--- title: Texas Instruments TI 99 / 2 categories: - Computers types: - Home Computer origins: - U.S.A. years: - '1983' cpus: - Texas Instruments TMS 9995 params: name: TI 99 / 2 image: /media/museum/photos/texas-instrument_ti99-2_2.jpg company: /companies/texas-instruments company_name: Texas Instruments specs: - label: NAME value: TI 99 / 2 - label: MANUFACTURER value: Texas Instruments - label: TYPE value: Home Computer - label: ORIGIN value: U.S.A. - label: YEAR value: April 1983 - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE value: Lighted TI Basic - label: KEYBOARD value: QWERTY calculator type, 48 keys - label: CPU value: Texas Instruments TMS 9995 - label: SPEED value: 10.7 Mhz - label: CO-PROCESSOR value: Unknown - label: RAM value: 4 up (up to 36 kb) - label: ROM value: 32 KB - label: TEXT MODES value: 32 x 24 - label: GRAPHIC MODES value: Unknown - label: COLORS value: Monochrome - label: SOUND value: No ! - label: I/O PORTS value: Expansion port, Hex-Bus port, NTSC video out, tape-recorder - label: POWER SUPPLY value: External AC adaptor - label: PRICE value: $99.95 (1983) tabs: - photos - emulators - links - docs - videos forum_thread: 277 photos: - title: B&W PICTURE subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/texas-instrument_ti99-2_1.jpg emulators: - title: Mess emulator url: http://www.mess.org platform: MS DOS text: Emulates all of the TI-99 versions, including the Geneve card - title: PC99 url: http://pw2.netcom.com/~mjmw/index.html platform: MS DOS text: Quality emulator for the TI 99/4A - title: Classic99 url: http://www.harmlesslion.com/software/Classic99 platform: Windows text: Open Source & freeware TI-99/4A emulator for Windows 9x - title: Win994a url: http://www.99er.net/win994a.shtml platform: Windows text: Win994a is a TI-99/4A simulator written by Cory Burr that installs and runs in Windows - title: MacV9T9 official homepage url: http://perso.club-internet.fr/pytheas/english/MacV9T9.html platform: Apple text: MacV9T9 is a TI99 emulator for the Macintosh links: - title: planet-99.net url: http://www.planet-99.net/ text: Lots and Lots of 4A software on this site. Disks, Cartridges, Articles - the lot! - title: Somtimes url: http://sometimes.99er.net/ text: Demo cartridges - title: The TI-99/4A Home Computer Page url: http://www.99er.net text: THE U.S. site to visit for TI stuff ! - title: TI-99 4/A Webring url: http://e.webring.com/hub?ring=ti994a text: You know what it is ;-) - title: TI-99 Forever ! url: http://www.ti99.com/ text: Excellent site, full of infos - title: TI-99 Forever ! url: http://www.ti99.com text: Excellent site by Fabrice Montupet - title: TI-99/4 Home Page at 99er.Net url: http://www.99er.net/ text: THE us site to visit ! - title: TI-99/4A SHRINE url: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/7374/ti.html text: Complete site full of infos - title: TI99-4a url: http://www.netten.net/~garycox/ti99idx.htm text: Some infos and reviews of Chicago TI Fairs - title: Web Wiz CAPTCHA url: http://www.webwizcaptcha.com text: Discussion about Texas Instruments computers docs: - title: USER'S REFERENCE GUIDE url: http://www.classiccmp.org/dunfield/ti/index.htm cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/texas-instruments_ti99-4a_user-reference-guide.jpg text: |- [**USER'S REFERENCE GUIDE**](http://www.classiccmp.org/dunfield/ti/index.htm)written by Texas Instruments  compiled/archived by Dave Dunfield\  type of document : PDF\  source : [Daves Old Computers](http://www.classiccmp.org/dunfield/) - title: BEGINNER'S BASIC url: http://www.classiccmp.org/dunfield/ti/index.htm cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/texas-instruments_ti99-4a_beginners-basic.jpg text: |- [**BEGINNER'S BASIC**](http://www.classiccmp.org/dunfield/ti/index.htm)written by Texas Instruments  compiled/archived by Dave Dunfield\  type of document : PDF\  source : [Daves Old Computers](http://www.classiccmp.org/dunfield/) - title: BASIC REFERENCE CARD url: http://www.classiccmp.org/dunfield/ti/index.htm cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/texas-instruments_ti99-4a_basic-reference-card.jpg text: |- [**BASIC REFERENCE CARD**](http://www.classiccmp.org/dunfield/ti/index.htm)written by Texas Instruments  compiled/archived by Dave Dunfield\  type of document : PDF\  source : [Daves Old Computers](http://www.classiccmp.org/dunfield/) - title: GETTING STARTED WITH THE TEXAS INSTRUMENTS TI99/4A url: http://shawweb.myzen.co.uk/stephen/book.htm cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/vide.gif text: |- [**GETTING STARTED WITH THE TEXAS INSTRUMENTS TI99/4A**](http://shawweb.myzen.co.uk/stephen/book.htm)written by Stephen Shaw  compiled/archived by Stephen Shaw\  type of document : HTML\  source : [Stephen's Main Web Page](http://shawweb.myzen.co.uk/stephen) - title: PROGRAMMING DISCOVERY IN TI BASIC STUDENT GUIDE url: http://www.99er.net/docs.html cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/texas-instruments_ti99-4a_programming_discovery.jpg