Texas Instruments TI-99/4A
Summary
In November 1979, the TI-99/4 was the first home computer of Texas Instruments in the United States. The combination of computers and matching TVs is sold by the US company for USD 1150. In June 1981, the new and improved TI-99/4A will be released for USD 525. In 1984, TI completely withdraws from the home computer market.
The computer has a metallic surface that suggests a quality that the computer does not meet. The keys are smaller than with a standard keyboard, wickedly said, as with the calculators, of which Texas Instruments builds many. The execution of the BASIC programs is slow. The BASIC dialect of Texas Instruments is called TI BASIC.
The TI-99/4A offers great expansion opportunities. Several modules can be connected to the right of the device, e.g. Storage expansions, serial interfaces, floppy drives, thermal printers, etc. On images of Texas Instruments, the calculator with its extensions reaches a length of over one meter.
Long version
Texas Instruments (TI) has many important developments: from 1954, TI produces the first commercial silicon transistors, in 1959, TI patents the integrated chip, in 1967, TI introduces calculators, in 1976, the first 16-bit processor TMS9900 appears. In November 1979, TI-99/4 follows Texas Instruments’ first home computer in the USA. The combination of computers and matching televisions is sold by the US company for USD 1150. In June 1981, the new and improved TI-99/4A will be released for USD 525. In 1984, TI completely withdraws from the home computer market.
The computer has a metallic surface that suggests a quality that the computer does not meet. The keys are smaller than with a standard keyboard, wickedly said, as with the calculators, of which Texas Instruments builds many. The execution of the BASIC programs is slow because BASIC is programmed in the GPL (Graphic Programming Language), a kind of byte code for a virtual machine that needs to be interpreted. In addition, BASIC stores many variables in the screen RAM (VDP), and access to this memory is very slow. The BASIC dialect of Texas Instruments is called TI BASIC and with the Cartridge Extended BASIC (XB for short) there is enhanced functionality and improved speed.
The TI-99/4A offers excellent expansion options. Several modules can be connected to the right side of the computer, including memory expansions, serial interfaces, floppy disk drives and thermal printers. In illustrations published by Texas Instruments, the computer and its expansions extend over a metre in length.
Family tree
- Predecessor · not in the collectionTI-99/4
- This objectTI-99/4A
Sources and further links
Connections in the collection
Software in the collection
- Texas Instruments Home Computer Software · 14 titles
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