From what I can see it appears to be a TI professional computer, But it is a development version. Is there a history of any of these? Sold or in a collection? I have not opened it up or attempted to power on yet.
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What the rest of it look like? Any other markings on it?
That was our first computer and I still have it. Haven't seen development version before.
http://www.pdp8online.com/shows/vcfe16/pics/P1090151.shtml?small
Mine had RIFA caps in the power supply that did the expected smoke screen. Its an MS-DOS computer but not that compatible with IBM PC. Uses monitor with higher horizontal frequency. I think around 17 khz. The monitor behind it doesn't look like either the monochrome or color monitor TI sold.
There are no other markings on it, The only information on it is that it belonged to an engineer that worked at TI
Here is the color monitor
SomeGuy
Veteran Member
I don't know how TI did their serial numbers, but I've seen serial number on other computers that restart at zero for special production runs. For example, a company might have ordered 100 machines but pre-loaded with a larger hard drive than normal, or special networking equipment, or such. The difference could even just be contractual, not a hardware difference. But the the computer vendor slaps on a special model number or other identifier and numbers the serials 1-100.
So, unless more is known about this "Pegasus Engineering" designation, it may or may not be special.
So, unless more is known about this "Pegasus Engineering" designation, it may or may not be special.
Pegasus was the internal name for the computer. The motherboard is labeled PEGASUS MOTHERBOARD in production machines.
My dad, Richard Tarrant, was an engineer on the 'Pegasus' project, the internal code name for the TI PC. They had a group in Richardson, some were veterans of the 99/4A., etc. (Dad designed the disk expansion unit for the 99/4A.) One fun story from the Pegasus project was their meeting with a young Bill Gates to license DOS. Pegasus could have been the first PC.. but IBM out-marketed TI.
I'd be interested to know what software is installed on that disk. I've been looking for the TIPC DNIO package (I think this was also known as Business System Communications or similar.) The disk should be dumped and the image archived, regardless.
A PPC was recently recovered along with a BS600 by another son of a TI alumnus; the DNIO package is likely installed on both machines as they were used together, but I don't recall for sure if the PPC had a hard disk. The mini appears to have DX10 installed, so maybe not DNIO but one of the other comm packages.
FWIW, the SysV DNIO package for the BS1500 (Moto CPU) series is also sought. Distribution media for any of the platforms would be a great find.
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Cool. Was it IBM out-marketed TI, or was it not TI?
Often wonder what might have been on that score.