News Release:

                   EXTENDED BASIC III To Ship

While there have been many revisions to TI Extended BASIC 
over the years, none is so extensive or fundamental as 
Extended BASIC III by Winfried Winkler. 

Rewritten and revised in the native language of Extended 
BASIC, GPL, XB3 features substantial improvements in the 
language itself, not just added calls and functions. Unlike 
other Extended BASIC's, this one offers tangible benefits to 
people who are casual XB users, as well as the hardcore 
programmers. Why? Because this version of Extended BASIC is 
the only one that will run virtually your entire library of 
Extended BASIC programs, without modification, up to 50% 
faster then the original version of TI Extended BASIC. Unlike 
Myarc Extended BASIC - this version of Extended BASIC is 
compatible with virtually all TI Extended BASIC programs and 
add-on utilities.

Additionally, bugs that cause other Extended BASICs to 
occasionally crash (and the infamous graphics screen show 
that, while interesting, certainly didn't help your programs) 
have been eliminated. XB3 is rock-solid and dependable - 
great for anyone running programs for hours or days at a time 
(BBS', etc.).

If you are interested in writing new programs, XB3 also 
offers a wide range of added functions, calls, modifications 
and conveniences - many of the best offered in other 
variations along with a number of unique changes. These 
include:

* Allows character definitions up to code 159 - in fact, XB3   
  is fully compatible with TI-BASIC 

* The GOTO and GOSUB statements will allow you to jump to a 
  variable (as in GOTO X)

* Enhancements to the IMAGE command to allow more flexible     
  formatting

* Extensions to the CALL MOTION command that allows you to 
  stop and start all sprites at once

* The RESTORE command will reverse a RESequence

* The assembly LOADer recognizes a wider range of utilities   
  including GPL utilities for manipulating a stack, RADIX-100 
  math, and so forth for use in your assembly subroutines. 
  The loader also will load Compressed format assembly files 
  with REFerences - and adds a wide range of new REFerences 
  available for called subroutines

* A range of new calls including:

	ALL(N) - 	Fills the entire screen with the specified 
			ASCII code
	ALOCK(N)- Tests whether the Alpha Lock is set - returns 
			a value
	BYE - 	Now legal within a running program
	CHAR ALL- For controlling the character set
	CHIMES - 	Sounds a chime
	CLRS - 	Clears only the text area (columns 3-30)
	COLOR - 	Now accepts the colorset description "All"
	FIND - 	Will find the specified string within an array 
			of strings
	GPEEK - 	GPL Peek command
	GPOKE - 	GPL Poke command
	HONK - 	Produces a "honk" sound
	KEYS - 	Waits for the keys specified in the string 
			l$ and returns the value P with the keys 
			position in the string
	MLOAD - 	Loads a memory-image file into the specified 
			memory location
	MOVE - 	Move ranges of memory between RAM, VRAM, ROM 
			and GROM
	MSAVE - 	Save a portion of memory to disk in memory-
			image file format
	NEW - 	Now legal within a program
	PRNTPAT -	Print a character definition to an Epson 
			compatible printer
	QUIT -	Turn on/off the QUIT key
	SCREEN -	Turn off and on the screen
	VPEEK - 	VDP RAM peek
	VPOKE - 	VDP RAM poke
	WAIT - 	Pause program for a specified period

* A new range of functions have also been added:

	ASC - 	Will handle an empty string without crashing a 
			running program
	CLOSE - 	Will now close all open files at once
	DEF - 	All user defined functions may be used outside 
			of a running program at the command line
	DATE$ - 	Returns the current date with a clock card
	HEX$ - 	Returns the Hexadecimal equivalent of a 	
			decimal number
	LWRC$ - 	Converts a string to lower case
	TIME$ - 	Returns the current time with a clock card
	UPRC$ - 	Converts a string to upper case
	VAL - 	Will now convert a hex string into a numeric 
			value

* Virtually all math functions and floating-point math    
  routines (COS, SIN, etc.) have been re-written and are 
  typically 100% to 200% faster. Extensions have been made to 
  the RND function to allow ranges and more randomization

* A range of new commands available at the command-line,   
  including:

	# - 		Displays a catalog of the device in quotes 
			after the function
	APPEND - 	Defines all Control characters in inverse 
			video
	ERASE - 	Allows you to delete a range of lines
	OUTPUT - 	Saves the range of line numbers specified to 
			disk in Merge format
	PERMANENT- Allows you to turn off or on the true-lower-
			case character set as well as deactivate lower 
			case letters
	SAVE - 	The "Protected" option now truly protects a 
			program from being listed
	SIZE - 	Displays the amount of Low Memory space 	
			available as well as other space
	USING - 	Lists all CALL statements in a program
	VARIABLE-	Lists all the variables in a program

While many of the features and all of the speed enhancements 
in Extended BASIC III are unique to this cartridge, it is 
compatible to some degree with Mechatronics Extended BASIC. 

Extended BASIC III is currently available in disk form for 
those users with a Mechatronics GRAM-KARTE for $39.95. 

A 96K cartridge version that requires only a console and 32K 
memory expansion is expected to be available by June 15, 1993 
for $74.95.

Finally, available by April 15, 1993, the XB3 SUPER MODULE. 
This 256K module has built into it:

* Extended BASIC III
* The TE2 cartridge - allowing you to perform true text-to-  
  speech in XB3 WITHOUT any additional software(!)
* The Editor/Assembler cartridge
* TI-Writer, it's Editor and Formatter
* The Remind-Me! appointment program
* Mass-Transfer
* A full disk manager
* various other miscellaneous utilities

For a list price of $99.95.  This cartridge is an entire 
productivity package all-in-one module - plug it in and you 
may never have to unplug it again. This version requires 32K 
and a disk system.

Send all inquiries to:

 Asgard Software, 1423 Flagship Dr., Woodbridge, VA 22192


************************************************************

XB3 v1.0 Super Module Benchmark

		                       Time (Seconds)
Benchmark				   XB3 1.0	TI XB	Difference
		

GRAPHICS/DISPLAY:

Print "Hello" 1000 times	     61          91	        +44.4%

Draw 100 random bars	     21	       44        +109.5%
	(HCHAR & VCHAR test)

Create 28 sprites 5 times      40	       47         +17.5%
	with a pause between 
	incidents

	Without a pause           10          13         +30.0%

Program to walk a character	16          20         +25.0%
	across the screen                             __________
                                                      +45.2% 

FILE I/O:

Read 1000 lines of a text      55          63         +14.5%
	file from an HFDC

Write 1000 lines of text       69          76         +10.1%
	to an HFDC                                    __________
                                                      +12.3% 

MATH FUNCTIONS:

Count from 1-1000 and          43          52         +20.9%
	1000-1

Calc Sin/Cos/Tan 0-360         156         188        +20.5%
	degrees

Calculate SQRT of 1-100        12          17         +41.6%

Generate 1000 random           37          81         +218.9%
	numbers from 1 to 100			          __________
                                                      +75.4% 

STRING FUNCTIONS:

Build 100 strings by           9           12         +25.0%
	adding a character at  
	a time from 1-250

Parse 1-250 characters         25          32         +28.0%
	from 100 strings                              __________
                                                      +26.5% 

                Average of 13 Benchmarks:       +77.3% faster



