fimbulvetr

TIPI Version 2.9, crubase 1000.

Yep, on real iron. I am using it with a FinalGROM and a PEB version of the TIPI. I just tested it a couple more times. I had the order of events off when I posted earlier. What happens is, I create a new adventure, create the party, accept the party, then the screen goes weird for just over 30 seconds, then I get the intro, then it drops me back at the main selection screen after I go through the whole intro. I can pick continue adventure from there and the game runs without any problems.

I tried restarting a new game four times, and it happened every time after I made my party. I was a bit worried the first time it happened. It doesn’t happen when I just continue my saved game though.

I picked this up today and spent a few hours having a blast playing it. Awesome work! One question, after I made my party, my screen went all weird (see the pic) for a while after the introduction, then dropped me back at the main selection screen. Then I selected continue and it started the game. Is this normal? I’m playing using a PEB TIPI.

My goals are to learn basic on my TRS-80 Model 100, recap some stuff, and to get my 486 back up and running.

Yeah, I wouldn’t have know where to line up the cable on the centronics end without a photo.

The ti99/4a has St. Nick, which came out in 1983. https://www.videogamehouse.net/stnick.html

Well, problem solved! In the end I made my own cable exactly like the one you linked on ebay, and it worked perfectly. I didn't have the patience to wait for a cable to ship from Australia, and rooting around in my junk boxes turned up enough bits to build a cable like the one pictured I think in the end it was something to do with my parallel printer cable. I use that cable to print to my Okidata dot matrix printer from my windows desktop and my Tandy WP-2 (which has a standard DB25 parallel port), but it wouldn't work with either of those and the Tandy DMP-130 printer. Interestingly, the Tandy DMP-130 works fine with a USB to centronics cable and my windows desktop.

Does anyone know where to get or, failing that, how to make a printer cable for a TRS-80 Model 100? I have the Model 100 computer and a Tandy DMP-130, but no way to get between the two. I tried to bodge a printer cable together using a centronics to male DB25 parallel printer cable, connected to a flat ribbon female DB25 to IDC 26 cable, but that didn't work. The printer goes off line and refuses to respond when I plug it into either of my Model 100s. Same thing when I tried it with my Okidata Microline dot matrix. I know both printers work, and I know the cables are good, but that combination doesn't work.

It will be interesting to see how that works out!

I did the same. Shipping to Canada from Amazon USA was steep and the exchange rate is pretty punitive anyways, so I figured I was better off using my retro electronics budget elsewhere (it wasn't available on Amazon Canada). I'm hoping there is a Canadian distributor in the future.

Yeah, those copper fingers are brittle. I snapped off one on one of my keyboards as well. Never tried to fix it though; I just dropped it in my parts bin. I've considered replacing it with a standard switch for that key though.

Interesting comparison. Just for fun, I ran this on my CoCo3, TRS-80 Model 100, and Apple IIc as those weren't in the test. They took 58 sec, 66 sec, and 35 seconds, respectively. Mind you, I didn't try the speed-up poke on the CoCo3.

The cheapest and easiest way is serial port transfer. I use a serial-to-USB cable with my WP-2. It is not too difficult to use once you figure it out. I suppose there are other ways, and there is a rare compatible floppy drive,.

Another option, if you want to go really focused and text only, is a Tandy WP-2 or a TRS-80 Model 100. They have excellent keyboards, are portable, and run for a long time off of AA batteries. I prefer the Tandy WP-2 for writing, even though the keyboard on the TRS-80 is a bit better.

I think the best classic computer for word processing is a compact mac like an SE, SE/30 or Classic (I use and SE/30). Nice and easy to use, lots of different word processors available, they hit a lot of the nostalgia and charming aesthetics buttons, and relatively easy to transfer to a more modern system.

Chacun à son goût. I quite like the monochrome green monitor with my IIc.

You keep saying that. See my comment above, this is completely untrue, no matter what else you may think of the IIc. Here are the steps: Open case. Unplug built in drive. Plug in flash drive. Close case. It is not difficult. Alternatively: Open case. Plug in an internal/external drive switcher. Close case. Plug in flash drive. (I have one of these in my IIc now, it works great) How is that any harder than any other Apple II, which would involve opening the case, installing a drive card, plugging in drive wires, closing the case? Except for a couple screws? Anyone afraid of opening the case of a 30 or 40-year old computer should stick to emulation, because it is a necessary skill to keep these old machines running.

Not really “hacking”. I just unplugged the internal cable for the built in drive and plugged in my floppyemu instead with my IIc. Bigmessowires also has a little switch board you can plug in so you can switch between booting from the internal floppy or the flash drive. Easy-peasy. No permanent alterations, no soldering, just open the case and plug in a cable.

micro-pinball, qmaze, topper, star trap, micro tennis, topper, rabbit trail and Mrs. Pacman, $200: https://www.ebay.ca/itm/Texas-Instruments-TI-99-4a-Rare-Uncommon-Games-/224238634424?&_trksid=p2056016.l4276

There are a lot of fly by night sites like that. They list a huge variety of items at prices that are suspiciously low. I got taken in by one once, but fortunately was refunded by PayPal as they never sent any shipping info.

Having used both, I will take the ti sticks over the CoCo ones any day. The ti ones may cramp your hand after extended use, but at least they are usable.

Back in the day I always wanted to try the C64. I had a ti99, my friends had C64s. At school we had Atari 800s and 400s. I still have never owned a C64.

I find it crazy that people are now asking $300 for ti99's, that you could easily find for $25 less than 5 years ago. Those are not worth that much. About 15 years ago I got in compact Macs, and picked up a bunch of them. No way would I pay what people are asking for an SE/30 or the like now. But for my 8-bits, I figure it is a hobby I enjoy so I still begrudgingly pay the now-inflated prices for hardware on occasion. I wait for deals, stick to a budget, and don't buy nearly as much as when it was cheap. It is still a cheaper hobby than owning a boat or a horse or whatever

It was on eBay! Nowhere local for me to buy anything, so that is where I have to get stuff. I save searches and wait for things to show up at a decent price. It did take a while, so no instant gratification. Prices are definitely higher on ebay than they used to be but more reasonably priced computers still show up.