The TI-99 Home Computer Encyclopedia
May not be reproduced for commercial purposes without written permission.

Timeline 99 -- 1986

JAN 1986:  The Southwest 99ers Newsletter
  • Early 99/4A hardware products pioneer Foundation Computing, of Tiburon, CA leaves the TI-99/4A market. Company owners Bill and Kathy Hunter place partial blame for the decision on John Koloen of MICROpendium, for a poor review of their CP/M system that resulted in a severe drop in sales.
  • Information is published in the Net99ers Newsletter of Northeast Tarrant County, Texas that Unisource Electronics in Lubbock, Texas is going out of business.
  • Robert Jones of the Dallas, TX TI Home Computer Users Group releases an all assembly language coded version of the Axel F music program originally released by college student Robert J. Gagle in 1985, doing business as Spectrographic Software. (NET99ers TIBBS message base 01/16/1986)

  • Little known GG Software of Plainfield, NJ releases a catalog listing programs on cassette tape for the TI-99/4A including Backgammon, Blackjack, Checkers, Chess, Keyboard, Logic, Patterns and Poker. The company also provides anti-static accessories and shielding materials.

  • Michael Swiridenko releases SARGON I, a TI-99/4A assembly language adaptation of the original computer Chess game SARGON by Dan and Kate Spracklen, written for the Jupiter III computer.

  • Pilgrim's Pride of Hatboro, PA moves to a new store in Hatboro, and begins offering TI-99/4A customers a toll-free order line.

  • The DM1000 controversy heats up as TexComp's Jerry Price writes a blazing response on January 27th to accusations made by Ron Albright (about TexComp) at the January 5th Houston Users Group meeting.
  • Mechatronics GmbH, announces plans to produce an 80 column display card for the TI-99/4A.
  • MICROpendium announces intentions of starting a TI BASIC column as a regular monthly feature.
  • Myarc Inc. is openly criticized in a letter to MICROpendium for the many failings it has in reference to the NEW computer, its departure from TI standards and for its poor customer support.
  • In a somewhat perverse sense of timing, Myarc announces a third delay in the shipping of XB II for its 128K card, again despite previous announcements that the product was being delivered.
  • CorComp's Jackirae Sagouspe warns CorComp customers that Cleland Controls of Irvine, CA is not an authorized repair center for CorComp products.
  • Asgard Software releases Graphx Companion II.
  • Aaron Gleason of Canton, MI releases NLQ, a fairware program to set up Gemini 10X and 15X printers for Nearl Letter Quality mode.

  • T and T Software of Salem, Virginia releases Space Station Pheta v2.0.
  • Datax becomes an authorized dealer for Graphx, and the Super Extended BASIC programmers utility written by Jim Hollender of J& KH Software.
  • Controversy between Jerry Price of TexComp and Craig Miller of Millers Graphics surfaces on the pages of MICROpendium over use of the name "The Explorer" for different products that each company sells. It is only the beginning of a months-long "war" between the two firms that will ultimately end with no winner.

