How wide is your TI-99/4A setup?

[cbmeeks]

The TI-99/4A is famous (infamous?) for it's expandability. We've all seen the pictures of the poor TI with a half-dozen devices out to the side. This is both hilarious and awesome at the same time.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Instruments_TI-99/4A#/media/File:Ti994_long.jpg

 

So my question is, are any of you running a massively wide setup like this? Or, did you in the past?

 

 

[+Ksarul]

Add two more of the sidecar boxes into the picture with the three sidecar boxes and you have one of my systems. It isn't set up now, but I have a full set of the sidecars (five) and the other items in that picture. . .

[cbmeeks]

That's awesome!

What all do you have in your sidecars? I'm not familiar with them. Are they various devices like RS-232, RAM, etc.?

 

BTW...I'd love to have that acoustic coupler. Not that I could use it. But I want it really bad. :-)

[+arcadeshopper]

rs232, disk controller, 32k ram, speech are the common ones.. jim has some more uncommon ones

 

Greg

[blackbox]

This is a little while ago, before I had a 99/4a and a PEB which all had a custom built desk - this was my first set up, ready to go. Spot the thermal printer.

 

stephen

[jstimson]

I went vertical in my setup....

 

 

[LASooner]

This is a little while ago, before I had a 99/4a and a PEB which all had a custom built desk - this was my first set up, ready to go. Spot the thermal printer.

 

82Comp1.jpg

stephen

 

 

"I'm going to change the floppy, if I'm not back in 20 mins, send help."

[+Ksarul]

TI made five different sidecars: RS-232, Disk Controller (for SSSD disks), 32K, p-Code, and Video Controller. I have all five. Probably the hardest to find is the p-Code box, as most of those were sold to schools and got trashed when they got rid of their TI equipment. I only know of a few survivors, including mine. The Video Controller is also quite HTF, but it is a little bit easier, as there are 10-15 of them floating about in the community.

[Ed in SoDak]

It seems odd nobody at TI pointed out the Circus Train being built before it left the station. The successor PEB and Firehose made a huge and unwieldy combo itself.

 

Then again, compared to the TI-990 system, maybe they thought they were "thinking small."

 

But I guess you could take the skyscraper approach some of the ZX81/Timex expansions chose. Or just keep sticking additions off the Back Porch. Some companies just sold boards and let the user figure out what to do with 'em. Don't forget the "real" keyboard upgrades

-Ed

[cbmeeks]

 

 

"I'm going to change the floppy, if I'm not back in 20 mins, send help."

 

LOL!!! That wasn't just an internet saying...I actually did laugh out loud!

 

 

 

It seems odd nobody at TI pointed out the Circus Train being built before it left the station. The successor PEB and Firehose made a huge and unwieldy combo itself.

 

Then again, compared to the TI-990 system, maybe they thought they were "thinking small."

 

But I guess you could take the skyscraper approach some of the ZX81/Timex expansions chose. Or just keep sticking additions off the Back Porch. Some companies just sold boards and let the user figure out what to do with 'em. Don't forget the "real" keyboard upgrades

-Ed

 

That Leaning Tower of RAM is awesome. It clearly falls into that saying of "just because you can, doesn't mean you should". Hahaha

[+Airshack]

The TI-99/4A is famous (infamous?) for it's expandability. We've all seen the pictures of the poor TI with a half-dozen devices out to the side. This is both hilarious and awesome at the same time.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Instruments_TI-99/4A#/media/File:Ti994_long.jpg

 

So my question is, are any of you running a massively wide setup like this? Or, did you in the past?

 

 

I run the sidecars myself. The 32k+Disk controller+disk drive combine to form a much smaller footprint and much lighter setup. The RS-232 can be added if necessary which is almost never for me. I prefer sidecars to my PEB.

 

The disk drive can sit atop the disk controller btw.

 

This image you included has the thermal printer and modem which few of us have.

 

So the sidecars aren’t as hilarious as one would think. They’re portable too.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[+Ksarul]

They definitely make a robust portable system--the sidecars were built tough!

[digdugnate]

my system setup isn't crazy wide- i'm using a PEB. Console is to the left of the PEB, PEB on right corner of my desk with my monitor on top.

 

I'd say, maybe, 4 feet on my desk?

[apersson850]

I went vertical in my setup....

Looks like IKEA shelves.

[apersson850]

I have the monitor behind the console, and the two PEB units stacked on top of each other to the right of the monitor. The fire hose I make a 90° turn on, just to the right of the computer, and route it under the PEB.

The two boxes are one standard TI PEB at the bottom, and then one more I designed myself on top of that. The top one holds the disk drives that doesn't fit in the TI PEB and some other stuff.

[jstimson]

Looks like IKEA shelves.

 

Yep. I have a number of vintage systems setup that way. Find them to be very configurable.

[apersson850]

I live approximately 20 km away from where IKEA all started.

[jrhodes]

Actually, its more like this: