JAN
1991: Talk of a full C language compiler for the Geneve
and Myarc's completion of a Pascal Runtime module for the Geneve are discussed
in MICROpendium. While Al Beard's C compiler is a reality, Myarc's promise
of a finished Pascal Runtime module turns out to be smoke and mirrors.
- Barry Traver begins part 1 in a 4 part series on GRAPHICOMP, a program
he wrote to compile Extended Basic's screen display statements into assembly
language source code. Readers later prompt Traver to expand the program
into a full-blown Extended Basic compiler, but he declines staing that
he has neither the time nor the technical expertise to do so.
- Version 1.30 of MDM5, the Myarc Disk Manager is released. It
was reportedly recovered from the hard drive of the late John Birdwell,
after his death. No new features have been added, but some bugs in 1.29
have apparently been corrected.
- Ben Yates releases DeZip v.05 for the TI-99/4A on January 5th.
The program allows the TI to extract /ZIP files created on the PC on your
TI. On January 12th v.07 is released to fix a small bug in the extraction
of a reduced file.
- Jack Sughrue's releases NEW-AGE/99 #5, his newsletter that discusses
what's going on the TI Community. In this issue he includes a review of
Jim Peterson's TI Public Domain Software library, consisting of a collection
of 400+ disks available at $1.50 each.
- Master assembly language programmer Mike Maksimik begins talking about
the creation of GDOS for the TI-99/4A, which is envisioned to be
a GEOS-like graphics interface similar to what was created for the Commodore
64 by Berkley Software.
- The Chicago TI Users Group releases the Encyclopedia of Graphics
(E.O.G.) book. The enormous project was undertaken by Chicago 99er
and Geneve owner Don Jones. It consists of printouts of all of the commercially
distributed graphics available for the TI-99/4A and Geneve.
- T.I.C.O.F.F. , the TI Computer Owners Fun Fest held in Roselle Park,
New Jersey every year, changes its name to the Family Computer Exposition
when PCs overtake the show.
- Jeff Asenas of the TI Oxnard, California User Group is killed in a
traffic accident.
FEB 1991: MICROpendium
celebrates its eighth birthday.
- Ron Wolcott releases TIPS v1.8 (TI Print Shop), which now includes
spooling for printing multiple times, print command files, vertical menus
with hot keys, and ability to mirror image.
- Asgard announces plans to begin shipping the 80-Column Extended
Graphics Interface (EGI) card by Mechatronics GmbH. The EGI is a 'sidecar'
type device that expands the graphic capabilities of even a console-only
99/4A to a level comparable with the IBM VGA standard, and it expands video
memory from 16K to 192K. The package comes with several disks full of 80-column
software. MSRP is $249.95 with a $15.00 S/H charge.
- Asgard Software announces the release of Screen Preview
by Joe Delekto.
- Howard Uman re-releases Artist Enlarger which was originally
released as Freeware, then commercially distributed by Asgard Software,
now distributed by Uman himself.
- MICROpendium offers readers Personalized Memo Pads complete
with TI-99 line art. Four pads of 50 sheets each are offered for $12. The
product apparently does not catch on and is dropped after two months.
- Eunice Spooner of Waterville, Maine releases a TI LOGO video tutorial
for $10. The video tape may be obtained by writing to Spooner at RFD #1,
Box 3720, Webb Road, Waterville, Maine 04901.
- Fest West
'91 takes place on February 16th and 17th at the Ramada Main Gate hotel
right across the street from Disneyland. It is sponsored by the Users Group
of Orange County in association with the Pomona Valley Users Group of California.
MAR 1991: Bill
Gaskill annouces the release of THE TI-BASE USER (newsletter for
TI-Base owners), TIMELINE 99 (a 120-page "must have" history
book for serious TI'er), and MEMBERSHIP MANAGER/NEWSLETTER EXCHANGE
(two separate TI-Base applications for the price of one, tremendously useful
to officers of TI User Groups).
- The TI-BBS in Whittier, California, formerly operated by Roger Davis,
moves to Covina, California with Larry Hoffman as sysop.
- On March 15th, Jeff Guide, owner of Disk Only software, announces that
he has purchase all rights to Tony Lewis' Interface Standard and Design
Guide for the TI-99/4A, and that Disk Only Software will become
the exclusive distributor for this document.