  • As one user group editor writes,
    “It seems that a small war is going on between TEX-COMP and a number of other individuals.  First, the Canadian Users Group that distributes DM-1000 was upset that TEX-COMP was giving away a copy of their fairware program with each copy of a program that TEX-COMP was marketing called EXPLORER. (Guess who else has a program out called EXPLORER?) The Canadian group felt that someone who already spent $20.00 to get a program (Explorer) would be less likely to send in the $10.00 that the Canadian group was asking 'for DM-1000. The Canadian group wrote a letter to TEX-COMP (and sent copies to some users groups) asking TEX-COMP to discontinue the distribution of DM-1000. TEX-COMP stated that the author placed DM-1000 into public domain and therefore no copyright or other proprietary right can legally be made nor can the program be reclaimed from public domain at a later date. However I haven't seen in the TEX-COMP ads lately the offer,of DM-1000. Also, Dr. Albright (author of the Orphan Chronicles) has accused TEX-COMP of stealing the name EXPLORER from Craig Miller to use on a product of their own. TEX-COMP replyed that in Dec. 1984 they have cancelled checks showing payment to the author of their "explorer" and that that TEX-COMP notified Craig Miller before introduction of his "Explorer" that he should change the name. (Confused yet?) TEX-COMP shot back at Dr. Albright, saying that if he was so concerned about the TI community then why didn't he distribute the  book that he wrote (originally on disk) as fairware. And today when I logged on Compuserve there was a REBUTTAL to the EXPLORER issue by Craig Miller. In the open letter, Craig Miller states that in June 1985 both he (Craig Miller) and Jerry Price of TEX-COMP attended the same users group meeting in L.A. where Craig demoed his soon to be released "EXPLORER". At the end of the meeting Price told Miller that EXPLORER was the best piece of software he'd ever seen for the 4A but never said a word about any trademark infringement. After Craig Miller released his "EXPLORER" he received a letter from Price stating that Miller change the name of his EXPLORER. Miller states that enclosed in the letter he received from Price was an Application for TRADEMARK and not a completed and accepted trademark registration but just an application. Miller also states that a customer of theirs has a copy of "DISK EDITOR" that was purchased in January 1985 and it was called DISK EDITOR (not EXPLORER) as Price states. Miller also states that Price sent a copy of the (TEX-COMP EXPOLRER) along with the letter he sent. In the manual all the references are to DISK EDITOR and not EXPLORER. (Example: insert the DISK EDITOR in  drive 1 and the DISK EDITOR may be invoked by selecting Extended Basic and typing DSK1.EDITOR (NOT DSK1.EXPLORER))". Craig Miller goes on to state several more examples like the ones I just listed. I will have the copies of the letters from each party at the meeting if anyone cares  to read them. Normally, I would not put anything negative in the newsletter but lately I have been seeing and reading so much about it, that I felt I  should present all sides and  lot each parson draw his/her own conclusions. I hope all of this will be worked out soon.”
  • Quality 99 Software announces the release of QS-Ramdisk for the Foundation 128K card and Banner Maker, Softkeys, Screen Dump II and Disk Manager IV.
  • Ryte Data of Haliburton, Canada releases a GPL Assembler for the TI-99/4A, authored by Monty Schmidt.
  • CompuServe announces the creation of the TI NEWS section in the TI Forum. It is the creation of Sysop Jim Horn and assistant Sysop, 16 year old Jonathan Zittrain of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
  • COMMODORE -- Nigel Shepherd takes over as General Manager of Commodore North America.
  • MISC -- 1985 InfoWorld Product of the Year Awards go to:
    • for software -- Javelin Corp.'s eponymously titled Javelin, which, if you don't remember, was a spreadsheet. Some people called Javelin the next-generation spreadsheet and argued that it was what Lotus 1-2-3 should become. We said Javelin stood to change the way people looked at and worked with numbers. "It can do things that spreadsheets, even the best designed spreadsheets, cannot," we wrote, adding that Javelin was a mark of innovation from "remarkably young people and from a new company -- the stuff from which this industry has always drawn its strength."  Unfortunately, none of that was enough to keep the young company afloat for long in the face of strong competition from the likes of Lotus Development Corp. and (soon enough) Microsoft Corp. Possibly due to poor marketing, or young management, Javelin faded from the forefront and its assets were acquired several years ago.
    • For hardware -- Apple Computer Inc.'s LaserWriter. It heralded "an exciting new type of personal computing" -- desktop publishing. For Value -- Atari 520 ST, for providing "the power of a 68000 microprocessor, the ease of an icon-based graphic user interface, and the ability to do serious work," all for less than $1,000. In software, we presented it to Dac Software Inc.'s Dac Easy Accounting, which provided "professional-level bookkeeping for well below $100." (Peggy Wallace, InfoWorld, January 29, 1996 Vol. 18, Issue 5)

