New subforum for Tomy Tutor, 99/8 and close relatives of the TI-99/4a

[+retroclouds]

Next to my multiple TI-99/4a home computers, I also own multiple Tomy tutors and even a Geneve.

 

In The last 10 years or so Atariage has become the home of most of the TI-99/4a community.

Unfortunately for the Tomy Tutor, the community is really scattered on the internet and it's hard to find technical details and programming details.

 

Also have the feeling that most Tomy Tutor, 99/8 and Geneve owners are here on Atariage in the TI-99/4a section.

 

To better focus the threads and gather additional interest I propose to create a subforum in the TI-99/4A Computers section right here on Atariage.

Target group for the subforum are the close relatives of the TI-99/4a like Tomy Tutor, 99/8, DS990, ...

 

Minimal requirement for that is that the heart of the computer, the CPU must be a Texas Instruments 16bit CPU like TMS9900 (or closely related like  TMS9995).

The VDP chip alone does not count, machines with a Z80 CPU (Colecovision, MSX) have their own forums here on Atariage.

 

I have opened up a poll that goes until end of september.  Depending on the poll results we can then discuss with Albert.

 

What do you think? Please vote in the poll and comment here. 😀

 

 

Retroclouds

[+InsaneMultitasker]

Sharing for reference:  a link to one of the more "recent", related threads about sub-forums that contains some insight of how a separate dev forum was approached and some thoughts from that time.  There is at least one similar topic discussing an emulation sub-forum.

T

[8_is_enuff]

I voted yes--mainly for a separate Tomy Tutor subforum.  I'd be content leaving the TI-99/8 and Geneve stuff in with TI-99/4A content.  To me the 99/8 and Geneve are siblings of the 99/4A, whereas Tomy Tutor is a close cousin.

 

 

[+OLD CS1]

I have had this proposal in my notes for a while, since these requests seem to ebb and flood.

 

* Texas Instruments Computers & Gaming

The parent forum is to be a general chit-chat, welcoming, and informational lobby for the sub-forums.  Most of the sub-forums are self-explanatory in their titles.

The forum name is meant to reflect two aspects of Texas Instruments computers:
1) "Computers" generally referring to software, programming, hardware, and design
2) "Gaming" generally referring to playing games

+ TI-99/4A, 99/8, 99/2

+ Geneve 9640
+ CC-40 and BASICALCs
+ Tomy Tutor, Pyuuta, and Powertran Cortex
+ Business Computers and Hardware

+ Software & Hardware Development

Here be dragons.  Under this sub-forum shall be both software and hardware development and related threads

[+retroclouds]

OLD CS1 just out of curiosity, are you able to create new subforum(s) or is that something only Al can do?

[+OLD CS1]

The only thing I can do since the upgrade is pin and unpin.  When I ran this past @Albert about two years ago he was on-board with the idea.  But since the fervor died out I let it sit.

[jbdigriz]

23 hours ago, OLD CS1 said:

I have had this proposal in my notes for a while, since these requests seem to ebb and flood.

 

* Texas Instruments Computers & Gaming

The parent forum is to be a general chit-chat, welcoming, and informational lobby for the sub-forums.  Most of the sub-forums are self-explanatory in their titles.

The forum name is meant to reflect two aspects of Texas Instruments computers:
1) "Computers" generally referring to software, programming, hardware, and design
2) "Gaming" generally referring to playing games

+ TI-99/4A, 99/8, 99/2

+ Geneve 9640
+ CC-40 and BASICALCs
+ Tomy Tutor, Pyuuta, and Powertran Cortex
+ Business Computers and Hardware

+ Software & Hardware Development

Here be dragons.  Under this sub-forum shall be both software and hardware development and related threads

This seems eminently reasonable. I hereby change my vote from "don't care" to "yes".

[+FarmerPotato]

On 8/22/2020 at 1:18 PM, OLD CS1 said:

I have had this proposal in my notes for a while, since these requests seem to ebb and flood.

 

* Texas Instruments Computers & Gaming

The parent forum is to be a general chit-chat, welcoming, and informational lobby for the sub-forums.  Most of the sub-forums are self-explanatory in their titles.

The forum name is meant to reflect two aspects of Texas Instruments computers:
1) "Computers" generally referring to software, programming, hardware, and design
2) "Gaming" generally referring to playing games

+ TI-99/4A, 99/8, 99/2

+ Geneve 9640
+ CC-40 and BASICALCs
+ Tomy Tutor, Pyuuta, and Powertran Cortex
+ Business Computers and Hardware

+ Software & Hardware Development

Here be dragons.  Under this sub-forum shall be both software and hardware development and related threads

The issue I see, and I don't know how to fix it--

 

When posts are divided into subgroups, they are not as visible to regular visitors to the TI-99/4A forum.

 

I would rarely think to click into "Business computers and hardware" yet when a thread on the 990 surfaces in TI-99/4A or Dev it is always interesting to me. 

 

And a great deal of the expertise to answer a question is probably lurking in TI-99/4A, not a subforum, on any given day. 

