The TI-99 Home Computer Encyclopedia
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Timeline 99 -- 1990

JAN 1990: MICROpendium publishes issue Volume 6, Number 12, consisting of 48 pages.
  • TexComp Users Supply PO Box 33084 Granada Hills, CA 91344 (818) 363-7331, announces first commercial offering of disk backups for Atarisoft game modules produced for the TI-99/4A.
  • Texaments releases Guidelines, a graphics support package for TI-Artist Plus.
  • Quality 99 Software, owned by Larry Hughes, and located in Washington, DC. since the start of the business in 1982, moves to new quarters in 611 26th St. South, Arlington, Virginia 22202. The company telephone number is now (703) 836-4629.
  • SouthWest 99ers president BJ (Mrs. Jack) Mathis reports reservation problems with the Days Inn in Tucson, where Fest-West '90 is to be held.
  • Don Shorock releases a second catalog of language programs for the TI-99/4A.
  • Bruce Harrison, author of the Harrison Word Processor for the TI-99/4A, reports finding a bug in the program's "Configure" module. (MICROpendium Jan90, p.43)
  • MICROpendium agrees to provide public domain software for Myarc Geneve owners who are not able to get it from Bulletin Boards and the commercial on-line information services.
  • Assembly language guru Bruce Harrison announces that he has discovered and corrected two bugs in his Word Processor program. Corrected copies of the program are available without cost to registered users of the program. Send inquiries to Harrison Software 5705 40th Place Hyattsville, MD 20781.
  • APPLE -- Apple Computer discontinues the Macintosh II line.

FEB 1990: MICROpendium publishes issue Volume 7, Number 1, consisting of 48 pages.

  • Fest-West '90 takes place on the 17th and 18th in Tucson, Arizona, with the SouthWest 99ers User Group as sponsors.
  • Asgard Software releases the Asgard Mouse, designed by Mike Maksimik. It makes its first public appearance at Fest-West '90 in Tucson, AZ.
  • The Boston Computer Society offers a P-Code Manual and disk to the general public for $9.00.
  • Asgard Software releases Rock Runner by Eric LaFortune.
  • Texaments releases The Missing Link by Harry Wilhelm of Groton, NY.
  • DDI Software (Jim Uzzell) releases MY-BASE for the Geneve.
  • Jerry MacDonnell of Kirkwood, New York begins publishing the Swan's Song newsletter for owners of the Myarc Geneve 9640 computer.
  • The Coriopolis, PA TI-99/4A User Group disbands.
  • Asgard Software (Chris Bobbitt) announces the impending release of Spell It!, a fast, assembly language coded spelling checker for TI-Writer, that is written by Cornell, IA College student Jim Reiss.
  • Douglas Davis of ALL-CARE+ Computing, announces the availability of Texas Cooler fans for the TI99/4A Peripheral Expansion Box.
  • Although he does not release the name, Alexander Hulpke of Aachen, West Germany informs the TI Community that he is writing a graphics program similar to My-Art, but with many improvements. Hulpke reports that the program will run on the Myarc Geneve or the TI-99/4A with a DIJIT AVPC or Mechatronics GmbH 80 column card. (Editor's Note: The program is ultimately released in November 1990 through Asgard Software as YAPP (Yet Another Paint Program)).
  • Bill Gaskill releases Reminders!, a date and appointment tracking program written in TI Extended BASIC. It is officially released at Fest-West '90, but the program is withdrawn from the market a short time later after failing to sell more than 10 copies.
  • Page Pro 99 v1.5, a desktop publishing application created by assembly language programmer Ed Johnson of Minnesota, is released by Asgard Software.
  • Asgard Software announces FILE16, a Disk Manager 1000-like program, that is designed to allow file copies between Corcomp, Myarc and TI disk formats. Unfortunately, the program never actually appears on the commercial market.
  • Alexander Hulpke's XHi (Extended High Resolution Graphics Support) fairware utility is reviewed in MICROpendium by Charles Good.
  • J. Peter Hoddie (James Peter Hoddie) announces the impending release of a Myarc Geneve 9640 version of Wayne Stith's TI-99/4A Triad program. The application is a combination disk manager, termnial emulator and text editor rolled into a single program. The program would appear later in the year as Gen-Tri, written for the Geneve by Dr. Jerry Coffey.