FEB 1986:  The Southwest 99ers Newsletter

  • The beginning of the end of COMPUTE! support for the TI-99/4A seems apparent as the normal monthly article by REGENA and one other TI-99/4A entry are all the coverage that appears.
  • Tony McGovern and his son Will release Funlwriter v3.1 on February 22nd.
  • Three members of the Front Range 99ers User Group in Colorado Springs, Colorado develop an interface card named "Speech-In-The-Box" that will allow the speech synthesizer chip to be placed on a card that can then be installed inside the Peripheral Expansion Box. The card is supposed to be available in the first quarter 1986, at a price around thirty dollars. RMJ Home Computer Sales (Joe Nuvolini owner) is scheduled to market the product but it never appears. Although only supposition, the idea may have been sold to CorComp to become their Triple Tech Card.
  • Lee Wilkerson is named as the BASIC/Extended BASIC columnist for MICROpendium.
  • Unisource Electronics (Craig Reitan) of Lubbock, TX places its last ad in MICROpendium (or any other major publication) before going out of business.
  • Teacher's Aide is released by JSTI Software North Attleboro, Massachusetts.
  • Asgard Software releases Artist Companion, Recipe Writer and Quick Dialer.
  • The Horizon RAMdisk, developed by Ron Gries, John Clulow and David Romer makes its official debut after having been beta tested at several User Groups across the country.
  • The first 99/4 or 4A programming proofreader ever published in a commercial magazine appears on page 28 of the February 1986 MICROpendium.
  • Jim Hollendar announces AAAA Laser Services, offering Apple LaserWriter printing of TI-Writer files.
  • Myarc Inc. puts its name on a little known (and ultimately largely ignored) 300/1200 baud modem.
  • An ill-fated User Group Network is born with a letter of annoucement sent to all known 99/4A User Groups. Spear-headed by Terrie Masters of the LA 99ers, along with six other loyal 99ers across the country, the effort never comes to anything due to lack of sufficient response from the over 500 User Groups in the U.S. and abroad.
  • Donald Thomson, former partner in M&T Utilityware, now doing business as Thomson Software, releases version 3.0 of his flagship product Disk+Aid, a sector editing and exploring utility.
  • Asgard Software releases Tunnels of Doom Editor v2.0, authored by Chicago Police Officer John Behnke.
  • Jerome Trinkl releases SORGAN II through the Freeware distribution network. The same program would be "put in a can" and released as a commercially available cartridge by DaTaBioTics during the 3rd Quarter of 1988.
  • Myarc begins shipping XBII when Triton Products gets the first batch on February 2nd.
  • Datax issues a news release stating they are considering the development of a new programming language for the 99/4A. It never comes to anything however, and Datax eventually disappears from the TI-99/4A market after moving from New York to Florida.
  • DaTaBioTics begins selling the Super Space cartridge that was announced in late December 1985.
  • Paul Coleman's Nameloc software company makes its first appearance in MICROpendium with an ad for Time Travel.
  • SIM:WIN Computer software appears with an ad in MICROpendium for Treasure Dive and other XB games.

MAR 1986:  The Southwest 99ers Newsletter

  • Thomson Software, a Michigan based supporter and vendor of 99/4A software, announces the impending closure of his business on April 15th. Thomson accepts a new job that will reportedly conflict with his TI business.
  • The first annual FEST-WEST takes place at the Shrine Auditorium in downtown Los Angeles on March 1-2. It is sponsored by the LA 99ers.
  • T.I.C.O.F.F, the TI Computer Owners Fun Fest, takes place in Roselle Park, New Jersey on March 15th.
  • Mark Beck of Jacksonville, Arkansas releases the Creative Filing System data base.
  • Thomas Spillane, doing business as DIJIT Systems in San Diego, California, releases an RGB conversion kit for the TI-99/4A.
  • Art Gibson and Bill Crowell of Utilitee Software release Von Graph 99.
  • CorComp releases the X-10 Home Sentry System.
  • Randy Holcomb leaves his post as TI-99 columnist for Computer Shopper, having elected to move on to the Atari 520ST computer. Orphan Chronicles author Ron Albright takes over as the TI-99 columnist.
  • On March 19 Richard Mitchell purchases the rights to The Smart Programmer and merges his Super 99 Monthly publication under the new name. Mitchell announces the merger in the March 86 issue of Super 99 Monthly, which appears in June 86.
  • Millers Graphics announces a new card for the PE box that interfaces with IBM keyboards. It is never produced.
  • Myarc demonstrates XB II at Fest-West in Los Angeles.
  • John Keown releases the poorly received Program Manager. It is designed to allow any TI module to be downloaded to disk and then run from that disk. A separate menu program is also designed for the module to run assembly programs much like the Super Space cartridge. Keown's creation is to be marketed by Pilgrim's Pride of Hatboro, Pennsylvania.
  • Texas Instruments officially closes all Exchange Centers on March 18th. Effective March 19th, all warranty claims, repairs and exchanges will be conducted through TI's Lubbock, TX facility. The final nail is driven in to the TI-99/4A coffin.
  • Chicago Users Group becomes the first Users Group to advertise nationally for outside members.
  • Home Computer Magazine subscribers and supporters receive notification by mail that HCM has gone out of business, and that the balance of their subscription is considered "filled" by the one issue of Home Computer Journal that is sent with the notice of HCM's demise. The notice, signed by HCJ Subscription Director Robert T. Karau, informs subscribers that Home Computer Magazine ceased publication with the Volume 5, Number 6 issue.
  • Gadego Software of Lubbock, Texas releases the TINet BBS. The program is authored by 14 year old Erik Olson of the Lubbock Users Group, and it wins notoriety as that group's first BBS.
  • Navarone Industries offers a complete cartridge programming system to the general public for $249.
  • Following an unresolved dispute with DaTaBioTics, Vaughn Software chooses TexComp to be the authorized dealer for their BITMAC drawing program.
  • Quality 99 Software releases the Data Base 99 Sampler, a full featured version of their DATA BASE 99 program, except limited to five records.
  • GEnie, the General Electric on-line information service, becomes the first major TI-SIG to offer free on-line time for uploading.
  • After a brief stint in Dallas, Texas, Navarone Industries moves back to California.
  • Sunn Publishing of Lubbock, Texas releases Golf Profile.
  • The Villa-TI BBS starts up in Colorado Springs, Colorado with Joe Nuvolini as Sysop.
  • The Datax TI 1-2-3 program receives a devastatingly critical review in the Lima 99ers Bits, Bytes & Pixels newsletter.
  • Glen Groves, dba Software Specialties, moves from Evergreen, CO to Ocala, FL.
  • E.M. Smith of Knoxville, Tennessee offers "I'm a 99/4A booster. I love my TI-99/4A. We eat Apples for lunch" sticker for $1.50 each, or three for $4.00.
  • The San Fernando Valley 99ers User Group is born when they are apparently "cast out" of the parent LA 99ers User Group. First president of the new SFV 99ers is Ken Gilliland.
  • Franz Wagenbach of Technical Applications Product Engineering (T.A.P.E) shows off Mechatronics' 80-Column card, XBII+ cartridge, 512K card, 128K Gram Karte and the Mechatronics Mouse at the Southern California Computer Group (SCCG) meeting in San Diego.
  • COMMODORE -- Thomas J. Rattigan replaces Marshall F. Smith as Commodore's CEO.

