TeX82 is a new system that will soon replace TeX. It is a completely
revised and rewritten version of the original TeX program; the new version
is highly portable and it includes so many improvements that there's only
one reason not to use it right now. Namely, how can you use a system for
which there's no user manual?

Well, Knuth is working at the new manual. Meanwhile there is a terse but
essentially complete discussion of all the differences between TeX80 and
TeX82 in the file TEX82.DIF[pas,dek].

Since TeX82 is so much better than TeX80, it had to be incompatible with
the previous system. But most of your manuscript files will be unchanged;
it's the macros and font definitions that need revision.

To try it, as applied to file PAPER.TEX, say "r tex82;paper".
N.B.: One never says "\input basic" with TEX82; macros corresponding to
the old BASIC.TEX have been preloaded. (The new macros are available for
inspection on file PLAIN.TEX[pas,dek], but you aren't supposed to say
"\input plain" either! Caution: PLAIN.TEX[pas,dek] is under development as
the manual is being rewritten, so it's best not to base too many things on
details of PLAIN.TEX that have not yet been frozen.)

The outputs of "r tex82;paper" will appear on two files. (1) PAPER.DVI is
the typesetter information, which you can print on the Dover by saying
"r dvidov;paper.dvi". (TeX82 prepares this instruction for you.)  Or you can
say "r dvidd;paper.dvi" to display the typeset paper on a Data Disc screen.
(2) PAPER.LOG is a transcript of your run, sometimes containing additional
information that may help to diagnose mysterious errors.

The TeX82 program has been extensively tested and it appears to be quite
stable and reliable. So have fun trying it out during these early days of
its existence.