TI Related -- Ebay / Heads Up Notice

[atrax27407]

Myarc Geneve on eBay http://www.ebay.com/itm/MYARC-Geneve-9640-TI-99-4A-Texas-Instruments-compatible-RARE-/141511090911?pt=US_Vintage_Computers_Mainframes&hash=item20f2b7e2df

[+OLD CS1]

Another batch of nanoPEBs, v1 with the 9902 UART.

eBay Auction -- Item Number: 201244614914

[Torrax]

Just ordered one of the nanoPEB's. Do they use the same PSU brick as the CF+?? If not, what settings do I need to set on my universal PSU brick.

[Omega-TI]

Page 3 & 4 in this document

http://webpages.charter.net/nanopeb/downloads/nanoPEB/docs/nanoPEB-SIO_V1.pdf

[Diecrusher]

 

As someone who has had the experience of un-boxing a brand new, never before-opened Amiga CD32 and Amiga 1200 some 15 or so years after they were manufactured, I have to tell you it is like touching the past. The local-human level of reaching back in time with the Hubble telescope, knowing that I am the only person to have ever laid eyes upon it since it was sealed at the factory and sent across space and time (or, sat in a factory, your choice) until it reached my hands.

 

Back in 1992 when I would have opened my brand-spanking new Amiga 1200, there would have been the awe of having obtained something for which I worked long and hard. Today, the feeling is much the same, having waited for so long. The question in my mind at the time would have easily been "what can I do with this?" whereas today the question is more "what CAN'T I do with this?"

 

It is difficult to verbalize the ethereal, but I think I have come fairly close. I can imagine it would be giddily electric to be the first person in 30 years, in fact the only person, to open a box containing a TI PEB. Every corner, every shade of gray, every defect, every perfection, mine and only mine for all this time, reaching back to the day when I played Red Rover or Spread Eagle on the school grounds, or perhaps the day I jumped my BMX dirt bike, or maybe the day I sat all day long playing Pitfall or Frogger on the Atari 2600 with a school chum. As if the time which had passed, though really a life-time for me, was a mere blip in eternity for this shiny, virgin, pristine piece of amazing technology.

 

People are quick to bandy about the word "nostalgia," but the lexicon fails to properly enshrine the full character of emotion and human experience entwined in its application.

I totally agree with you............. For me it is the chance to play with something that I couldn't afford as a kid 'back in the day' and now at least get to experience it 30+ years later.

 

Of course sometimes the nostalgia quickly wears off as things looked at in reverse seldom look as cool as they did when they were yet in your near future..... looking at things with a different set of eyes now. The golden age of computers was sure a great time to experience as a kid!!

Edited December 18, 2014 by Diecrusher

[+OLD CS1]

Speaking of collections in another thread, check this guy out:

 

Massive Apple collection

eBay Auction -- Item Number: 171395058676

[Vorticon]

This is insane, and I don't just mean the asking price...

[coleco1981]

I just picked up a TI-99/4A after losing mine 20+ years ago.

 

I've been researching different multicarts - which one is the best and which one can I program easy?!

 

I know this might require its own thread but perhaps they come up on ebay once in awhile?

Edited December 22, 2014 by coleco1981

[+retroclouds]

The way it looks, this guy has sold more than 46 new-in-box PEBs!!

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-NOS-IN-BOX-TI-99-4A-TI99-TI-Expansion-Box-PHP1200-Flex-Cable-Interface/351033272765?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20131003132420%26meid%3D80b74c54d7e347fbbd994757f52097e6%26pid%3D100005%26prg%3D20131003132420%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D6%26mehot%3Dpp%26sd%3D221524981205&rt=nc

[kl99]

kl99 = number 46

[UKRetrogamer]

I've been researching different multicarts - which one is the best and which one can I program easy?!

 

I know this might require its own thread but perhaps they come up on ebay once in awhile?

Have a word with Gazoo and Ksarul. I have a few of their 512K multicarts. Gazoo compiles and releases images periodically but has hinted at how to create your own compilations in his 512K cart thread here: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/224528-setting-up-a-512k-cart/?p=2973008

 

There's also a 632K cart which Gazoo's XB v2.7 Suite cartridge and others based around. This cart can emulate GROMs for cartridges like the Assembler/Editor cart, etc., which can't be loaded from a standard EPROM:

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/223979-setting-up-a-632k-cart/

 

To use either, you'll need an EPROM programmer unless you already own one:

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/230688-tl866cs-minipro-eprommer/?p=3090111

Edited December 22, 2014 by UKRetrogamer

[+InsaneMultitasker]

Myarc Geneve on eBay http://www.ebay.com/itm/MYARC-Geneve-9640-TI-99-4A-Texas-Instruments-compatible-RARE-/141511090911?pt=US_Vintage_Computers_Mainframes&hash=item20f2b7e2df

Looks like this Geneve has the 2x128K (256k total) PFM device versus the more current 1x512K PFM device. Booting from flash takes a little extra effort.

[+Ksarul]

The multicarts don't show up on eBay at the moment--there are two places to get them: direct from me (prebuilt) or on the Arcadeshopper site (bare boards). The UberGROM boards are also available as prebuilts on the Arcadeshopper site. The 512K boards use standard 28-32 pin DIP EPROMs, and will support chips with from 8K to 512K without an external switch (or 1024K as two 512K bank zones with the switch). The switch basically allows two 512K images in one cartridge. PM me for prices and general availability of the board types.

 

There are only a handful of folks right now with the capability to program the Atmel1284 chips on the UberGROM boards. Anyone can program the 49F040 (or 29F040) flash chips for them with the proper equipment (a clamshell 32-pin PLCC socket), using the same images as the 512K boards (as 512K images). The Atmel allows emulation of GROM, so it adds significant capability to the board if you have the skills to build (or load) the necessary program files for it.