MAR 1990: MICROpendium publishes issue Volume 7, Number 2, consisting of 48 pages.

  • T.I.C.O.F.F. takes place in Roselle Park, NJ. on March 17th.
  • TINET on DELPHI advertises for subscribers in MICROpendium.
  • Asgard Software officially releases Spell It!, a new Spelling Checker for the 99/4A. Jim Reiss is the author. This is only the second such utility ever written for TI-Writer. SPELL IT! comes in versions for SS/SD drives, DS/DD drives, and hard disks operating under Myarc's Hard and Floppy Disk Controller (HFDC).
  • Texaments consolidates operations at the Patchogue, NY office, moving all phases of their business out of the Yaphank, NY location.
  • Bud Mills releases ROS v8.0 for the HORIZON RAMDISK, written by Gary Bowser.
  • Art Green, author of Macro Assembler and the TI-Writer RE-Writes, releases a Multiplan enhancement that speeds up the original Microsoft program. The enhancement also provides a SuperCart version.
  • Joe Delekto and Jon Dyer release TMS9900 CLIPBOARD, a monthly diskazine of assembly language tutorial information and programs.
  • Bill Gaskill releases Membership Manager, a TI-Base application designed for computer User Groups to manage membership rosters.
  • Keith Bergman starts KBCC, Keith Bergman Computer Concepts, in New Philadelphia, OH. New products offered in KBCC's new catalog include Spinner, a wheel of fortune type game, Memory Motel, the object of which is to place alien guests in their proper room, and QUIZZARD, a quiz making and taking utility.
  • The Boston TI Fayuh date is moved to May 5th, at a different site than originally planned. When the fair does comes off it will be poorly attended and not well organized. The lack of Peter Hoddie and his organizing skills is painfully obvious.
  • MDOS .97h for the Myarc Geneve 9640 is released.
  • APPLE -- Apple introduces the Macintosh IIfx.
  • COMMODORE -- Commodore offers Amiga 1000 owners up to $1,000 rebate to trade in their machines for the new Amiga 2000.

APR 1990: MICROpendium publishes V7N3 consisting of 40 pages.

  • Texaments releases Artoons for TI-Artist Plus!
  • Mickey Schmitt releases GETTING THE MOST FROM YOUR CASSETTE SYSTEM.
  • Bruce Harrison releases his Word Processor v2.0.

MAY 1990: MICROpendium publishes V7N4 consisting of 48 pages.

  • Rave 99 announces its intention to build a new peripheral expansion box for the 99/4A.
  • Version 3.0 of TI-BASE is announced by Texaments.
  • Beery Miller announces Windows 9640, Tetris and Barricade programs for the Geneve 9640, and a new diskazine for Geneve owners entitled 9640 NEWS.
  • Floyd Donaldson announces that his Donaldson Software company is ceasing operations. The Canadian firm produced mainly cassette based games for the TI-99/4A.
  • LGMA Products announces that it has relocated to 5618 Applebutter Hill Rd. in Coopersburg, PA 18036.
  • Glenn W. Bernasek of Strongville, OH, dba Gee*Bee BASICS, releases the firm's "* 1990 Software Catalog *" in time to coincide with the popular Lima, OH Multi User Group conference. The catalog lists some 35 programs, made up of original works and Gee*Bee BASICS modifications to software written by other authors
  • Asgard Software announces the release of Castle Darkholm (E11a-tape/E11b-disk) MSRP $9.95, an adventure by Randy Cook, and an adventure named Rattlesnake Bend (E12a-tape/E12b-disk) MSRP $7.95, an adventure by West Penn 99er Mickey Schmitt.
  • The Hunter Valley Users Group in Australia announces the availability of the QUEST RD200 RAMdisk.
  • Microsoft releases WINDOWS 3.0 to the world on May 22nd.
  • MISC -- Compute! Magazine is sold to GMI by its owner, ABC Publications, who in turn bought it from Compute! Publications in September 1983, right after Compute! Publications changed its name from Small System Services.

