From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!eagle!mhuxt!mhuxj!mhuxi!aluxz!fhl Newsgroups: net.micro Title: TI 99/4a remarks and questions Article-I.D.: aluxz.1106 Posted: Tue Feb 15 12:53:29 1983 Received: Fri Feb 18 04:03:57 1983 I recently attended Communications Networks '83 in New Orleans and was suprised to learn that the TI 99/4a was selling at the rate of 200,000 units/month. The unit orginally was priced around $1200. and is now selling at discount houses in the area for $147. The speaker claimed that the price of the CPU was simply a qualifier and that TI made money on the purchase of games and peripherials. (speaker - Fred Kinney) Several things about this claim really made me think. (Assuming that his information was correct) First and foremost is that there are/will be more TI 99/4a computers than any other (excluding the ZX81) and yet no machine is less supported by hackers and magazines. A check of our library (Byte, Popular COmputing, Compute!, and at least 5 other magazines) revealed only 1 article in the last 3 months that even metioned this machine. Now for the questions. Does anyone Know or remember any review articles on the TI 99/4a? My search has revealed that the machine has undergone substantial evolution in the last 2 years. For example, It has a 16 bit processor but early models only used 4 bits of this power (bit slice architecture?) later models have a refined graphics chip as well? The basic is reputed to be very slow...though they have PASCAL and LOGO as well? CDC's plato is supported. An assembler is available. My impression is that TI may have the model A of personal computers on their hands and every basement shop and major magazine is not cognizant of this machine's potential. 200,000 units per month sales is so incredibly large ... isn't Apple's installed base less than 500,000 units total? Sorry to drone on so long ... if there is substantial response I will be happy to summarize to the net. Frank Levinson BTL Allentown aluxz!fhl