text: |- [**PROGRAMMING DISCOVERY IN TI BASIC STUDENT GUIDE**](http://www.99er.net/docs.html)written by Texas Instruments Computer Advantage Club  compiled/archived by Rich at www.99er.net\  type of document : Unknown\  source : [TI-99/4A Home Computer Page](http://www.99er.net/) - title: TI-99/4A CONSOLE & PERIPHERAL EXPANSION SYSTEM TECHNICAL DATA url: http://www.99er.net/docs.html cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/texas-instruments_ti99-4a_technical_data.jpg text: |- [**TI-99/4A CONSOLE & PERIPHERAL EXPANSION SYSTEM TECHNICAL DATA**](http://www.99er.net/docs.html)written by Texas Instruments  type of document : PDF\  source : [TI-99/4A Home Computer Page](http://www.99er.net/) - title: SPEECH SYNTHESIZER MANUAL url: http://www.99er.net/docs.html cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/texas-instruments_ti99-4a_speech-module-manual.jpg text: |- [**SPEECH SYNTHESIZER MANUAL**](http://www.99er.net/docs.html)written by Texas Instruments  type of document : PDF\  source : [TI-99/4A Home Computer Page](http://www.99er.net/) - title: DISK MEMORY SYSTEM MANUAL url: http://www.99er.net/docs.html cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/texas-instruments_ti99-4a_disk-memory-system.jpg text: |- [**DISK MEMORY SYSTEM MANUAL**](http://www.99er.net/docs.html)written by Texas Instruments  compiled/archived by Rich at www.99er.net\  type of document : Unknown\  source : [TI-99/4A Home Computer Page](http://www.99er.net/) - title: RS232 INTERFACE CARD MANUAL url: http://www.99er.net/docs.html cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/texas-instruments_ti99-4a_rs232.jpg text: |- [**RS232 INTERFACE CARD MANUAL**](http://www.99er.net/docs.html)written by Texas Instruments  compiled/archived by Rich at www.99er.net\  type of document : Unknown\  source : [TI-99/4A Home Computer Page](http://www.99er.net/) - title: DATA RECORDER MANUAL url: http://www.99er.net/docs.html cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/texas-instruments_ti99-4a_data-recorder.jpg text: |- [**DATA RECORDER MANUAL**](http://www.99er.net/docs.html)written by Texas Instruments  compiled/archived by Rich at www.99er.net\  type of document : PDF\  source : [TI-99/4A Home Computer Page](http://www.99er.net/) videos: - title: TV commercial featuring Bill Cosby url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhsgvW9P7tI text: 'Length: 30 s' related: - /museum/texas-instruments-computer-99-8 - /museum/texas-instruments-ti-99-4a - /museum/texas-instruments-ti-99-4a-beige oc_id: 267 source: url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230608160518/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=267 date: '2023-06-08' --- The Texas Instruments TI 99 / 2 (in-house named "Ground Squirrel") was intended to compete in a lower price range than the TI 99/4A (i.e. in the same range that the Sinclair Spectrum). But when the price war with Commodore forced TI to slash the price of a 99/4A to that level, there was no market for the 99/2 anymore.\ Therefore, this prototype never made it to the shelves of the computer shops. **Harry LittleJohn** and **Mark Jander**, the designers of the TI-99/2, explained its concept in a Byte magazine article:\ We beleived a major portion of our market would be first-time computer buyers looking for a minimal investment in the world of computers. We kept the price low to compete directly with low-priced computers such as the Timex/Sinclair 1000. We felt strongly that the first-time buyer must not be intimidated by the product. The console, we decided, must be simple and the keyboard must be no more complicated than a typewriter keyboard. To ease the upward migration to more sophisticated computers, we decided to make our computer part of an integrated proct line basec on the 99/4A.\ Having identified these requirements, we selected the following characteristics for the TI-99/2:\ **1** - A computer system for less than $100 including a minimum of 2 KB of RAM and 16 KB of ROM.\ **2** - A built-in, two-channel black-and-white RF modulator for connecting the system to a standard TV.\ **3** - A built-in interface for a standard audio-cassette recorder to provide economical mass-storage capability.\ **4** - A built-in Hex-bus interface to provide compatibility with the line of low-cost peripherals.\ **5** - An operating system that would be a subset of TI_99/4A TI-BASIC. For cost reasons, the 99/2 would not use the Graphic GROM of the 99/4A and, therefore, 99/4A cartridges would not be compatible with the 99/2.\ **6** - No sound, color, or joystick capability would be supported again because of cost constraints.\ **7** - The full system bus structure would be available at an expansion port. This would facilitate memory-expanding Solid State Software cartridges or any other future system expansion.\ **8** - A nonintimidating 48-key typewriter-like keyboard with only two legends per key top. Lowercase letters would not be supported.