APR 1986:  The Southwest 99ers Newsletter

  • Unisource Electronics, Lubbock, Texas, a major 99/4A supplier since March 1983 goes out of business on April 14th.
  • The Houston Users Group (HUG) publishes a 3-page letter from TexComp's Jerry Price listing the compay's responses to accusations made against his company by Dr. Ron Albright at athe January 5, 1986 HUG meeting. (HUG Newsletter, Apr 1986, pages 2-6)
  • Ralph Fowler releases TIBBS v5.0, which includes XMODEM file transfer capabilities as well as the existing support for Terminal Emulator II file transfers.
  • Mike Dodd releases Disk Manager 99 into the Freeware distribution network.
  • Funlwriter v3.2 is released in the United States.
  • CorComp Inc. announces a 256/512K "Memory Plus" Ram Disk for the Peripheral Expansion Box, along with a commitment to develop a word processor, data base and spreadsheet capable of taking advantage of the new Ram Disk's capacity.
  • Myarc Inc. abandons the casing for the new upgrade computer and decides upon a computer on a card. The idea is met with mixed reviews since it will require the 99/4A's Peripheral Expansion Box to use it, yet will still cost $495. The new computer makes its debut at the Boston TI Fayuh.
  • Andy Desoff of FairSoft in Fairfield, Connecticut releases BasicSort.
  • Old Dark Caves v2.0 is released by Donn R. Granros.
  • Arcade Hardware of Manchester, England releases Computer War, River Rescue and Submarine Commander games on disk that British entertainment giant Thorn EMI announced they would release as modules back in 1983. Tenex Computer Express in South Bend, Indiana becomes the initial distributor.
  • Tenex Computer Express begins selling IBM compatibles in its TI-99/4A products catalog.
  • PILOT 99 author Thomas Weithofer dies at age 22, suffering from Cystic Fibrosis.
  • Boyd Cone, of AmeriSoft, a Georgia based supplier of TI products from the early days of the Home computer, announces that his company is leaving the TI-99/4A market.
  • Texaments releases Artist Companion #2.
  • Quality 99 Software releases EZ-Loader II and Chartmaker II.
  • Jerry Kielser is named as the contact person for the newly formed Paris, Texas TI Users Group.
  • c99 release 2 is announced by Clint Pulley.
  • Mechatronics GmbH officially releases their 128/512K GRAM KARTE in the United States.

MAY 1986: The Southwest 99ers Newsletter

  • In the United Kingdom, TI*MES magazine sponsors a national show in Leeds. Along with the many UK users that participate, attendance includes a 99er from as far away as Ottawa, Canada and another 99er from across the channel in Holland.
  • Ed Butcher, writing in the May 1986 Vol 2, Number 11 issue of the TI Riverside, CA newsletter, reports that he received a catalog from Control Data addressed to TI-99/4A User Group Presidents, offering a 25% discount on Plato products for the TI-99 if purchased in quantity.