- Steve Hoshield releases CSGD Label Maker v1.1. The program contains
complete documentation and a fully functional assembly language program
that can use Dave Rose's CSGD style graphics for inclusion in customer
label making. The program also features a graphic editor to design your
own graphics to use with custom labels. Up to 127 CSGD graphics can be
stored.
- Asgard Software releases a Page Pro 99 productivity chart showing
how Page Pro products relate to each other, to let you create a wide variety
of different things on your 99/4A - from banners to signs to greeting cards
to labels to anything else you can think of.
- Jim Miller releases the Shareware program Stock Tracker for
the TI-99/4A. The program allows tracking of stocks or comodities and it
will track buy, sell, input values, stock splits etc.
- Jim Peterson releases version #5 of his TI Public Domain Sofftware
catalog, containing listings for over 500 disks, available at $1.50 each.
This release sports a new 80 column layout for easy printing.
APR 1991: Members
of the VAST User Group in Phoenix, Arizona vote to host Fest-West '92.
- The Ottawa TI-99/4 Users Group hosts the 1991 Ottawa TI Fair on April
27th.
- Bill Gaskill releases a free COMPUTE! MAGAZINE "infodex"
for 1983-1986, and a free 99ER HOME COMPUTER "infodex"! A application
designed specifically to access the Infodex data is provided. The program
auto-loads from Extended BASIC, with the ability to press H for Help at
the opening screen.
- Son of the Disk of Dinosaurs is released by Ken Gilliland
dba Notung Software out of Tujunga, California. The new product contains
16 all new Dinosaurs in TI-Artist format.
- Richard Lynn Gilbertson of Portland, Oregon releases a GRAM version
of RICH GKXB, which is an enhanced version of TI's original Extended
Basic.
- McCann Software of Omaha, Nebraska releases HQ_STACKS for the
Myarc Geneve computer.
- Bill Gaskill of Grand Junction, Colorado announces that his company
PRK DataBasics has changed names and its product focus. The new company
name will be Junction Softworks and it will emphasize TI-Base products.
- Notung Software Tujunga, Californai announces updates to Filmlib,
TI Casino and the Star Trek: Next Generation Calendar.
- Asgard Software releases Page Pro Banner Maker.
- Tony Lewis sells the right to his Interface Standard and Design
Guide for TI-99/4A Peripherals book to Jeff Guide of Disk Only Software.
- MICROpendium announces the release of MICROpendium INDEX II, a set
of disks more comprehensive and easier to use than the regular MICROpendium
index disks done in TI Basic. The MP II index set has been compiled by
Bill Gaskill.
- David Lynch of 99 Computer Repair, 2101 West Crescent Avenue Unit A,
Anaheim, California 92801, telephone 714-539-4834 announces repair services
for all warranty and out of warranty CorComp products.
- Asgard announces that the delay in the release of the 80-Column Extended
Graphics Interface (EGI) card by Mechatronics GmbH is over and they
are ready to be shipped. Owner Chris Bobbitt puts out 'feelers' to the
TI Community first, asking if there is still interest in the 'sidecar'
peripheral.
MAY 1991: The
Lima, Ohio Multi User Group Conference, better known as the Lima TI Fair,
is held in Reed Hall at the Lima Campus of Ohio State University on May
18th.
- TI United Kindom users hold their annual meeting at The Music Hall
in Shrewsbury, England.
- TM Direct Marketing releases its first catalog to the TI Community
since buying out the Triton Products inventory in October 1990. Owner Terry
Miller says that over 25,000 copies of the catlaog were mailed out.
- Bruce Harrison begins an assembly language programming tutorial in
MICROpendium. He is now the third person in MICROpendium's history to become
the magazine's on-board assembly columnist. The first was Mack McCormick,
an Army officer who ultimately dropped out because of military obligations.
The second was John Birdwell who died of liver cancer in December 1990.
- Mike Sealy and Mickey Schmitt, doing business as MS Express release
Adventure Hints-Series II, Sliding Block Puzzles-Series II and Sliding
Block Puzzle Solutions-Series II.
- Mike Maksimik announces the formation of Crystal Software, a company
he formed to sell the MIDI MASTER 99 system initially planned for Asgard
Software distribution.
- Bruce Harrison of Harrison Software announces that he will be resuming
production of TI-99/4A software products and annnounces the release of
the Il Pastor Fido (The Faithful Shepherd) music disk.
