Nostalgia Attack!

[kyra_ojosverdes]

Okay, I very, very rarely get nostalgic. I'm pretty content to experience things once and move on to new, exciting (or otherwise adrenaline-charged) adventures. There is, however, one notable exception.

When I was eleven, my parents bought a used Texas Instruments computer (TI-99/4A) at a yard sale. We hooked it up to a little black & white television set. It had no floppy drive. In theory, you could hook it up to a cassette player and use that as a storage device, but it never worked with ours. You could buy little cartridges with programs on them, but we only had two: Household Budget Management and Alpiner.

It also came with programming manuals. I taught myself to program in TI-BASIC that summer. Remember: no storage device, no printer. I wrote my programs in a notebook, erasing and rewriting as I found and corrected errors. I started with the "type it from the book" programs, making little dancing men and super-simple games. I made the computer play simple songs by looking up the sound code for each note and programming them all in: pitch and duration. I made slightly more complex games, mostly of the "choose your own adventure" variety. I made my name flash on the screen. I would work on a program for 18 hours straight, because once I shut the machine down, all my work would be lost.

My little brother (10 years younger than me) was collecting old home computers for a while, and had custody of the TI. I never thought he'd give it away, so I never told him how attached I was to it. He gave it away. When I found out (and freaked out), he felt terrible. He didn't know I wanted to keep it.

TI-99/4A

• Released: June 1981


• Original Price: US$525 (without monitor)


• How many: 2.8 Million


• CPU: TI TMS9900, 3MHz


• Memory: 16K RAM, 26K ROM


• Display: Video via an RF modulator 32 characters by 24 lines text 192 X 256, 16 color graphics


• Ports: ROM cartridge (on front) Data storage cassette Audio/Video output Joystick input CPU bus expansion


• Peripherals: Speech Synthesizer Peripheral Expansion Box Data storage cassette 300 baud modem


• OS: ROM BASIC

I'm bidding on:

• 1 TI-99/4A Mint condition as new in original box never used everything in working condition!, no nicks or scratches with all original packing material, plastic protection still on video modulator. TI power supply, box in near mint condition with original price tag circa 1982!


• 1 used TI-99/4A with Speech Synthesizer, with original box, box in fair condition


• 2 Joysticks


• Games include


• Parsec


• Hangman


• Hunt the Wumpus


• Tombstone City


• Munch Man


• Alpiner


• Tunnels of Doom


• Video Chess


• Utilities Include


• Multipication 1


• Addition + Subtraction 2


• Percents


• Demolition Division


• Touch Typing Tutor


• Household Budget Management


• Music Maker


• All computer reference books, video game and utility manuals

Comments

[medusadawn.livejournal.com]

Gods that's funny. My grandmother thought she'd be nice and buy me a Commodor 16... I never did figure out how that thing was supposed to work. My first boyfriend made a major mistake and brought over a terminal with acoustic coupler with a BBS phone number taped to the side (he actually asked me not to ever call it)....

I've been a junkie ever since. Don't talk to the boyfriend any more but live with 2 of the guys I met on that BBS....

thanks boyfriend #1... you don't realize how much you influenced my current life.

We still own a Commodor 64.

Good luck on your bid war... and thanks for the giggles (I really needed them).

[twfarlan.livejournal.com]

"Hunt the Wumpus" and "Tunnels of Doom!" I LOVED those games! I was very lucky to be part of my school's Enrichment program from early on in grade school (what they'd call the Gifted class now) and they were the lucky recipients of seven... yes, SEVEN whole computers in my 1st grade year. Six TRS-80 Model IIs and a TI99.

You have no idea how much time I wasted on those two games, plus Snake and ... oh gods ... Star Hunter, that was the name of the other one! Hehe... man. Thanks, I needed that. Don't worry, I won't bid against you. I only rescue old Macs these days. (laugh)

[rickvs.livejournal.com]

Trav, I know I'm replying to an ancient reply of yours, as I wade through Katrina's archives. But I was wondering if you'd ever downloaded emulators of your old machines :>

Hmm

[kyra-ojosverdes.livejournal.com]

2 days left, and the price is now at $42.50. It was at $27.00 when I placed my bid yesterday. I set my top bid at $50... I may not win this one. If not, there are other systems for sale, but no deals so sweet as this!

Re: Hmm

[kyra-ojosverdes.livejournal.com]

6 hours, 26 minutes, and I'm still the top bidder at $42.50!!! YES!!!!!!!