  • J& KH Software releases Video titles II Accelerator.
  • The final edition of the SXBRief Newsletter is put to press, bringing to a close the Super Extended BASIC tutorial that Jim Hollendar started when his SXB programmer's utility was first released. The last issue is #30.
  • Britain Harry Pridmore, owner of New Day Computing, announces the release of 4/FRONT magazine on disk or cassette.
  • In a letter to User Groups, Ralph Fowler announces the release of his TIBBS bulletin board software into the Freeware distribution channel effective June 1st. His decision apparently comes as a result of declining sales and interest in the product.
  • Julian Achim of Datax releases The Brain, a math routines library of programs that is designed to be everybody's everything when it comes to number crunching.
  • Mike Dodd releases Disk Copy 99.
  • Walter Tietjen Jr. of Raleigh, North Carolina releases a word processor for the 99/4A that runs without the TI-Writer module.
  • Edgar Dohmann releases Superbug II v2.0 assembly language debugger.
  • Bruce Ryan of Ryte Data in Haliburton, Canada, announces the release of a Super Clock program for the Corcomp Triple Tech Card, plus a $20 BASIC Compiler that is supposed to have the ability to compile multiple statement lines.
  • MICROpendium subscription rates go from $15 to $17, with first class mail delivery going from $18.50 to $20.50 per year.
  • BA-Writer v3.0 is released by Paolo Bagnaresi.
  • Asgard Software releases V2.1 of the Tunnels of Doom Editor by John Behnke.
  • Ray Kazmer writes and releases changes to MG's Night Mission program that allows tracking of high scores.
  • COMMODORE -- Production of the 'classic' brown Commodore 64, which had been around since 1982, ends when the white plastic cased Commodore 64C is introduced. (www.computingmuseum.com/museum/c64.htm)

JUN 1986: The Southwest 99ers Newsletter

  • The March 1986 sale of Craig Miller's The Smart Programmer newsletter to Richard Mitchell, publisher of the Super 99 Monthly newsletter, shows up to subscribersas a merger of the two journals, now called The Smart Programmer, which will be published from Sulphur, Louisiana.
  • Ralph Fowler places his TIBBS bulletin board software v5.0 in the fairware distribution network on June 1st.
  • The first annual Australian TI-99/4A Users Fair takes place on June 14th in Melbourne, Australia.
  • Kent Thompson, doing business as Real Estate Projections, out of San Pedro, California releases a console cooling fan for the 99/4A dubbed Console Cooler.
  • Horizon RAMdisk ad makes its debut in MICROpendium.
  • Larry Hughes, of Quality 99 Software, and Jerry Price of TexComp have an apparent falling out as Hughes runs an ad in MICROpendium announcing the severing of all ties with TexComp. Hughes announces that Quality 99 Software will not provide support for any of its products purchased from TexComp after June 4, 1986.
  • Texaments reaches an agreement with Dave Rose to market Rose's Character Sets and Graphic Designs (aka CSGD) series.
  • Myarc computer-on-a-card appears at the CES in Chicago.
  • Tenex Computer Express begins offering MS-DOS and Apple clone computers in their TI-99/4A catalog.
  • Thomson Software, makers of DISK+AID and other assembly language products, moves to 436 LeTour Rochester, MI 48063.
  • Intelpro, makers of the Companion word processor, announce that the firm has moved to 13 Saratoga Dr. Kirkland, Que. Can. H9H 3J9. -Mike DeFrank releases TI-Forth Utilities package.
  • Paul Coleman releases Labelmaker and Catalope.
  • Anders Wested of Aalborg, Denmark submits the TI BASIC word processor Chicken Text to Jerry Price at TexComp with an offer to buy the U.S. distribution rights. Price declines the offer and Chicken Text never surfaces in the United States as a commercial product.
  • In an article entitled "The Top Five Free Programs for Your Computer", published in the June 1986 issue of Compute! on page 33, author Arlen R. Levitan lists Fast-Term, Disk Manager 1000, Funlwriter, Mass-Copy and Neat List as his choices for the TI-99/4A.

