I've revealed in the past my intention to make a Z80 tutorial, but I never really put pen to paper on it. In the past month or so, I started working on the meat of it, but never did a worthy introduction. Then I read Kerm Martian's introduction to his book, Programming the TI-83/84+. I then had a lightbulb moment. Why not open with a discussion of the calculator's power and encourage people to put aside the stereotypes about anything above the "average" with computers. I offer my opening segment below for critique. Please review and comment. Offer whatever you feel needs to be changed.
@Kerm...While your intro did give me my idea, I don't think I actually used any of your material. That being said, if you find anything too similar that you would like cited or removed, let me know.
Chapter 1: Your Calculator Unleashed
In today’s day and age, many of you are familiar with your iPods, iPads, and iPhones. You install and run applications on these mobile devices, using connectivity software such as iTunes, the Mac Store (on your Mac computer), and the App Store (on your Apple mobile device) to sync with your device. Even for those of you who do not use Apple products and prefer to go the route of the Windows phone, Android, Blackberry, or any other style of mobile device, you still use connectivity software designed to sync your device with your computer.
But did you know that there is another device that you use every day, for school, can be used in much the same way. You carry it in your backpack, only using it for the purposes that you have been taught to use it for, oblivious to its true power. It is your graphing calculator. There are two major brands of graphing calculators, Texas Instruments and Casio. This tutorial focuses on programming for the Texas Instruments line of Z80 calculators, the TI-83+ and the TI-84+ and their respective Silver Editions.
Your calculator is a programmable device. Unlike the calculators of old, which did not allow the user to install any third party software (often because there was not enough memory or not advanced enough hardware to support it). But, this is no longer the case. The calculators to which this tutorial refer are powerful. You may write programs, applications, and even third-party operating systems for them. These programs may be coded on your calculator, in the built-in language unofficially dubbed “TI-Basic”. However, this language lacks low-level function, such as the ability to control the hardware and to create and destroy variables in memory. For such functionality, we turn to Z80 assembly language, the central topic of this tutorial.
But, suppose you are not a programmer, but still want to unlock the full potential of your calculator. You can do this by visiting one of many TI-based websites and downloading the programs provided there. These websites are like the App Store, except you can get most of the calculator software for free. Just like your mobile devices, you use a special program to sync your TI calculator to your computer. This program is called TI Connect. Just like iTunes, TI Connect has a version for Windows and a version for Macintosh. Just like iTunes, TI Connect creates a special directory. In iTunes, it is called iTunes Media. In TI Connect, it is TI Downloads. Just like iTunes, you can add files to a library to send to your device. In iTunes, you drag it into your library, and the new files are synced to your device the next time you connect to your computer. In TI Connect, you select Send to TI Device and then select the files you want to send to your calculator. TI Connect can take backups of your calculator’s memory, just like iTunes can. Both of these programs fall under the category of connectivity software, thus it only makes sense that they should share many of the same capabilities.
Amongst my friends and other calculator users, a common consensus is that many of them would be willing to use programs that are available for their calculator to help them in classes, but that the prospect of downloading and installing a computer program, and sending the files to their calculator is a daunting concept. This is also a misconception typically associated with the world of computers, that anything more “technical” than average use is cryptic. I have just demonstrated that the usage of the TI brand of connectivity software is not so different from that of the Apple brand of connectivity software, iTunes, that we all know and love. If syncing your mobile devices is not a cryptic or otherwise daunting task, why on earth should syncing your calculator be?
@Kerm...While your intro did give me my idea, I don't think I actually used any of your material. That being said, if you find anything too similar that you would like cited or removed, let me know.
Chapter 1: Your Calculator Unleashed
In today’s day and age, many of you are familiar with your iPods, iPads, and iPhones. You install and run applications on these mobile devices, using connectivity software such as iTunes, the Mac Store (on your Mac computer), and the App Store (on your Apple mobile device) to sync with your device. Even for those of you who do not use Apple products and prefer to go the route of the Windows phone, Android, Blackberry, or any other style of mobile device, you still use connectivity software designed to sync your device with your computer.
But did you know that there is another device that you use every day, for school, can be used in much the same way. You carry it in your backpack, only using it for the purposes that you have been taught to use it for, oblivious to its true power. It is your graphing calculator. There are two major brands of graphing calculators, Texas Instruments and Casio. This tutorial focuses on programming for the Texas Instruments line of Z80 calculators, the TI-83+ and the TI-84+ and their respective Silver Editions.
Your calculator is a programmable device. Unlike the calculators of old, which did not allow the user to install any third party software (often because there was not enough memory or not advanced enough hardware to support it). But, this is no longer the case. The calculators to which this tutorial refer are powerful. You may write programs, applications, and even third-party operating systems for them. These programs may be coded on your calculator, in the built-in language unofficially dubbed “TI-Basic”. However, this language lacks low-level function, such as the ability to control the hardware and to create and destroy variables in memory. For such functionality, we turn to Z80 assembly language, the central topic of this tutorial.
But, suppose you are not a programmer, but still want to unlock the full potential of your calculator. You can do this by visiting one of many TI-based websites and downloading the programs provided there. These websites are like the App Store, except you can get most of the calculator software for free. Just like your mobile devices, you use a special program to sync your TI calculator to your computer. This program is called TI Connect. Just like iTunes, TI Connect has a version for Windows and a version for Macintosh. Just like iTunes, TI Connect creates a special directory. In iTunes, it is called iTunes Media. In TI Connect, it is TI Downloads. Just like iTunes, you can add files to a library to send to your device. In iTunes, you drag it into your library, and the new files are synced to your device the next time you connect to your computer. In TI Connect, you select Send to TI Device and then select the files you want to send to your calculator. TI Connect can take backups of your calculator’s memory, just like iTunes can. Both of these programs fall under the category of connectivity software, thus it only makes sense that they should share many of the same capabilities.
Amongst my friends and other calculator users, a common consensus is that many of them would be willing to use programs that are available for their calculator to help them in classes, but that the prospect of downloading and installing a computer program, and sending the files to their calculator is a daunting concept. This is also a misconception typically associated with the world of computers, that anything more “technical” than average use is cryptic. I have just demonstrated that the usage of the TI brand of connectivity software is not so different from that of the Apple brand of connectivity software, iTunes, that we all know and love. If syncing your mobile devices is not a cryptic or otherwise daunting task, why on earth should syncing your calculator be?
And, it helps with understanding higher-level languages (Though some argue that). I'll read this in a little while, after I finish my essay. So far, it seems pretty interesting (At least, the last two paragraphs do). 
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