Ti99/4a my first computer - BACK!

[mjnurney]

After some soul searching ive bought a Ti99/4a - my first ever computer (late 1984ish)

Just collected it today and fired it up on my 40inch sony tv!

Spec:

CPU: TI TMS9900, 3.0 MHz, 16-bit
Memory: 16KB VDP RAM (Video Display Processor RAM) (expandable to 192 KB with the use of YAMAHA V9938 - this was not a standard upgrade option but was a user-designed modification), 256 bytes CPU fast "scratchpad RAM" intended for the TMS9900 processor to maintain register "workspaces". It was also possible to add an 8K "supercart" or 32K "superspace"
Video: TI TMS9918A VDP
32 single-color sprites in defined layers allowing higher-numbered sprites to transparently flow over lower-numbered sprites. Sprites were available at 8×8 pixels or 16×16 pixels, with a 'magnify' bit that doubled all sprites' size but not their resolution. A single bit was available in hardware for coincidence (collision detection), and the console supported automatic movement via an interrupt routine in the ROM. There could be no more than 4 sprites per horizontal scanline.
16 fixed colors (15 visible, one color reserved for 'transparent' which merely showed the background color. Transparent was intended for the 9918's genlock functionality
Text mode: 40×24 characters (256 6×8 user-definable characters, no sprites, foreground and background color only, not accessible in BASIC)
Graphics mode: 32×24 characters (256 8×8 user-definable characters, full 15 color palette + transparent (available in groups of 8 through the character table) and 32 sprites (The only mode available in BASIC. Extended BASIC is required for sprites, and can only access 28 of them.)
Bitmap mode: 256×192 pixels (no more than two colors in an eight pixel row, full 15 color palette + transparent, all 32 sprites available but interrupt-based motion through the ROM routine is not due to the memory layout.
Multicolor mode: 64×48 pixels (each pixel may be any color, all 32 sprites are available)
Sound: TI TMS9919, later SN94624, identical to the SN76489 used in many other systems
3 voices, 1 noise from 110 Hz to approximately 115 kHz
Console ROM includes interrupt-driven music list playback

Ti99/4a (12/83 on the power pack)
power pack
cassette leads
manual
various magazines from 1984

Games computing April 1984
Games computing March 1984
Christines computers ltd price list
Home computing weekly Jan 1984
Home computing weekly April 1984
C&VG Feb 1984
book of games feb 1984

The condition is lovely , in fact possible better than mine in 1984! no games to play on it yet but i hope to have parsec on the go soon

* the photos are not so good and the machine is better is real life , as is the pic on the tv

***
New Editions June 2011

Ti Extended Basic module
Ti Editor Assembler module

CF7+ 32K / CF / printer mini PEB unit (on its way)



Fun links Ti Related.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEtS-PFDRNc&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6tDebgmxBQ&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bazbju-p_Tg&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZgFAgmJkiE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CyfHZui0g8&feature=related


Ti commands on the mini PEB

(in basic) call mount (1,5) then reboot to EXT Basic. Disk manager auto loads
(turn off and insert EA cart)
(in basic) call mount (1,2) (inserts virtual diskette 2 in to virtual drive 1)
(in Editor Assem cart) option 5 (load EA program) DSK1.PARSEC1

parsec loads from virtual disk

 

[Templar]

Nice find. I bet that your new adventure game will be ported to TI too?

 

[mjnurney]

may be tricky with 16K

lol

 

[status]

The TI99 is a fine piece of hardware

 

[mjnurney]

i used to have the full set up years ago..

32K
3.5 disk drive
5.25 disk drive
PEB + rs323 , disk controller (modified)
speech
joysticks
bags full of modules (cartridges) and some cassette stuff
but all this was sold...

i still have some programming books for it tho

but the CF7 does all that now..

 

[commodorejohn]

The TI-99's a very interesting idea for a machine; the processor is quite interesting and would be a snap to implement a true multitasking OS on, but it's so crippled by having only 8-bit RAM (and the BASIC interpreter being itself run in an interpreter!) to realize much of its true potential...ah well, at least it runs some games

 

[mjnurney]

there are a lot of interesting mods on the Ti99

32K ram internal is one , speech internal another
but CF ide on the expansion port has to be the best

yes the ti99 was crippled thats true

 

[salaxi54]

I like its looks, space-age gear!

 

[Zetr0]

I have to admit I love the look of the TI-99/4A.

In a lot of ways its shape is somewhat reminiscent of the PS3!

I remember when as a young 10/11 year old boy at computer club I saw one of these playing Oracle's Cave and was completely mesmerized by its instant loading and tape loading facility, back in 1984/5

I also remember drinking Quatro crush drink and trying to chat up a girl called Hazel at the club too... she was about 21 I think... LOL

@mjnurney

thanks for the humbling trip down memory lane!
Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; rv:2.0.1) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/4.0.1

 

[mjnurney]

hi Zetr0

Yes good times ....hey leave that girl alone!

Quick loading on the ti99....3 to 4 mins usually

---------- Post added at 20:01 ---------- Previous post was at 18:40 ----------

i think i made of made an error in judgement ...

the inside cover story of C&VG is Texas Instruments pulls out of the home computer market after massive financial losses!
I hope i can still get it repaired at my local dealer

---------- Post added at 21:39 ---------- Previous post was at 20:01 ----------

well the ipod copying of my one and only cassette game :-(

has FAILED lol

the Ti doesn't seemed impressed with modern technology...

Damn these Ti99's were clever !

 

[mjnurney]

Pitfall now on the ti99/4a (well has been for a bit but i didnt know )

http://www.retroclouds.de/

and hopefully more new games for this great little computer...

 

[mjnurney]

and now...

finally, I've rewired a broken (fire button) Atart style joystick to work on the Ti99/4a

i should of done this for the show but i was just tooooo busy and the A2000 was playing up..

 

[johnim]

great stuff mate

 

[protek]

"A tart style joystick", now that's really something.

Seriously, awesome stuff.

 

[Justin]

and now...

finally, I've rewired a broken (fire button) Atart style joystick to work on the Ti99/4a

i should of done this for the show but i was just tooooo busy and the A2000 was playing up..

rubbish! why do you need a joystick? can anyone tell me? i mean why? etc, etc and so on and so on

 

[mjnurney]

lol , well come on dear boy...you twist and turn my words like a ...

twisty turny thing....

 

[cosmicfrog]

ahh happy memories watching you trying remember how it worked on friday hehehe

every machine needs a tart once in a while

 

[mjnurney]

it was a nightmare froggy ....

i forgot i had to call up the disk manager and then swap back to the virtual disk to load...

grrrrrrr...but two hours later we got there!

PARSEC , INVADERS, FROGGER

i'll get the best of games and demos set up for next year...

 

[Astharot]

Ti99 program

Ti99 program

Had found in Internet program for ti99?? If you live in England there is a UK. user club, also in germany, Italy, Holland and Austria. If you need program or game tell me and i send at you. Good return with ti99!!!!
Bye Astharot