JUL 1986: The Southwest 99ers Newsletter

  • Rave 99 announces the Rave 101 PC style keyboard for the TI-99/4A.
  • On July 15, 1986 C. and S. Case PO Box 14130 Huntsville, AL 35815 (205-883-8348) purchase the rights to Donald Thomson's Disk+Aid, Memory Manipulator and Credit Card Data Base programs.
  • MICROpendium announces that it has less than 50 copies of Volume 1, Number 1 left, and only 20 copies of Volume 1, Number 2 left.
  • In a letter to MICROpendium, John T. Dow, author of the DOW-4 Gazelle flight controls simulator, discusses an assembly language flight simulator that he has created, but does not intend to release, due to the rampant piracy of software in the 99/4A Community.
  • Steve Davis Publishing of Dallas, TX releases its last book for the 99/4A named "THE ELECTRIC MAILBOX". It is a book on electronic mail and not specifically aimed at the TI-99, but it is advertised in MICROpendium for 99/4A users benefit.
  • The Pre-Scan-It! XB programmer's utility written by J. Peter Hoddie is released by Asgard Software.
  • Asgard Software releases Graphx Pictures and Graphx Slideshow.
  • Ed Schaum of Bronx, New York releases the After Hours BBS.
  • Joyce Corker's 24-page TI-WRITER TIPS AND TRICKS book is released by the Boston Computer Society.
  • Joy Paint Pal, a companion product to Joy Paint, is released by Great Lakes Software.
  • Datax lowers the price of The Brain from $49.95 to $39.95.
  • Ray Kazmer of Kazco International releases Rapid Loader for Infocom adventure games.
  • Funlwriter v3.3 is released in the United States.
  • Disk Manager 1000 (aka DM1000) v3.3 is released, containing modifications by Ralph Romans.
  • William Warren of Aurora, Colorado, releases PR-Base v2.0.

AUG 1986: The Southwest 99ers Newsletter

  • Danny Michael enhancements to Extended Basic and Editor/Assembler modules for GRAM KRACKER are released.
  • Texas Instruments mails Diagnostic software for the TI-99/4A out to all registered User roups.
  • MICROpendium announces the impending release of an index for back issues.
  • Steve Patterson releases Disk Machine 1002, an Extended Basic utility which will convert files of any type to files of any other type.
  • A virtually unknown and previously unheard of hardware product named Megaram is released in North America by Ryte Data. The product, manufactured by Atronic (of Europe?) is a full megabyte of bank-switched memory in a Ram Disk. It fits in the I/O port on the right side of the 99/4A console. The product does not prove to be a commercial success in the U.S. apparently, as it disappears from future advertisements, despite its seemingly reasonable $175.95 price.
  • CorComp Inc. announces the impending release of a new word processor, data base and spreadsheet for the Memory Plus line of Ram Disks they sell. The word processor will ultimately be released as WRITEREASE by Galen Read. The data base manager never appears. The spreadsheet mentioned may have been Read's CONSOLE CALC that ultimately was released by DataBiotics, but the spreadsheet mentioned also never appears.
  • Jim Peterson releases TIPS FROM THE TIGERCUB Volume #3.
  • Steve Venable organizes the Pastor's User Group in Mobeetie, Texas.
  • MISC --
    • Eagle Computer files for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
    • Activision, which started in 1981 producing cartridges for the Atari 2600 VCS, continues to thrive in the computer gaming business, with the acquisitions of Creative Software (which bought out Funware, the TI game cartridge maker), Infocom and Gamestar. (Compute! Aug 1986, p.26)