 

So on the one hand, you want Tomy Tutor threads to be top of their own forum so they are not buried. On the other hand, they become not as visible to the people entering the TI-99/4A forum every day.  I think of how I browse... I always want to know about all the topics (in your list), and I read the threads, now or later, before they scroll off. If they were in a subforum I might be ignoring them.

 

My preference would be for the largest forum, TI-99/4A and home computers, to be the parent forum, not a subforum. No "Lobby" parent forum. Then the subforums are carve-outs from the main traffic. They exist for the purpose of being able to quickly visit their threads, which grow more slowly.

 

 

 

[Asmusr]

9 out of 10 people have replied yes to having "a new subforum for Tomy Tutor, 99/8 and close relatives of the TI-99-4a", so maybe that's what we should do instead of starting a new discussion?

[+OLD CS1]

4 hours ago, FarmerPotato said:

When posts are divided into subgroups, they are not as visible to regular visitors to the TI-99/4A forum.

Pro and con.  This could be said about all of the forums and subs.  On the one hand it gives a delineation between discussion topics, but on the other it means those with over-lapping interests may miss something.  Similar arguments for having or not having a separate development sub.

 

1 hour ago, Asmusr said:

9 out of 10 people have replied yes to having "a new subforum for Tomy Tutor, 99/8 and close relatives of the TI-99-4a", so maybe that's what we should do instead of starting a new discussion?

The idea has popped up every year or so the past several years.  Each time with varied nuances for solution.  I say if this is going to be done then it should be done with larger considerations, lest the "need" surface again in the future.  My proposal is, as a simple proposal, based upon a discussion around the early 2018 mark.

 

Ultimately, I legitimately do not care.  While I, including others, have invested time into the idea, I carry neither torch nor butt-hurt over the notion.  During the last split, however, I volunteered my time to seek out and move threads between the original TI forum and the new development sub.  It was long and tedious work.  I imagine I have only one more of those ventures left in me before I run out of ducks to give.

[+OLD CS1]

Also, we are approaching this like there is some council of elders who need to consult the bones and entrails to determine the wishes of our ancestors.  Really, anyone could approach @Albert with a request.  @retroclouds is the grandpappy of the TI-99/4A forum to begin with and he has the rank, if you will, to devise the plan and present it to the Uber Moderator with appropriate tribute.  A little fewer than dentists with Trident, three out of five agree to split the Tomy and 99/8 into a separate sub-forum.  The questions to me become: does everyone who supports this move also browse forums in that manner, or are we dividing the community into cliques; would we be better served by simply renaming the TI-99/4A forum to include all of its siblings? 

[Tursi]

For me, you're dividing it, but I get the feeling I'm the only one who reads every thread.  With additional forums added, I'll certainly choose a couple to dedicate my time to and ignore the rest.

 

But my vote is indifference.

 

[GDMike]

I do also, try to read, well everything that is new. I may or may not have an interest, but at least it's out there to decide at reading time. More the merrier.

[jrhodes]

[+InsaneMultitasker]

I don't recall that many posts dedicated solely to the 99/8 or Tomy or other systems.  I read both forums today so for me, it would just be the slight inconvenience of looking at multiple areas if I choose to look at them. My initial thought was this is a solution looking for a problem, but for those other systems it could be more helpful than a tagged topic approach.

[hloberg]

personally if we did split it out I think that would encourage people to delve into the other systems. maybe add p-card too?

[Bill Loguidice]

I have a Tutor. I wouldn't mind separate discussions.

[hloberg]

well, it looks like we have a quorum of opinion that we like the idea.  shall we ask Albert?

[+retroclouds]

6 minutes ago, hloberg said:

well, it looks like we have a quorum of opinion that we like the idea.  shall we ask Albert?

 

The poll is open until end of September. After it closes and depending on the outcome I’ll contact Albert.

Changing poll conditions (duration) would not be fair, as I stated in my 1st post that the poll goes that long.

 

[+retroclouds]

Cast your vote if you haven’t already done so. Still some days left, poll closes on September 30th. 😀

[+retroclouds]

If the subforum gets created, we’ll have a little surprise for Tomy Tutor friends.

 

EDIT: to be clear, we’ll have the suprise even when the subforum does not get created. So it should not influence your vote. Was getting a bit carried away before 😇

[+retroclouds]

The poll is now closed. Next step is to contact Al for setting up the subforum.  😀

[+retroclouds]

This is what I plan to request:

 

Tomy Tutor, CC40, 99/2, 99/8, Cortex, 990 mini

 

Subforum for standalone non-4A systems with a 16 bit CPU belonging to the TMS99xxx processor family.

 

Following systems qualify:

• Tomy Tutor, Pyuuta
• Texas Instruments CC-40
• Texas Instruments TI-99/2
• Texas Instruments TI-99/8
• Powertran Cortex
• Range of 990 minicomputers
• Breadboard computers with TMS99xxx CPU

 

I left the 9960 Geneve out as it needs the TI-99/4(A) Peripheral Expansion Box for hosting.

[Asmusr]

On 10/1/2020 at 8:04 AM, retroclouds said:

This is what I plan to request

Was the request accepted?

[+retroclouds]

1 minute ago, Asmusr said:

Was the request accepted?

 

Still have to file the request. Wanted to let it sit until this weekend, seeing if any additions required.