JUN 1990: MICROpendium publishes V7N5 consisting of 40 pages.

  • Jane LaFlamme announces that LaFlamme and Wrigley Wholesale, a Gloucester, Canada firm, have ceased operations due to lack of sufficient sales volume.
  • Rumors circulate around the TI Community that interest in the GEnie TI Roundtable is waning.
  • Asgard Software releases The Animator by Brad Snyder (U01-disk) MSRP $14.95.
  • Barry Traver releases CONEY GAMES, a disk of games from the first two volumes of The Genial Traveler diskazine.
  • Keith Bergman, KBCC, releases YALP, Yet Another Lotto Program.
  • Bill Gaskill begins a series of TI-Base tutorials in MICROpendium.
  • COMMODORE -- Commodore ships the Amiga A3000.
  • MISC -- Quantum Computer Services announces Promenade, an on-line service catering to owners of IBM’s new PS/1 Home Computer. The completion of the Promenade project means that Quantum is now the only online services provider to create custom online services for the four major computer manufacturers: Applelink for Apple, Promenade for IBM, Q-link for Commodore, and PC-link for Tandy.

JUL 1990: MICROpendium publishes V7N6 consisting of 40 pages.

  • PRESS, the long-awaited word processor from Asgard Software, via assembly language wizard Charles Earl, is declared officially dead. Earl gives up on the project after failing to discover the source of several bugs in the massive program.
  • TI-Base 3.01 is released to address several bugs discovered in the V3.0 release.
  • Tandy introduces the 1000 RL home computer.

AUG 1990: MICROpendium publishes V7N7 consisting of 48 pages.

  • Texaments releases Starfleet Technical Drawings III.
  • F. Jay Buckley, Vice President and Librarian of the Grand Rapids 99ers, dies on August 13th.
  • Harrison Software releases version 2.0 of their Word Processor. The new version possesses the ability to be configured to run from a Ram Disk, plus it adds a Fctn H key to "home" the active document and a Fctn B key to "bottom" then active document.
  • Asgard Reflections replaces Asgard News.

SEP 1990: MICROpendium publishes V7N8 consisting of 40 pages.

  • GEnie announces a $4.75 monthly fee for use if its on-line information services. The fee is to take effect October 1st.
  • Compuserve announces the creation of a support library for Page Pro 99 files similar to the GEnie TI Roundtable support that began on GEnie in September 1989.
  • Texaments releases GIF Mania, a Barry Boone authored program for displaying and altering GIF images on a TI-99/4A.
  • Tom Freeman of T and J Software, Pacific Palisades, California releases HARDBACK, a utility for backing up one hard disk drive to another hard disk drive.
  • The Southwest 99ers Computer Group is featured on Arizona Illustrated, a television show broadcast by KUAT-TV, the PBS station at the University of Arizona.
  • Bruce Harrison of Harrision Software announces the release of Golf Score Analyzer, a program aimed at letting golfers track performance for up to 300 rounds of golf.
  • Seattle TI Convention takes place September 22nd in Redmond, Washington.
  • Bill Gaskill releases Pageform newsletter editor and formatter for Page Pro 99. The program is submitted as Public Domain software.
  • Asgard Software releases nine volumes of Page Pro 99 templates including; Birthday Cards 1 & 2, Get Well Cards 1 & 2, Assorted Cards 1, 2 &3, Invitations 1 and Envelopes 1.

OCT 1990: MICROpendium publishes V7N9 consisting of 40 pages.

