fhl (02/15/83)
I recently attended Communications Networks '83 in New Orleans and was suprised to learn that the TI 99/4a was selling at the rate of 200,000 units/month. The unit orginally was priced around $1200. and is now selling at discount houses in the area for $147. The speaker claimed that the price of the CPU was simply a qualifier and that TI made money on the purchase of games and peripherials. (speaker - Fred Kinney) Several things about this claim really made me think. (Assuming that his information was correct) First and foremost is that there are/will be more TI 99/4a computers than any other (excluding the ZX81) and yet no machine is less supported by hackers and magazines. A check of our library (Byte, Popular COmputing, Compute!, and at least 5 other magazines) revealed only 1 article in the last 3 months that even metioned this machine. Now for the questions. Does anyone Know or remember any review articles on the TI 99/4a? My search has revealed that the machine has undergone substantial evolution in the last 2 years. For example, It has a 16 bit processor but early models only used 4 bits of this power (bit slice architecture?) later models have a refined graphics chip as well? The basic is reputed to be very slow...though they have PASCAL and LOGO as well? CDC's plato is supported. An assembler is available. My impression is that TI may have the model A of personal computers on their hands and every basement shop and major magazine is not cognizant of this machine's potential. 200,000 units per month sales is so incredibly large ... isn't Apple's installed base less than 500,000 units total? Sorry to drone on so long ... if there is substantial response I will be happy to summarize to the net. Frank Levinson BTL Allentown aluxz!fhl
mcewan (02/21/83)
#R:aluxz:-110600:uiucdcs:10400042:000:807 uiucdcs!mcewan Feb 20 19:38:00 1983 I am considering buying a TI 99/4A, but I have some questions. 1) The speed of TI basic is a joke (about 1/4 as fast as 6502-based micros). How fast is machine code? How easy is it to program in assembler? I note that arcade-type game cartridges for the TI have no problem with speed. 2) Graphics are excellent. However, I've only seen display models hooked up to a monitor. Could someone who's seen one using a tv set let me know how good the display looks? 3) Many of the display models I've seen in department stores were not working too well (e.g., you have to turn it on and off several times to get it to run basic), with a failure rate much higher than the vic-20's in the same stores. This could be because of all the little kids playing with the games on the TI. Any TI owners had any problems?