SEP 1986: The Southwest 99ers Newsletter

  • The last REGENA or any other TI-99/4A article that will appear in COMPUTE! magazine is published. The end of COMPUTE! support for the 99/4A has come quietly and uncerimoniously.
  • Jeff Guide reports in the September 1986 issue of the LA 99ers newsletter that he received a letter from Patana Ratanapreux, Customer Relations representative for Home Computer Journal, that in essence says HCJ is not responsible for Home Computer Magazine refunds; this despite the fact that both are Emerald Valley Publishing products.
  • Lee Wilkerson quits as the BASIC/Extended BASIC columnist for MICROpendium after only four months, citing lack of time to live up to the commitment of writing a monthly column.
  • First DIJIT Systems ad appears in MICROpendium appears, as the company gears up for mass production of their RGB conversion kit for the TI-99/4A.
  • Super Forth, by Jim Wray and Edgar Dohmann is released by DaTaBioTics.
  • Heim Industries, of Clifton Park, New York, release a new Statistics program for the TI-99/4A.
  • Norberto Bettinelli forms the Buenos Aires 99ers User Group in Argentina.
  • SST Software of Cedarburg, Wisconsin releases a new version of the SST BASIC COMPILER.
  • Jeff Guide of Disk Only Software announces that his firm has procured the rights to distribute a card for the P-Box called the MPB Clock and Analog to Digital Board. The product is manufactured by MPB of Witchita, Kansas and is designed for use with Bulletin Board Software.
  • Impending release of Bowling League Secretary is announced by Pilgrim's Pride.
  • TI-Artist v2.01 is released, adding the capability of running the program from almost any mass storage device such as ramdisks or hard disks.
  • Projectfiles for the Personal Auditor home accounting system is announced by PRK DataBasics owner Bill Gaskill.
  • Myarc releases an Eprom for the Foundation 128K card that allows it to run Myarc's XBII.
  • Bits, Bytes & Pixels, the newsletter of the Lima, OH TI-99 Users Group, reports that Home Computer Magazine ceased accepting advertising as part of a settlement of a lawsuit they were involved in. According to the article, HCM had inflated circulation figures to advertisers, and had failed to publish the required circulation disclosures, thus misleading advertisers about the number of readers their ads were reaching. Dr. Guy Steffen Romano of the Amnion Helpline is quoted as the source. HCM publisher Gary Kaplan would tell his readers in an editorial that advertising was no longer being accepted because of the troubles his magazine had in collecting money from firms who had already gotten their ads published in his magazine. (BB&P, July/August/September 1986, p.2)
  • APPLE -- Apple Computer unveils the Apple IIGS at a presentation at DeAnza College's Flint Center in Cupertino, CA. The computer is aimed at the home and educational market and based on its features and pricing, competes directly with the Commodore Amiga and Atari ST.
  • MISC. -- Computer maker Vector Graphic of Westlake Village, CA goes out of business.

OCT 1986: The Southwest 99ers Newsletter

  • Myarc announces intentions to produce a hard disk controller for the TI-99/4A.
  • MG (Millers Graphics) announces a disk of utilities for the GRAM Kracker entitled GK Utility I.
  • MICROpendium editorial announces continued support to the TI-99/4A computer and the community behind it.
  • Asgard Software releases Graphx Companion III.
  • Pesaca Soft of Mendocino, California releases Charamat and Print Designer.
  • Rapid Copy by Barry Boone is released commercially by Texaments.
  • Disk Only Software releases a step-by-step guide to assembly of the HORIZON RAMDISK kit.
  • Total Filer by Warren Agee, and High Gravity by Tom Wible are announced by Asgard Software.
  • Ryte Data of Haliburton, Ontario announces the release of GPL Linker by Monty Schmidt.
  • Long time Chicago TI User Group member Gerhard "Barney" Kugel dies on October 24, 1986.
  • Navarone Industries, headquartered at 21109 Longeway Rd Suite C Sonora, CA 95370, releases it's 4Q/1986 pricelist:
    • Anteater $14.95
    • Astrology Horoscope $39.95
    • Cartridge Expander $29.95
    • Chicken Coop $14.95
    • Console Writer $19.95
    • Data Base Management
    • Disk Fixer $29.95
    • Extended Graphics Disk $19.95
    • Extended Graphics Tape $19.95
    • Frog Stickers $14.95
    • Hidden Powers of Disk Fixer $9.95
    • Homework Helper + $29.95
    • King of the Castle $14.95
    • Paint N Print (GP-100/GP-700) $29.95
    • Paint N Print (GP-500/Okidata) $29.95
    • Paint N Print (IBM/Gemini) $29.95
    • Speed Reading Adult $24.95
    • Speed Reading Child $24.95
    • Super Duper $19.95
    • Topper $14.95

