Beige Expansion Peripherals

[Casey]

I know the beige 99/4As don't get a lot of love, but that's the one I grew up with as a child, so to me, it kind of has an emotional attachment to me that I don't have with the black/silver model. The box showed beige expansion peripherals (speech synthesizer and hex-bus adapter). I know that the hex-bus adapter was never released, but did TI ever release the speech synthesizer in beige? Assuming the answer to that is no, has anyone attempted to reproduce that style of case and transplant a synthesizer into one? If I were to get back into collecting real gear, I'd want to get the beige 99/4A and hopefully a matching synthesizer, but that may just be an elaborate dream...

[Omega-TI]

One of the best looking beige TI's I've ever seen is this one...

[digdugnate]

i haven't seen one in beige in the 'wild'- my leaning is towards they weren't released.

 

that being said, if someone has a pic, that'd be pretty cool to see!

[atrax27407]

Bill Gaskill sent me a picture of a beige console and peripherals that were in his inventory at one time.

[+Schmitzi]

DIY by MantaDoc

 

[+Ksarul]

There are a number of the Hex-Bus Adapters out there (I've seen somewhere between 15 and 20 of them through the last 30 years). There are also a few empty cases in circulation--some of which were half Hex-Bus and half Speech Synthesizer parts. I have one of the empty half/half cases and a pair of the Hex-Bus Adapters. I've never seen a complete beige Speech Synthesizer in the new case style though. . .

[Casey]

How hard would it be to fabricate a reasonable copy (as the picture above shows?) If a person has the case, we could certainly know the dimensions of it and then it would seem a fairly trivial matter (I say that out of ignorance) to have copies made. The real question then is - could a person take the guts from a synthesizer out of the black/silver case and put it in the beige one without the device needing a redesign? They appear to have quite different dimensions.

 

In my ideal world where I can just wish it and it becomes so, I'd envision 2 sidecar units - a speech synthesizer and either a multi-interface or a 32K expansion unit in the beige style cases and that'd be the amount of space I'd want to commit on my desk. At the same time, since I don't have any knowledge in how to actually make what I want happen, I realize that's also probably pretty simplistic.

[fabrice montupet]

I would be so happy to find beige sidecar Hex-Bus adapter, even an empty case.

Sure, I will not make holes in it.

[Willsy]

[Omega-TI]

Oh the HORROR of it all!

[Omega-TI]

I would be so happy to find beige sidecar Hex-Bus adapter, even an empty case.

Sure, I will not make holes in it.

 

With all the talent we have hanging around here it would be cool to get a 3D printed one for the regular console, which might be easy enough to do I suppose, but with aluminum trim to match the console, which would be harder.

[fabrice montupet]

You're right, for beige cases, 3D printing could be a solution. But the quality obtained with standard/personal 3D printers is usualy poor, sometimes awfull.

[Casey]

I have it in my mind that I want to get some real gear again, but I want to go the beige route as much as possible, since that's the one I'm attached to. Doesn't seem too hard too hard to find beige 99/4As on Ebay, and even beige program recorders. I think also I would go with the nanoPEB rather than a full sized one - I just don't want to commit that much space on my desk. Has anyone made a beige enclosure for the nanoPEB? I have seen beige TI joysticks (I know, the joysticks are terrible, but I'd to make my system look complete). How rare are these?

 

I also know that there's no way I'd end up with a beige speech synthesizer unfortunately. But are there any other beige items that TI released ? I can snag the carts I want in beige even (TI Extended BASIC - was Editor/Assembler released in beige?)

 

Thanks everyone for getting me excited again with the 99/4A!

[Airshack]

Beige is apparently the new black?

[+Ksarul]

The Beige joysticks are out there--but they are pretty hard to find (I have a couple of sets of them, but I'm pretty sure that neither set I have has serial numbers or date code stamps, so that would make them pre-production prototypes). MDUDE had a set of them for sale a month or so ago, but they sold. The only "common" beige peripheral is the MBX, unless you have one of the Hex-Bus Interfaces (beige, prototype only), in which case you can use all of the beige Hex-Bus peripherals (also quite common, as they were also used with the CC-40).

[digdugnate]

The Beige joysticks are out there--but they are pretty hard to find (I have a couple of sets of them, but I'm pretty sure that neither set I have has serial numbers or date code stamps, so that would make them pre-production prototypes). MDUDE had a set of them for sale a month or so ago, but they sold. The only "common" beige peripheral is the MBX, unless you have one of the Hex-Bus Interfaces (beige, prototype only), in which case you can use all of the beige Hex-Bus peripherals (also quite common, as they were also used with the CC-40).

I remember seeing this auction, but didn't realize that they ended up going for $85.00! wow.

 

I have bought several things from mdude before, i've had good luck with him as a seller.

[gfreige]

 

I also know that there's no way I'd end up with a beige speech synthesizer unfortunately. But are there any other beige items that TI released ? I can snag the carts I want in beige even (TI Extended BASIC - was Editor/Assembler released in beige?)

 

Thanks everyone for getting me excited again with the 99/4A!

 

My 2 XB cartridges and Editor/Assembler one are beige, (and my original XB one from 1983 was beige also) so, at least in XB case I thing beige ones are very common.

[+arcadeshopper]

 

My 2 XB cartridges and Editor/Assembler one are beige, (and my original XB one from 1983 was beige also) so, at least in XB case I thing beige ones are very common.

 

beige carts are pretty common, these are out of my recycle pile:

[Opry99er]

I love beige educational carts!!!

[digdugnate]

i have several of the beige educational carts. I picked them up mostly for nostalgia's sake, as I used them... for their original intention back then, lol

[kl99]

There is the beige PHP 2700 Tape Recorder with the beige tape recorder cable.