  • DIJIT Systems (Thomas Spillane), manufacturer of the AVPC 80 Column Display Card announces that it is dropping out of the TI-99/4A market due to lack of sales volume.
  • Mike McCann of McCann Software announces a relocation of the firm to 4411 North 93rd St. Omaha, NE 68134.
  • The Users Group of Orange County California give Hall of Fame awards to John Koloen and Laura Burns of MICROpendium.
  • The Central Pennsylvania Users Group cancels plans for a TI-Faire that was to take place October 7th. Reluctance and apathy on the part of the membership are cited as reasons for the cancellation.
  • ASGARD NEWS ON-LINE UPDATE debuts on CompuServe, GEnie and Delphi on October 27th.
  • Asgard Software announces the release of Artist Font Maker, Page Pro Sideways Picture Printer and Tournament Solitaire.
  • Asgard Software releases Spell It! v1.1 by Cornell College, IA student Jim Reiss.
    • P16a - DS/DD - $19.95
    • P16b - SS/SD - $24.95
    • P16c - HFDC - $34.95
  • Triton Products Company, chosen in March 1984 as the "Fulfillment House" for remaining TI-99/4A inventory, officially leaves the TI-99 market after being purchased by Activision.
  • On October 29th, on the heels of the Triton Products Company announcement, former Triton owner and co-founder Terry Miller announces that he has purchased the rights to market 99/4A products and has formed TM Direct Marketing to do so.
  • According to Dave Ratcliffe of the Central Pennsylvania Users Group, "Word on the 'nets' is that Jack Reilly is no longer working full time for Myarc."
  • APPLE -- Apple discontinues the Macintosh Plus, Macintosh SE, Macintosh SE/30 and Macintosh IIx. They turn around and unveil the Macintosh Classic, the Macintosh LC and the Macintosh IIsi.
  • PC/MS-DOS -- Sega announces plans to offer an IBM PC/AT compatible game computer in the spring of 1991.

NOV 1990: MICROpendium publishes V7N10 consisting of 40 pages.

  • Asgard Software demonstrates MIDI Master musical interface card by Mike Maksimik at the Chicago TI Faire on November 3rd. The product supports up to 16 simultaneous polyphonic channels on multiple MIDI devices, enough music capability to handle a small band arrangement on a home computer.
  • Texaments releases CHECKtrack checkbook management program for TI-BASE v3.0 or higher. It is written by Bill Gaskill.
  • Gary Bowser of Oasis Pensive Abacutors in Ontario, Canada announces the release of the TI Image Maker (TIM), an internal 80-column display upgrade for the TI-99/4A.
  • Christopher Pratt, doing business as Electronic Systems Development Corporation (ESD), announces plans to develop a new hard and floppy disk controller that will be 99/4A compatible. The new controller will have an EPROM that allows upgrades to the operating system to be loaded from disk and the card will support four hard drives, four floppy drives.
  • Rave 99 owner John McDevitt reports a problem with the development of the new TI-99 compatible expansion box, and announces that it's planned introduction will be delayed.
  • APPLE -- Apple discontinues the IIc Plus.

DEC 1990: MICROpendium publishes V7N11 consisting of 48 pages.

  • Myarc founder Lou Phillips is said to be severely curtailing his TI-99/4A support activities due to a new job and family demands.
  • John Birdwell, author of Disk Utilities and contributing programmer to Myarc's MDM5 disk manager, and project programmer for Myarc's Tape Streamer software for HFDC backups, is reported to be terminally ill with cancer of the liver. He dies on December 27th at age 41.
  • Noted TI-99 author and writer Cheryl Regena Whitelaw celebrates her 10th anniversary as a TI-99 owner and user.
  • MICROpendium reports that Asgard's new YAPP (Yet Another Paint Program) drawing program authored by Alexander Hulpke does not work properly with the Myarc Mouse, but does work correctly with the Asgard mouse. 

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