NOV 1986: The Southwest 99ers Newsletter

  • MICROpendium magazine receives an award from the Front Range 99er Computer Club of Colorado Springs, Colorado for its continued support of the TI Community.
  • Craig Miller, dba MG (formerly Millers Graphics) mails out a notice which sends chills and thrills through the TI Community: "Awhile back we were contacted by a large US company to design a piece of interface hardware and software for the 99/4A to allow it to use both IBM hardware and IBM software. This unit could be thought of as an IBM Expansion System since it will not only allow you to use IBM softwarebut you can also add IBM cards to the system! That's right, now you will be able to run things like Lotus 123, dBase, Microsoft Flight simulator, Quick Basic, MS-Basic and the Basic Compilers. That is about all we can say at this time. In January 1987 this US company will make their announcement as to price and availability"
  • Ralph Fowler, author and Sysop of the TIBBS bulletin board system in Kenneshaw, GA, reports that a Trojan Horse virus program that destroys floppies and RAM disks was uploaded to him BBS.
  • News of the existence of TI WRITER v2.0 surfaces in the November 1986 issue of Bits, Bytes & Pixels, the newsletter of the Lima, Ohio User Group. TIW v2.0 was apparently released in Europe or at least in France according to the Tony McGovern authored article. McGovern tested the program and reported that it included CHARA1 through CHARG1 font files for the seven languages TI Writer would support. He also reports that the editor portion of v2.0 is not wholely compatible with the editor in v1.0 because of the way the TAB line is saved. Lastly, the formatter program for v2.0 carries a 1983 copyright date.
  • The Printer's Apprentice v1.03 is released by McCann Software of Omaha, Nebraska.
  • DM1000 V3.5 with modifications by Ralph Romans is released.
  • GRAM Packer is released at the Chicago TI Faire by J. Peter Hoddie, doing business as Genial Computerware.
  • Sidewriter v2.1 by Mauro Tomietto is released by the Ottawa 99ers.
  • XBII v2.11 is released by Myarc Inc., for their 128K card.
  • Not-Polyoptics announces the January 1987 release of an all assembly language flight simulator for the 99/4A.
  • Texaments releases CSGD III by Dave Rose.
  • Ken Hayden of Baltimore, Maryland releases Bowling League Manager.
  • Harry Pridmore introduces his New Day Computing firm to 99ers via a full-page ad in MICROpendium. Some months later New Day Computing would be put on the "Watchout List" for failure to deliver paid-for products.
  • W. Irving Crowley of Pine Level, Alabama releases Checkbook Manager. This is version one of the much heralded Checkbook Manager III that would receive rave reviews in MICROpendium three years later.
  • Andy Dessoff closes the doors on FairSoft Inc., but announces that Basicsort is still available.
  • TexComp announces an upgrade to Graphx, featuring a new high speed loader and other new features.
  • Fontwriter by J. Peter Hoddie is released by Asgard Software.
  • ORPHAN SURVIVAL HANDBOOK by Ron Albright is released through Disk Only Software.

DEC 1986: The Southwest 99ers Newsletter

  • Word reaches the TI Community that a program named Supertrack, masquarading as a track-copier, is a Trojan Horse program designed to destroy folly disks.
  • The National Ninety Niner newsletter, published by Don and Lucie Veith out of Bakersfield, California, ceases publication. The newsletter began with Volume I, Number I in November 1983 and was subsequently published on:
    • December 1983 - Volume I
    • January 1984
    • February 1984
    • March 1984
    • April 1984
    • May 1984
    • June 1985
    • August/September 1984
    • September 1984
    • October 1984
    • November/December 1984
    • January 1985 - Volume II
    • February 1985
    • March 1985
    • April 1985
    • May 1985
    • June 1985
    • August 1985
    • September 1985
    • October 1985
    • November/December 1985
    • January 1986 - Volume III
    • February 1986
    • March 1986
    • April 1986
  • Craig Miller announces that the production of the GRAM KRACKER gram device will cease due to inability to deliver it on time.
  • MG releases a new PROM set for the the CorComp 9900 disk controller card and hints at a new IBM/TI-99/4A product coming in 1987.
  • James Sleeth of El Cajon, California releases Multiplan Tax Templates.
  • Ryte Data announces their intent to build the 99AT Peripheral Expansion Box.
  • Ozark Software of Neosho, Missouri announces plans for a new Peripheral Expansion Box. It never appears.
  • Jim Peterson announces TIPS FROM TIGERCUB on disk and he mails out a letter to User Groups across the country announcing the end of his TIPS FROM TIGERCUB articles.
  • Chicago TI Faire attendence numbers are placed at approximately 1,000 99ers.
  • The Funlwriter name is changed to Funnelweb by program authors Tony and Will McGovern, concurrent with the release of version 3.4 of the program. Version 3.4 contains enhancements which allow it to run better from the Horizon Ram Disk.
  • Funnelweb v3.4 arrives in the United States in the hands of selected distributors such as Charles Good of the Lima, Ohio 99ers, and Woody Wilson of the Southern California Computer Group in San Diego, California.
  • Great Lakes Software releases Clip Art Disk 2 v1.1 for JoyPaint.
  • The 99 BBS V7.1 is announced by Roger Davis of Whittier, California.
  • APPLE -- Apple ships some 25,000 Apple IIGS computers with faulty surface-mounted chips. It is estimated that the mistake will cost some $5 million to correct.
  • KAYPRO -- Kaypro signs an agreement with Amway Corporation to sell its PCs door-to-door.

Click here to print This Page

©Copyright 2010-2011 by Bill Gaskill - All Rights Reserved.
Commercial use of any information or images from this web-site is strictly prohibited
All other use with permission of author only!!!
Modifications and Updates by Bill Gaskill and Tom Wills