 

I have to assemble another group of both boards, as all of my assembled UberGROMs are either spoken for or on the Arcadeshopper site right now.

Edited December 23, 2014 by Ksarul

[UKRetrogamer]

There are only a handful of folks right now with the capability to program the Atmel1284 chips on the UberGROM boards. Anyone can program the 49F040 (or 29F040) flash chips for them with the proper equipment (a clamshell 32-pin PLCC socket), using the same images as the 512K boards (as 512K images). The Atmel allows emulation of GROM, so it adds significant capability to the board if you have the skills to build (or load) the necessary program files for it.

In which case, I feel privileged. I've tried all of Gazoo's UberGROM suites in my board. As I already own one of his XB 2.7 carts, I eventually settled on setting my UberGROM card up as a Rich Extended BASIC cart.

 

Loving these cart-boards and the support you guys are giving them.

[+OLD CS1]

MBX currently at $305!!!

eBay Auction -- Item Number: 141515425974

[Vorticon]

MBX currently at $305!!!

eBay Auction -- Item Number: 141515425974

 

Aside from the initial novelty, I found the device to be rather cumbersome to use and requiring too much desk space. I sold mine with all the available MBX carts back in 1999. That said, there is definitely a certain cool factor to it, although not worth $300+ ... There was potential there, but unfortunately it was never fully developed secondary to the implosion of TI's home computer division.

[+OLD CS1]

 

Aside from the initial novelty, I found the device to be rather cumbersome to use and requiring too much desk space. I sold mine with all the available MBX carts back in 1999. That said, there is definitely a certain cool factor to it, although not worth $300+ ... There was potential there, but unfortunately it was never fully developed secondary to the implosion of TI's home computer division.

 

It is definitely a cool device but, yes, it does take up a lot of desk space. Most of the MBX games are really top-notch, and the controller alone is worth having. The speech, however, does not sound any better than the standard TI Speech Synthesizer -- actually worse, IMNSHO. All-in-all, I paid $100-ish for mine, and I have seen them going for anywhere between $35 and $150. But north of $300 is ridiculous.

[am1933]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Beyond-Parsec-TI-99-game-cart-w-manual-EXTREMELY-RARE-Texas-instruments-/111562415988?pt=Video_Games_Games&hash=item19f9a35f74

 

Is it just me or does anyone else see something very suspect about this auction?

[Omega-TI]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Beyond-Parsec-TI-99-game-cart-w-manual-EXTREMELY-RARE-Texas-instruments-/111562415988?pt=Video_Games_Games&hash=item19f9a35f74

 

Is it just me or does anyone else see something very suspect about this auction?

 

Well, not being a collector, the label seems to scream fake, because:

 

(1) I thought Beyond Parsec was a 1983 game by Texas Instruments, although I could be wrong.

 

Edit: I WAS WRONG << Check out this link >> Scroll down a ways

 

(2) The label placement would be wrong.

(3) The label is a reproduction in any event as the lower left is rounded, the other three corners are squared off.

 

 

Edited December 31, 2014 by --- Ω ---

[am1933]

 

Well, not being a collector, the label seems to scream fake, because:

 

(1) I thought Beyond Parsec was a 1983 game by Texas Instruments, although I could be wrong.

 

Edit: I WAS WRONG << Check out this link >> Scroll down a ways

 

(2) The label placement would be wrong.

(3) The label is a reproduction in any event as the lower left is rounded, the other three corners are squared off.

 

 

 

The cartridge also looks like it has been opened previously (possibly someone with an eprom burner playing silly buggers here).-unless of course-DataBiotics were in the habit of using 2nd hand TI module cases.

 

[+Ksarul]

Actually, this cartridge is most likely original. The manual is of the proper color and apparent thickness of card stock, the label is one of two types that DataBioTics used routinely--and it looks to be a direct copy from the original, as opposed to the second, third, and fourth-generation copies I've seen on later fakes. The last telltale is the cartridge case--it is a late-type TI case with no date stamping of any kind on it--which fits well within the norm for DBT cartridges produced in 1991 and onward, as Triton was only supplying leftover TI parts to other vendors by then instead of making more of the smooth-bottom cases. The key is that there is no date code--that is the main differentiator between an original case and a recycled one.

[kl99]

Somebody in Australia posted a beige TI-99/4a (non 2.2).

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281547104359
The interesting part is, that it seems to be a PAL model.

I always thought that no PAL models have been produced in beige design.

My thought was that beige TI-99 was only sold in US and therefore only NTSC.

 

It seems I was wrong on that.

[am1933]

Somebody in Australia posted a beige TI-99/4a (non 2.2).

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281547104359

The interesting part is, that it seems to be a PAL model.

I always thought that no PAL models have been produced in beige design.

My thought was that beige TI-99 was only sold in US and therefore only NTSC.

 

It seems I was wrong on that.

Well -If you were wrong, I was too. I was never aware of beige PAL model either.

[Omega-TI]

I don't think either of you are wrong. This thing uses a PAL 'ENCODER', so it could very well be a regular TI, possibly even a European model that takes the output and converts it EXTERNALLY to the required format.

[+Ksarul]

There are a couple of possibilities here. Note that the PAL Encoder is the Italian-manufactured model, which is the normal box for the European-release consoles. The External Power Supply is for 240V input, so it was normed for Australia. It is possible that someone took the mother board from a Black-and-Silver console and put it into this case. It is also possible that this is just what it seems to be--a beige console intended for use outside the US and Canada. If it is the latter, it really is an interesting discovery--similar to the information I received recently that some of the Argentine machines had the Master Title Screen in Spanish. . .