working right now with a PC card slot. The card came preloaded with neat #200LX-ready software, which I am backing up to my PC. Copying hundreds of megabytes of software over 9600 baud serial... takes... um... a while!?
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A size comparison for the curious. The #Book8088 is about 50% larger and thicker than the #HP200LX. In return, you get a backlit color VGA screen, an OPL3 Adlib, a rattly netbook keyboard instead of a chiclet keyboard, a full-sized serial port, a parallel port, and a bus expansion port. (You also get no instant-on capability, a vastly diminished battery life, and no ability to run on AA's. It's not a direct upgrade, by any means.)
For me, the machines fill different niches. The HP #200LX is a productivity machine for daily use... sort of a PIM-organizer-multitool that can host arbitrary DOS software. The 200LX is also a better programming machine due to its built-in task switching.
Meanwhile, the Book 8088 is better for longform writing, audiovisual projects, and general "flop on the couch in the dark and be unproductive" downtime.
They complement each other very nicely!
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A size comparison for the curious. The #Book8088 is about 50% larger and thicker than the #HP200LX. In return, you get a backlit color VGA screen, an OPL3 Adlib, a rattly netbook keyboard instead of a chiclet keyboard, a full-sized serial port, a parallel port, and a bus expansion port. (You also get no instant-on capability, a vastly diminished battery life, and no ability to run on AA's. It's not a direct upgrade, by any means.)
For me, the machines fill different niches. The HP #200LX is a productivity machine for daily use... sort of a PIM-organizer-multitool that can host arbitrary DOS software. The 200LX is also a better programming machine due to its built-in task switching.
Meanwhile, the Book 8088 is better for longform writing, audiovisual projects, and general "flop on the couch in the dark and be unproductive" downtime.
They complement each other very nicely!
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A size comparison for the curious. The #Book8088 is about 50% larger and thicker than the #HP200LX. In return, you get a backlit color VGA screen, an OPL3 Adlib, a rattly netbook keyboard instead of a chiclet keyboard, a full-sized serial port, a parallel port, and a bus expansion port. (You also get no instant-on capability, a vastly diminished battery life, and no ability to run on AA's. It's not a direct upgrade, by any means.)
For me, the machines fill different niches. The HP #200LX is a productivity machine for daily use... sort of a PIM-organizer-multitool that can host arbitrary DOS software. The 200LX is also a better programming machine due to its built-in task switching.
Meanwhile, the Book 8088 is better for longform writing, audiovisual projects, and general "flop on the couch in the dark and be unproductive" downtime.
They complement each other very nicely!
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A size comparison for the curious. The #Book8088 is about 50% larger and thicker than the #HP200LX. In return, you get a backlit color VGA screen, an OPL3 Adlib, a rattly netbook keyboard instead of a chiclet keyboard, a full-sized serial port, a parallel port, and a bus expansion port. (You also get no instant-on capability, a vastly diminished battery life, and no ability to run on AA's. It's not a direct upgrade, by any means.)
For me, the machines fill different niches. The HP #200LX is a productivity machine for daily use... sort of a PIM-organizer-multitool that can host arbitrary DOS software. The 200LX is also a better programming machine due to its built-in task switching.
Meanwhile, the Book 8088 is better for longform writing, audiovisual projects, and general "flop on the couch in the dark and be unproductive" downtime.
They complement each other very nicely!
-
A size comparison for the curious. The #Book8088 is about 50% larger and thicker than the #HP200LX. In return, you get a backlit color VGA screen, an OPL3 Adlib, a rattly netbook keyboard instead of a chiclet keyboard, a full-sized serial port, a parallel port, and a bus expansion port. (You also get no instant-on capability, a vastly diminished battery life, and no ability to run on AA's. It's not a direct upgrade, by any means.)
For me, the machines fill different niches. The HP #200LX is a productivity machine for daily use... sort of a PIM-organizer-multitool that can host arbitrary DOS software. The 200LX is also a better programming machine due to its built-in task switching.
Meanwhile, the Book 8088 is better for longform writing, audiovisual projects, and general "flop on the couch in the dark and be unproductive" downtime.
They complement each other very nicely!
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The HP #200LX's built-in AA charging will never not be cool. Here it is topping up a pair of NiMHs. Charge curve graph courtesy of ABC/LX by DaSoft http://www.dasoft.com/ABC/abc.htm
#HP200LX -
The HP #200LX's built-in AA charging will never not be cool. Here it is topping up a pair of NiMHs. Charge curve graph courtesy of ABC/LX by DaSoft http://www.dasoft.com/ABC/abc.htm
#HP200LX -
The HP #200LX's built-in AA charging will never not be cool. Here it is topping up a pair of NiMHs. Charge curve graph courtesy of ABC/LX by DaSoft http://www.dasoft.com/ABC/abc.htm
#HP200LX -
The HP #200LX's built-in AA charging will never not be cool. Here it is topping up a pair of NiMHs. Charge curve graph courtesy of ABC/LX by DaSoft http://www.dasoft.com/ABC/abc.htm
#HP200LX -
The HP #200LX's built-in AA charging will never not be cool. Here it is topping up a pair of NiMHs. Charge curve graph courtesy of ABC/LX by DaSoft http://www.dasoft.com/ABC/abc.htm
#HP200LX -
I spoke too soon in praising #Cornerstone's handling of many:many relationships. While a junction table does work as expected, joining together multiple junction tables does not work the same way that a SQL JOIN operation would, so there are certain types of many:many relation that cannot be modeled! It's back to the drawing board on how best to model many:many relations on the #HP200LX.
#200LX -
I spoke too soon in praising #Cornerstone's handling of many:many relationships. While a junction table does work as expected, joining together multiple junction tables does not work the same way that a SQL JOIN operation would, so there are certain types of many:many relation that cannot be modeled! It's back to the drawing board on how best to model many:many relations on the #HP200LX.
#200LX -
I spoke too soon in praising #Cornerstone's handling of many:many relationships. While a junction table does work as expected, joining together multiple junction tables does not work the same way that a SQL JOIN operation would, so there are certain types of many:many relation that cannot be modeled! It's back to the drawing board on how best to model many:many relations on the #HP200LX.
#200LX -
I spoke too soon in praising #Cornerstone's handling of many:many relationships. While a junction table does work as expected, joining together multiple junction tables does not work the same way that a SQL JOIN operation would, so there are certain types of many:many relation that cannot be modeled! It's back to the drawing board on how best to model many:many relations on the #HP200LX.
#200LX -
I spoke too soon in praising #Cornerstone's handling of many:many relationships. While a junction table does work as expected, joining together multiple junction tables does not work the same way that a SQL JOIN operation would, so there are certain types of many:many relation that cannot be modeled! It's back to the drawing board on how best to model many:many relations on the #HP200LX.
#200LX
