TI's (somewhat) revisionist history

[majestyx]

I found this on TI's own website:

 

http://e2e.ti.com/blogs_/b/thinkinnovate/archive/2013/12/01/these-ti-toys-remind-us-why-we-re-all-kids-at-heart

 

The part I found amusing was the info posted about the 4A:

 

"The 1980s marked the first time anyone could consider a computer as a toy. Until then, computers graced the campuses of universities and technical companies, but a computer at home was a rare luxury. In 1981, TI introduced the 99/4A, the first 16-bit personal computer designed to out-perform other 8-bit computers in the market. Equipped with a 13-inch video color monitor, it used plastic plug-in modules of read-only memory containing games like Donkey Kong, Frogger and TI Invaders. Other plug-in modules could be used for personal finance and educational programs."

 

Let's see, did it REALLY out-perform other 8-bit computers in the market? And wasn't the TI-99/4 actually their first one with a 16-bit processor?

 

Was it really equipped with a 13-inch video color monitor? Sure, if you felt like paying $399.95 retail for it (based on TI's June-December 1982 Suggested Retail Price List)

 

And irony of ironies - DONKEY KONG? You mean, by Atarisoft, the company whose cartridges you redesigned the computer to lock out?!

 

[Omega-TI]

I found this on TI's own website:

 

http://e2e.ti.com/blogs_/b/thinkinnovate/archive/2013/12/01/these-ti-toys-remind-us-why-we-re-all-kids-at-heart

 

Let's see, did it REALLY out-perform other 8-bit computers in the market? And wasn't the TI-99/4 actually their first one with a 16-bit processor?

 

Was it really equipped with a 13-inch video color monitor? Sure, if you felt like paying $399.95 retail for it (based on TI's June-December 1982 Suggested Retail Price List)

 

And irony of ironies - DONKEY KONG? You mean, by Atarisoft, the company whose cartridges you redesigned the computer to lock out?!

 

 

That was a good find! -- I wonder if the person writing it only read from early marketing manuals as their 'official reference'.

 

[+save2600]

I don't recall a 13" TI branded monitor... but Wikipedia even lists it as a rebadged Zenith. Is that true? Must be extremely rare then as I've only ever seen the boxy 10" version. That was a 10" screen, wasn't it? Right? lol

[sparkdrummer]

The 13 incher came with the /4. Looked like a tv with no channel knob.

[+save2600]

The 13 incher came with the /4. Looked like a tv with no channel knob.

So the /4 has the larger monitor, while the /4A had the 10"? Makes sense, not!

 

Wow, never ever saw the 13" Zenith model in all this time. Had the Panasonic 10" for a while, but really - way to small to take seriously. Didnt use it for long before selling. Might be cool for collecting purposes, but that's about it IMO.

[RickyDean]

The 13 incher came with the /4. Looked like a tv with no channel knob.

Had both at one time, the smaller and TV size.

[majestyx]

Indeed, the price list has it as a 10" monitor, but the price I mentioned is accurate. Weird that they'd reduce the size on the machine that came later.

[PeBo]

They only included the Zenith monitor because they couldn't get the FCC to pass their RF modulator in time for the /4's release...

 

...and let's face it, we got a 16bit processor, not to "outperform" other 8 bit computers (which we also know, for the most part, it didn't) but because the 8 bit CPU that was meant for the /4 didn't work, and by the time the 4A re-design took place, TI's marketing department was already beholden to a 16 bit selling-feature strategy (I often wonder if the re-vamped 4A would have been a better performer had they replaced the 16 bit processor with an 8 bit for which the architecture was originally designed..

 

Won't be the first time I've read articles which confuse the /4 and the /4A's history..

 

Finally, maybe I'm wrong, but didn't Atarisoft titles (such as Donkey Kong) appear shortly before the 4A was discontinued?? The blurb suggests it was among the early "plug-in plastic modules".

