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TI-99/4A

Posted: Sat May 15, 2021 6:09 pm
by Jeff-20
I am curious about this computer. If you know of an affordable lot for sale, please let me know.

Re: TI-99/4A

Posted: Thu May 27, 2021 8:33 pm
by chysn
Hey, Jeff, have you ever seen Bonus Life Computers?

https://bonuslifecomputers.com/products ... 7282001048

I bought one of my VIC-20s from them, and recommend dealing with them. Fun as it is to have something to fix, sometimes it's nice to know something's going to work.

Re: TI-99/4A

Posted: Sat May 29, 2021 4:11 am
by Noizer
Jeff-20 wrote: Sat May 15, 2021 6:09 pm I am curious about this computer. If you know of an affordable lot for sale, please let me know.
Actually a very capable 8 bit system, with even a special 16 bit processor. Graphically superior even to the c64. Unfortunately no commercial success, very less software available. It was probably too expensive at the time, including the accessories. I knew someone who also got one after the vic. He only had a tape recorder for this.
See also https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_I ... s_TI-99/4A
BR

Re: TI-99/4A

Posted: Sat May 29, 2021 11:52 am
by kokkiklhs
Noizer wrote: Sat May 29, 2021 4:11 am Actually a very capable 8 bit system, with even a special 16 bit processor.
In fact this is a PURE 16bit system, not 8bit at all... :wink:
Very progressive for its time!
The graphic capabilities are the same with the MSX1 range (very very good, indeed), as they share the same video chip, made by TI...

The bad thing about this system is that almost all of its software was on solid state cartridges. There are a lot of titles, not few, but the whole concept was wrong IMHO, more like a games console of the time (like the Atari, Intellivision etc.), than a computer. The RAM available to the user was ridiculously low, the built-in BASIC was primitive (that's why all TI users had to buy the Extended BASIC cart), almost no software on tape and disk...

Still a very nice machine, though!!!

Re: TI-99/4A

Posted: Mon May 31, 2021 7:39 pm
by chysn
I had a good pal that had one. His family replaced it pretty much the moment the C128 was released.

I played around with it a bit, and I vaguely recall being frustrated by the editor. But there was some kind of spaceship game--maybe something Scramble-like--that I really enjoyed.