- Keith Bergman of KB Computer Concepts in Toledo, Ohio 's announces
the bundling of Spinner, Memory Motel and YALP in one $14
package.
- The Chicago International TI Faire committee elects to move the 1991
Faire site to the Holiday Inn in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, from the
Holiday Inn at Rolling Meadows, Illinois where it had been held the last
few years.
JUN 1991: Texaments
releases TI Artist Plus! Pak, a collection of five programs including
Guidelines, Display Master, Artoons, Designer Labels, and the Artist
Companion of your choice from Artist #2-13, bundled with TI Artist
Plus!. Cost is $49.95.
- Richard Lynn Gilbertson and Gary Bowser reach an agreement to have
Bowser's Oasis Pensive Abacutors (OPA) produce the cartridge version of
RICH GKXB.
- Bill Gaskill announces the end of the TI-BASE USER newsletter after
attracting only 33 subscribers to the data base programming publication.
- The Hunter Valley 99ers User Group of Kotara, New South Wales in Australia
disbands on June 25th due to lack of newsletter contributions, lack of
members willing to serve on committees and a lack of programs available
locally for the TI. This group was one of the leaders in the Australian
TI Community who produced one of the best newsletters in the world in the
mid 1980's.
- Burns-Koloen Communications creates the NATIONAL USED SOFTWARE and
HARDWARE CLUB to assist computer owners of all brands, makes and models
in selling unwanted hardware and software.
JUL 1991: Harry
Brashear leaves MICROpendium as a regular columnist after agreeing to join
Asgard Software. Brashear asserts that a conflict of interest would have
developed between his MICROreviews and the fact that fully 50% of the products
he reviewed were from Asgard Software.
- Ken Gilliland releases SNF files of the Irving Berlin songs; "Always",
"Remember" and "What'll I do?" for use with Mike Maksimik's
MIDI Master 99 program.
- Texaments releases Fonts, Frames & Fun, a 3-disk
pack of fonts, border and instances for TI Artist. Also released is The
Missing Link Pak, which consists of 29 display fonts for use with
The Missing Link by Harry Wilhelm. The new releases are priced
at $12.95 and $7.95 respectively.
- Rumors of a Funnelweb v4.4 begin to surface, which is supposed to include
a total rewrite of the editor and a revision of the Disk Review module
that will allow GIF pictures to be viewed.
- Don O'Neil announces the impending release of TI Accelerator,
a hardware modification which allows the TI-99/4A console to run at 12mhz
clock speed. As of December 1992, the product has yet to actually materialize.
- Mike Maksimik releases SNF files of the songs "Dust in the Wind"
and "God of Our Fathers for use with his Midi Master 99
program.
- Bill Gaskill releases a program designed to track and record assets
and liabilities, with the capability to calculate personal net worth from
that data.
AUG 1991: Asgard
Software releases Tris-9640, Typrewriter-9640, Page Pro Sideways Picture
Printer, and Thumbnails for the Myarc Geneve 9640 computer.
- Bill Gaskill releases Events Calendar for TI-Base. It is a public
domain application, written in the TI-Base Command File programming language.
- Pierre Delfort of Bagnols, France announces the availability of a newsletter
on disk for any TI-99/4A owners wishing to subscribe.
- Ben Hatheway of Santa Clara, CA releases a version of Stu Olsen's Mass
Transfer that will work with the Myarc HFDC (Hard and Floppy Disk Controller
Card). It is a 40-column display version of Mass Transfer 4.3 that
allows the user to use hard drive paths when uploading or downloading using
Xmodem or Mass Transfer "Ymodem". The program will run on either
TI or 9640. This release is 40 columns only. Fairware. An 80-column version
modified by Randy Moore for Myarc Geneve 9640 users is also announced.
- Bill Gaskill releases a free Names Data Base for users of TI-Base 3.02
or higher. The file contains over 1350 names and addresses of 99ers and
TI-99 supporters.
SEP 1991: Tony
McGovern releases Funnelweb v4.4 in the United States.
- The Berlin, Germany TI Faire is held on September 13th and 14th. Noteworthy
items appearing were a Pascal P-System that could be run without the p-code
card, a device which allows the Speech Syhthesizer to be installed in the
Peripheral Expansion Box, but that also includes the ROMs from the Terminal
Emulator II cartridge, thereby allowing text-to-speech capabilities in
all programming environments, and a completed version of Extended Basic
3 which is a complete re-write of the TI Extended Basic code, with additional
CALLs.
