The TI-99/4A Computer

The TI-99/4A was a home computer released by Texas Instruments (TI) in 1981. It was an 8-bit computer that competed with other popular home computers of its time, such as the Commodore 64, Atari 800, and Apple II.

The TI-99/4A featured a 16-bit TMS9900 processor running at 3.0 MHz, which was relatively fast. It had 16 KB of RAM and 26 KB of ROM, which contained the computer's built-in operating system and BASIC interpreter.

One notable feature of the TI-99/4A was its sound and graphics capabilities. It had a dedicated sound chip that supported three-voice sound synthesis and could produce reasonably high-quality audio for its time. The computer also had a built-in graphics processor capable of displaying up to 16 colors simultaneously on-screen, with a screen resolution of 256x192 pixels.

The TI-99/4A had a cartridge slot that allowed users to expand its capabilities with additional software and hardware modules. It also had an external expansion port connecting peripherals such as disk drives, printers, and modems.

While the TI-99/4A had some technical strengths, it faced tough competition from other home computers and struggled to gain a significant market share. TI eventually discontinued the computer in 1984 due to poor sales.

Despite its relatively short lifespan, the TI-99/4A still has a dedicated community of enthusiasts and collectors today who continue to develop and preserve software for the system.