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TI-99/4 Color Monitor

S

supaseibz

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Apr 19, 2023
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I just picked up this TI-99/4 color monitor. Any ideas why this one appears to have a dial on the front next to the on/off switch? All pictures I've been able to find show just a black faceplate with no dial. Could this be an early version, where they were retro-fitting already made TV's and putting the TI name on the front before the main production run geared up?

I'd love to know more...
 
I'd be curious to see the whole where the dial is. Does it look home cut? It's possible the monitor was modified to put a dial back onto the rotary switch that might have been covered up as the monitor was originally a TV? I don't know a lot about these monitors and have struck out finding one so far.
 
IIRC, it was part of a line of problems with the TI 99 they ran into as they were pushing it out the door. It wasn't passing FCC with RF emissions so at least early on with the 99/4 they shipped a modified TV as the display to hold them over until they could ship a modulator that the FCC was happy with. It did work but it made the system brutally expensive.
Since the on/off switch is also the volume control, if the pot went bad and they didn't want to replace the staked switch they may of added a replacement pot and knob as the new volume control.
 
UPDATE: Well it seems a piece of plastic (appears to be from a watch company) with double sided tape was stuck to the front of the monitor making it appear that it was a dial... I was able to carefully remove and no damage done!
 
Maybe that's where the original owner did actually stick a watch to the monitor, to aid them in entering the correct time and date into the computer?

My elementary school's computer lab had one of these monitors connected to an Apple II Plus. If the school actually had the matching TI-99/4 computer, it was long gone by the time I was a student there.
 
vwestlife said:
Maybe that's where the original owner did actually stick a watch to the monitor, to aid them in entering the correct time and date into the computer?

My elementary school's computer lab had one of these monitors connected to an Apple II Plus. If the school actually had the matching TI-99/4 computer, it was long gone by the time I was a student there.
Click to expand...
Never know! the plastic said "M.Z. Berger & Co"
IMG_20250516_230042842.jpg
 
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