The TI computers in general were a bit off center in a number of ways. They
certainly had potential which was under utilized, I suspect, because of a
strange way of interfacing to their video subsystem. Lacking an OS and the
usual assortment of non-game (carefully not using words like "serious" or
"real-world" or . . .) software applications was a bit of a hindrance,
though.
I ws never interested in the TI stuff for my own use, as it didn't offer
anything I didn't already have with other systems. I looked into their 9980
(single chipper) for a while. It turned out not to be much of an
improvement over the 8748 for which I'd already done all the requisite
suffering, so that's what I used.
Dick
-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Gregory <gregorym_at_cadvision.com>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp_at_u.washington.edu>
Date: Wednesday, April 21, 1999 8:52 PM
Subject: Re: z80 timing... 6502 timing
>Now I know that many people didn't consider it a reasonable computer, but
>the TMS-9900 did make a memorable appearance in the TI-99/4/4A of blessed
>memory - 16K if I recall correctly. Once you added a PEB, RS-232 card, 32 K
>memory card, 2 HH DS/SD floppies and an Extended Basic cartidge, it was a
>fine computer.
>
>So bite your tongue.
>
>Cheers,
>Mark "They'll pry my TI out of my cold, dead hands" Gregory
>
>At 02:16 PM 4/21/99 -0600, you wrote:
>>For the longest time, the TMS 9900 didn't appear in anything one could
>>consider a reasonable computer. There was one model I saw at a colleagues
>>home which had expansion capability, but he often complained that cards
for
>>interesting applications, like mass storage, etc, were not available. I
>>didn't pursue it and so I believe(d) it to be true. I saw one ad for an
>>SC/MP, in '77, but that one was a homebrewed model. Other than that, it
was
>>not of much interest here. Was that not the case in Germany? The
processor
>>was still in National's data book, but I really wasn't then and am not now
>>of any operating system or application software for it. I don't believe
I
>>ever saw a real SC/MP based computer.
>>
>>Dick
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: Hans Franke <Hans.Franke_at_mch20.sbs.de>
>>To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
>><classiccmp_at_u.washington.edu>
>>Date: Wednesday, April 21, 1999 2:10 PM
>>Subject: Re: z80 timing... 6502 timing
>>
>>
>>>> I suppose that's true, Hans, BUT, in1982, there were few other
>>processors
>>>> than the 6502 and Z-80 in popular use, with the exception of the 8080A
>>and
>>>> the 8085, of course. The majority of home computers, though, used one
of
>>>> these two, at that time. Several years later, we found the 6510 and
6809
>>in
>>>> commercially interesting applications, but not for as long a period as
>>the
>>>> Z-80 and 6502. These two had a life of nearly ten years before the
>>IBM-PC
>>>> and its clones wrenched the home computer market from their grasp.
>>>
>>>in 1982, the 9900 was also big and beasts like SC/MP where still on
>>>the run (and 680xx, 808x and 160xx comming up), but you're right if
>>>you want to pich the two mayor player in the SOHO market.
>>>
>>>But still, a general measurement includes them.
>>>
>>>Gruss
>>>H.
>>>
>>>--
>>>Stimm gegen SPAM: http://www.politik-digital.de/spam/de/
>>>Vote against SPAM: http://www.politik-digital.de/spam/en/
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>>>Ich denke, also bin ich, also gut
>>>HRK
>>
>>
>>
Received on Wed Apr 21 1999 - 23:43:30 BST