website/content/museum/texas-instruments-portable-professional-computer-ppc.md

---
title: Texas Instruments Portable Professional Computer (PPC)
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Transportable
origins:
- U.S.A.
years:
- '1983'
cpus:
- Intel 8086
params:
  name: Portable Professional Computer (PPC)
  company: /companies/texas-instruments
  company_name: Texas Instruments
  specs:
  - label: NAME
    value: Portable Professional Computer (PPC)
  - label: MANUFACTURER
    value: Texas Instruments
  - label: TYPE
    value: Transportable
  - label: ORIGIN
    value: U.S.A.
  - label: YEAR
    value: November 1983
  - label: KEYBOARD
    value: QWERTY full-stroke keyboard with arrow keys and separated numeric keypad
  - label: CPU
    value: Intel 8086
  - label: SPEED
    value: 5 Mhz
  - label: CO-PROCESSOR
    value: optional 8087 arithmetic co-processor
  - label: RAM
    value: 64k (up to 768k)
  - label: TEXT MODES
    value: 80 x 25
  - label: GRAPHIC MODES
    value: 720 x 300 max.
  - label: COLORS
    value: 'yes'
  - label: SOUND
    value: Beeper
  - label: SIZE / WEIGHT
    value: |-
      47 x 42 x 19 cm\
      12 kg with the monochrom monitor\
      14 kg with the color monitor
  - label: I/O PORTS
    value: Parallel/Centronics port, 5 expansion slots (non IBM compatible), 4 x serial ports (optional)
  - label: BUILT IN MEDIA
    value: 5''1/4 disk-drive (320k) (second disk-drive and hard-disk optional)
  - label: OS
    value: |-
      MS-DOS 2.1 (CP/M 86, UCSD P-system, Prologue and Concurrent CP/M 86 also available).\
      Zenix was planned...
  - label: POWER SUPPLY
    value: Built-in PSU
  - label: PERIPHERALS
    value: Second 5''1/4 disk-drive, 10Mb or 20Mb hard-drive, RAM expansion cards, Voice recognition card, Ethernet, card (released ?)
  - label: PRICE
    value: |-
      64k model : 2965$ (USA, november 1983)\
      64k model : 3765 (France, 1984)
  tabs:
  - photos
  photos:
  - title: PPC
    subtitle: ''
    text: Thanks to chrism3667 for the picture
    image: null
  - title: DETAIL
    subtitle: ''
    text: Thanks to chrism3667 for the picture
    image: null
  - title: CLOSED
    subtitle: ''
    text: Thanks to chrism3667 for the picture
    image: null
  - title: REAR
    subtitle: ''
    text: Thanks to chrism3667 for the picture
    image: null
  comments:
  - author: cmnmicro (Simi Valley, CA, USA)
    date: Saturday 28th March 2020
    text: I have a fully functional TI PPC with compatible software. MS_DOS, CPM, Word Processing, VisiCalc etc. Like to sell 805-501-3435
  - author: StefanoB
    date: Friday 23rd June 2017
    text: |-
      Digging on the web archives I think I found the GSX-86 graphics driver (named TICOLOR1.SYS).\
      It means that it should be possible to run MSDOS and CPM86 graphics applications (such as DR-DRAW and DR-GRAPH).
  - author: Gerald (spokane washington 99203)
    date: Thursday 8th September 2011
    text: I have one of these computers , would like to sell 5092511850 All works
  - author: popeye55
    date: Tuesday 25th January 2011
    text: Is there any software out there for this computer? How about, can I call Texas . Or TI?
  - author: popeye55
    date: Tuesday 25th January 2011
    text: My boss has a PPC and would like to know if anyone knows what a 0005 error is. and what is this computer worth on todays market. Thanks
  - author: Teacherau (Texas)
    date: Wednesday 15th December 2010
    text: |-
      I need a keyboard cable for the TI Portable Professional computer.

      Please contact me if you have one or know where I can get one.

      Thanks,

      teacherau@hotmail.com
  - author: John
    date: Monday 24th November 2008
    text: |-
      I''m looking for a 1983 TI professional computer in WORKING condition.\
      If you have one or know where I can find one please email me at:

      jonniejonner@gmail.com
  - author: Jeremie (Rocklin, California,)
    date: Sunday 14th November 2004
    text: |-
      Does anyone know where I can purchase an original keyboard, system disks, or manuals for this computer?\
      Thanks,\
      Jeremie\
      jeremie.lariviere@gmail.com
  - author: Chris (New Jersey)
    date: Friday 16th July 2004
    text: Does anyone remember the magazine that was devoted to the TIPC/TIPPC? It probably only lasted a year or so. Originally I think it was on newsprint, but went to a glossy format. Anyone got any? Hey thanks :)>.
  - author: Stephen (Texas)
    date: Wednesday 12th February 2003
    text: |-
      I have one of these and was wondering what it was worth?

      Thanks and God bless!!
  oc_id: 472
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230608142726/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=472
    date: '2023-06-08'
---

Basicaly, the TI PPC was the transportable version of the TI PC, with which it was entirely compatible.

It was one of the few transportable systems to be available with an optional built-in color monitor, back in 1983. The standard version had a classic 9'' monochrome monitor built-in.

Unfortunately the advantages of the PC Portable compared to IBM's offer was not obvious. It was not really compatible (IBM disks could be read, and that was basically all) and IBM expansion cards could not be used.\
Despite this lack of real compatibility, some software were adapted to the TI Portable PC like for instance, Lotus 1-2-3 or VisiOn.\
A few programming languages were available: Basic, Pascal, C-Basic, Cobol and RM-Cobol.

The graphical possibilities were quite different and significantly better than for the IBM PC, with for example, a maximum resolution is of 720 x 300 pixels. To make a IBM PC graphic program to run on a TI PC you would have to use BIOS or DOS calls.

The TI PPC had only 64k RAM that could be expanded up to 768k using quite expensive memory cards.

Like its desktop brother, the PC Portable could eventually be equiped with a voice recognition feature (for almost the price of the computer itself !) that allowed to control the basic functions of the computer and some softwares, as a diary and a phone book. With the optional hard-disk installed, it was possible to store up to 8 hours of speech.

Another interesting feature was its Ethernet card indoduced in 1983, designed by a young company called 3COM.