[spacecadet]

"Plastic plug-in modules of read-only memory" is a funny way of saying "cartridges".

[+save2600]

So is 'solid-state software command module'.

[digdugnate]

this has been mentioned before, but the back of the TI software boxes makes sure to specifically mention how they are not 'cartridges', lol

[+RXB]

TI made a PC Clone and had to withdraw it from the market. It did smoke the PC at the time on performance and specs.

[gfreige]

TI made a PC Clone and had to withdraw it from the market. It did smoke the PC at the time on performance and specs.

 

The TI-PC was a very popular PC clone here, and in fact both the floppy disk access and the video (similar to EGA) blow the IBM out of the water. I used it with compiled basic programs and when finally used the same program in a IBM PC it took AGES to read and write the same info from a diskette compared to the Ti-PC (not to mention the screen was monochromatic)

[majestyx]

And of course, they weren't joysticks (and most TI game players would agree with that), they were "Wired Remote Controllers," a term which even as a kid made me laugh.

[etownandy]

If I'm not mistaken, the 10" monitor is usually regarded as having a superior picture. Bigger doesn't always mean better.

[ElectricLab]

If I'm not mistaken, the 10" monitor is usually regarded as having a superior picture. Bigger doesn't always mean better.

 

I have one of each, and the 10" monitor is better by far.

 

As for TI's revisionist history, it's more likely that this is not intentionally wrong, but that the author, probably someone under 30, was a marketing person who has little understanding about the topic.

 

I am grateful they settled on Solid State Software though. Tubes would have been awkward.

[+save2600]

 

I am grateful they settled on Solid State Software though. Tubes would have been awkward.

 

...and as an under 30-something person would say today... "I know, right"?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Omega-TI]

Yes, tube would have really been awkward! That would be a rather large interface challenge... and make Doc Brown's gadget here look small by comparison!

 

Let's see each valve (tube) representing one transistor, multiply that by a minimum of 8000 for an average TI era cartridge.

You would also have to consider power supply requirements, a cooling solution, isolation and interface issues, and the list goes on!

 

 

What a freaking nightmare scenario!

[senior_falcon]

TI made a PC Clone and had to withdraw it from the market. It did smoke the PC at the time on performance and specs.

Why did they have to withdraw it from the market? Were they infringing on patents, or was it a dud on the marketplace? There isn't a lot of information out there about this computer. I remember the ads for it - "Dare to compare."

[mizapf]

Are we talking about this one: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/218727-ti-99-photos-thread-post-your-systems-here/?p=3445442

[ElectricLab]

Yes, tube would have really been awkward! That would be a rather large interface challenge... and make Doc Brown's gadget here look small by comparison!

 

Let's see each valve (tube) representing one transistor, multiply that by a minimum of 8000 for an average TI era cartridge.

You would also have to consider power supply requirements, a cooling solution, isolation and interface issues, and the list goes on!

 

 

What a freaking nightmare scenario!

 

" power supply requirements"

 

That's easy - 1.21 JigaWatts! (sp)

[+RXB]

Why did they have to withdraw it from the market? Were they infringing on patents, or was it a dud on the marketplace? There isn't a lot of information out there about this computer. I remember the ads for it - "Dare to compare."

Infringement on Intel as they used same Microcode as Intel used on Intel CPU.

 

It was embarrassing for Intel also.

[+arcadeshopper]

Infringement on Intel as they used same Microcode as Intel used on Intel CPU.

 

It was embarrassing for Intel also.

 

also it had a bad rep for compatibility with 3rd party cards mostly due to irq standards

[+Ksarul]

Actually, the TI PC used an Intel chip for the CPU. The machine did not sell well outside of some technical circles and died a slow death of attrition. It did have one of the best speech recognition boards of the time period though. . .along with some interesting non-standard graphics boards.

[Willsy]

I'll bet a round of beers that the person that wrote that history piece want even born when the TI was a thing.

Edited May 6, 2017 by Willsy