• Please review our updated Terms and Rules here

TI 99/4 (4A)

V

vic user

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 12, 2003
Messages
724
Location
Ottawa, Canada
anyone use these guys, or collect them?

i wonder if there is enough interest to have it included in the 'Genre' section?

chris
 
I'd love one...

I'd love one...

I've not been trying very hard but I've love to get my hands on one.

When I was youngish I would play Tombstone City on a 99/4a display at the local Sears store. I'd play that until they kicked me out for the day.

I'd come back the next day and start over again. ;)
 
Did TI make any other personal or home computers than the variety of 99/2, 99/4, 99/4a, 99/8? To start with, I'm sure "Other" is enough. A friend in elementary school used to have one of these, but I've only played with it once, and we couldn't get much action out of it. In the last few years, I've learned more about the system, its design and limitations. I wonder if it had been any different if Texas Instruments had e.g. Jack Tramiel onboard as the head of the home computer division in the late 70'ties. My impression of the system is that it consists of nice parts, maybe a bit ahead of its time but a bit crippled for time and cost reasons.
 
There was the TI Professional Computer in the early eighties. This IBM in-compatible MS-DOS machine's main claim to fame was it's optional speech-input system, but it also offered faster speed, and better color/graphics and sound capabilities, IIRC. Thier advertizing campaign used to challenge the buyer to compare to IBM's PC, and the dealers would always have one of each set up side-by-side in thier stores. They would offer small "gifts" to entice the potential customer to come in and take the challenge.

--T
 
TI really invested some money in synthesized speech, didn't they? If their PC was built with the TMS9918 video chip like the TI 99, I'd say it easily outclassed the first generation IBM PC on graphics.

I just remembered they made at least one portable too, the CC40.
 
carlsson said:
TI really invested some money in synthesized speech, didn't they? If their PC was built with the TMS9918 video chip like the TI 99, I'd say it easily outclassed the first generation IBM PC on graphics.

I just remembered they made at least one portable too, the CC40.
Click to expand...

IIRC, the speech-input system was designed by Ray Kurzwiel.

The CC-40 is a small-sized handheld, but they also made a suitcase-type luggable version of the TI Professional.

--T
 
While we're on the topic, I just recently noticed that my Peripheral Expansion Box is badged as "TI 99/4" and not "4A", and I'm wondering if they are all badged like that, or if the later ones have the "4A" designation. Anybody know for sure?

--T
 
You're on the fence whether to have a section for just TI's, but I would have to say no even though the 99/4A is one of the biggest selling systems ever.

I have a pretty cool TI development system of some sort. It's kind of like an S-100 chassis, but the connectors are off the the right rather than centered like a regular s-100.

My expansion units all have TI 99/4 too.
 
billdeg said:
You're on the fence whether to have a section for just TI's, but I would have to say no even though the 99/4A is one of the biggest selling systems ever.

I have a pretty cool TI development system of some sort. It's kind of like an S-100 chassis, but the connectors are off the the right rather than centered like a regular s-100.

My expansion units all have TI 99/4 too.
Click to expand...

There are already several sites on daNet that are dedicated to the TI-99, so adding another might be pointless. Mebbe just publishing a link to another well-established page might be sufficient.

Here's a good place to start:

http://www.99er.net/

--T
 
Although I offhand don't know the different (cost reduction?) between /4 and /4A, maybe TI had manufactured enough expansion units to not change the label. Do they have the same power supply, RF modulator, tape recorder and other peripherals, and are those labeled strictly after what the corresponding computer was called?
 
I was kinda thinking the same thing about them having a warehouse full of 99/4-labeled boxes.

I did hear from someone on the TI NG, who has one of the late models which differs in having a rocker switch instead of a pushbutton like the earlier ones have. The rocker switch model is labeled "Texas Instruments Expansion System," without the numbers.

--T
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top