website/content/museum/texas-instruments-ti-99-2.md

title, categories, types, origins, years, cpus, params

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
Texas Instruments TI 99 / 2	Computers	Home Computer	U.S.A.	1983	Texas Instruments TMS 9995	name image company company_name specs tabs forum_thread photos emulators links docs videos related oc_id source TI 99 / 2 /media/museum/photos/texas-instrument_ti99-2_2.jpg /companies/texas-instruments Texas Instruments label value NAME TI 99 / 2 label value MANUFACTURER Texas Instruments label value TYPE Home Computer label value ORIGIN U.S.A. label value YEAR April 1983 label value BUILT IN LANGUAGE Lighted TI Basic label value KEYBOARD QWERTY calculator type, 48 keys label value CPU Texas Instruments TMS 9995 label value SPEED 10.7 Mhz label value CO-PROCESSOR Unknown label value RAM 4 up (up to 36 kb) label value ROM 32 KB label value TEXT MODES 32 x 24 label value GRAPHIC MODES Unknown label value COLORS Monochrome label value SOUND No ! label value I/O PORTS Expansion port, Hex-Bus port, NTSC video out, tape-recorder label value POWER SUPPLY External AC adaptor label value PRICE $99.95 (1983) photos emulators links docs videos 277 title subtitle text image B&W PICTURE /media/museum/photos/texas-instrument_ti99-2_1.jpg title url platform text Mess emulator http://www.mess.org MS DOS Emulates all of the TI-99 versions, including the Geneve card title url platform text PC99 http://pw2.netcom.com/~mjmw/index.html MS DOS Quality emulator for the TI 99/4A title url platform text Classic99 http://www.harmlesslion.com/software/Classic99 Windows Open Source & freeware TI-99/4A emulator for Windows 9x title url platform text Win994a http://www.99er.net/win994a.shtml Windows Win994a is a TI-99/4A simulator written by Cory Burr that installs and runs in Windows title url platform text MacV9T9 official homepage http://perso.club-internet.fr/pytheas/english/MacV9T9.html Apple MacV9T9 is a TI99 emulator for the Macintosh title url text planet-99.net http://www.planet-99.net/ Lots and Lots of 4A software on this site. Disks, Cartridges, Articles - the lot! title url text Somtimes http://sometimes.99er.net/ Demo cartridges title url text The TI-99/4A Home Computer Page http://www.99er.net THE U.S. site to visit for TI stuff ! title url text TI-99 4/A Webring http://e.webring.com/hub?ring=ti994a You know what it is ;-) title url text TI-99 Forever ! http://www.ti99.com/ Excellent site, full of infos title url text TI-99 Forever ! http://www.ti99.com Excellent site by Fabrice Montupet title url text TI-99/4 Home Page at 99er.Net http://www.99er.net/ THE us site to visit ! title url text TI-99/4A SHRINE http://www.geocities.com/Athens/7374/ti.html Complete site full of infos title url text TI99-4a http://www.netten.net/~garycox/ti99idx.htm Some infos and reviews of Chicago TI Fairs title url text Web Wiz CAPTCHA http://www.webwizcaptcha.com Discussion about Texas Instruments computers title url cover text USER'S REFERENCE GUIDE http://www.classiccmp.org/dunfield/ti/index.htm /media/museum/docs/couvs/texas-instruments_ti99-4a_user-reference-guide.jpg [**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 url cover text BEGINNER'S BASIC http://www.classiccmp.org/dunfield/ti/index.htm /media/museum/docs/couvs/texas-instruments_ti99-4a_beginners-basic.jpg [**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 url cover text BASIC REFERENCE CARD http://www.classiccmp.org/dunfield/ti/index.htm /media/museum/docs/couvs/texas-instruments_ti99-4a_basic-reference-card.jpg [**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 url cover text GETTING STARTED WITH THE TEXAS INSTRUMENTS TI99/4A http://shawweb.myzen.co.uk/stephen/book.htm /media/museum/docs/couvs/vide.gif [**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 url cover text PROGRAMMING DISCOVERY IN TI BASIC STUDENT GUIDE http://www.99er.net/docs.html /media/museum/docs/couvs/texas-instruments_ti99-4a_programming_discovery.jpg [**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 url cover text TI-99/4A CONSOLE & PERIPHERAL EXPANSION SYSTEM TECHNICAL DATA http://www.99er.net/docs.html /media/museum/docs/couvs/texas-instruments_ti99-4a_technical_data.jpg [**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 url cover text SPEECH SYNTHESIZER MANUAL http://www.99er.net/docs.html /media/museum/docs/couvs/texas-instruments_ti99-4a_speech-module-manual.jpg [**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 url cover text DISK MEMORY SYSTEM MANUAL http://www.99er.net/docs.html /media/museum/docs/couvs/texas-instruments_ti99-4a_disk-memory-system.jpg [**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 url cover text RS232 INTERFACE CARD MANUAL http://www.99er.net/docs.html /media/museum/docs/couvs/texas-instruments_ti99-4a_rs232.jpg [**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 url cover text DATA RECORDER MANUAL http://www.99er.net/docs.html /media/museum/docs/couvs/texas-instruments_ti99-4a_data-recorder.jpg [**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/) title url text TV commercial featuring Bill Cosby https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhsgvW9P7tI Length: 30 s /museum/texas-instruments-computer-99-8 /museum/texas-instruments-ti-99-4a /museum/texas-instruments-ti-99-4a-beige 267 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230608160518/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=267 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.