I always wonder why they made the beige TI-Joysticks with a black cable.

I have detailed photos somewhere of the beige Speech Synthesizer, at least from the two-pieces of the case.

 

The beige Hex-Bus Interface for the 99/4A (on the CES 1983 you can actually see a black/silver one, along with a black MBX).

We actually have a Hex-Bus Interface in our group and Leszek is having 3D printers at his home.

 

Further the Hex-Bus cables are all beige, as the complete TI Hex-Bus Peripheral line.

Then there is the beige 99/2, the beige 99/8 and the beige 99/5.

 

The box for the beige Tape Recorder has the 99/2 pictured, the box for the black Tape Recorder has it not.

Did you know that there was not a single one of the beige 99/4As sold in Europe?

 

Which is funny because they actually argued the switch from silver to the beige plastic color with "ergonomic standards emerging in Europe which dictated a lower contrast color."

Interview with Don Bynum (done by Dan Eicher in 2002):

"Q.How was the decision made to go from the classic black-and-silver 99/4A to bland beige?
A.Again, that was easy. The polished aluminum overlays were easily damaged by kids, who were ourprimary intended users, were easily damaged in handling in the factory (therefore adding cost), andserved no utilitarian purpose, so we eliminated them. My own preference would have been to stay witha black case, but ergonomic standards were emerging in Europe which dictated a lower contrast color."

Who is Don Bynum?

In October of 1980, Don Bynum was brought from Texas Instruments Corporate Engineering Center inDallas, TX to TI's production facility in Lubbock, TX to take over the faltering 99/4 project. Sales of the99/4 had been extremely slow and TI's corporate management was faced with either discontinuing theproject or making drastic changes in production and marketing strategies. Along with the expert help ofa newly acquired marketing manager named William Turner, Don rolled up his sleeves and began to work.The first step included a re-organization of key personnel within the Lubbock facility which includedbringing in several managers who Don had worked with during his 12-year career with TI.
Although Texas Instruments as a corporation has always been reluctant to change a product once it is inmass scale production, Don convinced them to scrap the 99/4 and redesign it as the 99/4A. Once thisproject was finished and turned over to Mr. Turner's marketing staff, sales of the 99/4A began a rapidimprovement over its older brother. As an engineer, Don quickly found ways to reduce production costsand lower the retail price of the computer to the consumer. Once this was done, TI's marketing staff hadonly to secure distribution to assure success.
Don's second "baby" was the Peripheral Expansion System.
Realizing the need to create a more viable and compact system for what seemed a never-ending train ofperipherals for the 99/4A, he set out to give consumers a better product for less money. This projectculminated in January of last year with the introduction of the Peripheral Expansion Box.
Over the past two and one half years, Mr. Bynum and his lovely wife, Peggy, have become close personalfriends and supporters of the International 99/4 Users-Group and its members. It is for this reason wewere saddened to hear that Texas Instruments has once again decided to promote Don to their CorporateResearch and Development Division in Dallas. The leadership which Mr. Bynum showed throughout histenure with the Consumer Product Division was not only an inspiration to his fellow employees but to allof us who he touched.
We wish Don and his family all the best in his new venture and would like to thank him for his help andsupport of the International 99/4 Users-Group and its membership. We have been advised that there isa possibility that Don will be involved with future personal computer products and we look forward to acontinuing relationship with him.

[digdugnate]

There is the beige PHP 2700 Tape Recorder with the beige tape recorder cable.

I always wonder why they made the beige TI-Joysticks with a black cable.

I have detailed photos somewhere of the beige Speech Synthesizer, at least from the two-pieces of the case.

 

The beige Hex-Bus Interface for the 99/4A (on the CES 1983 you can actually see a black/silver one, along with a black MBX).

We actually have a Hex-Bus Interface in our group and Leszek is having 3D printers at his home.

 

Further the Hex-Bus cables are all beige, as the complete TI Hex-Bus Peripheral line.

Then there is the beige 99/2, the beige 99/8 and the beige 99/5.

 

The box for the beige Tape Recorder has the 99/2 pictured, the box for the black Tape Recorder has it not.

 

Did you know that there was not a single one of the beige 99/4As sold in Europe?

 

Which is funny because they actually argued the switch from silver to the beige plastic color with "ergonomic standards emerging in Europe which dictated a lower contrast color."

Interview with Don Bynum (done by Dan Eicher in 2002):

"Q.How was the decision made to go from the classic black-and-silver 99/4A to bland beige?

A.Again, that was easy. The polished aluminum overlays were easily damaged by kids, who were ourprimary intended users, were easily damaged in handling in the factory (therefore adding cost), andserved no utilitarian purpose, so we eliminated them. My own preference would have been to stay witha black case, but ergonomic standards were emerging in Europe which dictated a lower contrast color."

 

Who is Don Bynum?

 

That is really interesting! I never knew the 'real story' behind the beige- when I think about it, it makes total sense.

 

(edited to add that when i was a kid my dad had a beige Program Recorder but I'm pretty sure we had the black/silver Speech unit)

Edited April 19, 2017 by digdugnate

[kl99]

nobody mentioned the Control Data TI products yet to bring Plato Software alive, with the CDC 99/4A beige console and it's beige monitor.

I think to remember reading there were dedicated PEBs as well.

 

The CC-40 cartridges are all beige as well.

 

There is a beige TI cartridge holder case, and some of the binder manuals were released in beige colour.

[+Ksarul]

And there are PAL consoles in Beige as well--from Argentina. The Beige PAL consoles were also apparently available in South Africa and Australia. . .

[dphirschler]

 

beige carts are pretty common, these are out of my recycle pile:

20170417_111642.jpg

You can probably clean that sharpie off completely with rubbing alcohol.

 

Darryl