- The Seattle/Tacoma TI Fair 1991 takes place at the Tacoma Mall on September
21st.
- Ken Gilliland releases SNF files of Richard Wagner's "Evening
Star" for use with Mike Maksimik's MIDI Master 99 program.
- Rich Gilbert releases RICH GKXB v2.37.
- Hall and Margaret Shanafield release SNF files of "Chariots of
Fire" for use with Mike Maksimik's MIDI Master 99 program.
- Asgard Software releases Gofer by Dan Gazy, a collection
of Page Pro 99 utilities.
- Bruce Harrison releases Smart Connect, product designed to allow
text file transfers between the TI-99/4A and MS-DOS based computers.
- Mike Maksimik releases SNF files of the song "She's Like the Wind"
by Patrick Swayze and Stacy Widelitz, for use with his MIDI Master 99
program, along with SNF files for "Earthen Vessels".
OCT 1991: Asgard
Software releases Lineditor by Edwin Hall and the Mouse
Developers Package.
- OPA begins marketing Don O'Neil's DIGI-PORT sound software.
- Barry Boone releases Sound F/X through Texaments in Patchogue,
New York.
- Jerry Coffey begins shipping Gen-Tri v1.02 for the Geneve. It
is a Geneve version of Wayne Stith's Triad program for the
99/4A.
- MICROpendium reports that the Pascal Runtime program for the Geneve,
which editor John Koloen had once reported as being nearly complete, will
not be completed.
- George William von Seth, president of the Guilford, North Carolina
99ers dies on October 28th.
- Commodore Electronics announces a joint effort with Mitsui & Co.
of Japan to form CDTV Consortium Japan, which is designed to promote and
develop Commodore CDTV players and software in Japan.
- Cambridge, Massachusetts- based Spinnaker Software agrees to supply
PFS:Windoworks to Lotus Development for resale to Packard Bell under the
name Lotusworks.
NOV 1991: Asgard
Publishing's Reflections magazine resurfaces after a 1 1/2
year delay between Volume 2 Number 3 and Volume 2 Number 4.
- Jerry Coffey of Vienna, Virginia becomes the authorized distributor
of JP Software products, with the re-release of GEN-TRI for the Geneve
being the first product available. Coffey hopes to eventually assume distributorship
for the entire JP Software line in an effort to assauge the angry members
of the TI and Geneve Community who have paid for products that J. Peter
Hoddie never delivered.
- Asgard Software reports that they will become an authorized dealer
for selected products from Comprodine, Notung and Infocom, including the
release of six previously unreleased Infocom adventure titles.
- Gary Bowser, owner of OPA in Toronto, Ontario reports that he has become
the authorized repair center for TI-99/4A products in Canada after having
obtained the rights to TI Canada's inventory and servicing business there.
- MICROpendium's November 1991 issue is published with an October 1991
date.
- Texaments releases several new games for the Geneve 9640 that are ports
from the Tomy Tutor. The new games are Cave Explorer, Islander and Car
Race, Jungle Terror, Sea Terror, Space Champions, Submarine Revenge, Time
Guardian, Traffic Frenzy and Train Twister. (MICROpendium
Nov91, p.26).
- Harrison Software releases Code Breakers and announces the release
of an update to their best selling Smart Connect product. The update
is being mailed to current owners free.
- Gary Bowser, dba OPA (Oasis Pensive Abacutors) announces Pop-Cart,
a device containing a set of user-selected TI-99 modules/programs all in
one cartridge that plugs into the module port. The user selects the cartridges
that he wants and it is all burned into one cartridge. (MICROpendium
Nov91, p.26)
- Jerry Coffey announces that Triad, the Wayne Stith authored
Terminal Emulator, Text Editor and Disk Manager in one, written specifically
for the TI-99/4A, is now available. This is a re-release of a former JP
Software product.
- Beery Miller's 9640 News company begins handling Mike Dodd programs
formerly distributed by JP Software.
- Al Beard of LGMA releases Genbench Shell, a program for the
Geneve which shelters the user from MDOS. It is available for $20.
- Barry A. Traver receives the John Birdwell Memorial Award at the Chicago
TI Faire.
- Beery Miller compleetes the GEME windows product for the Geneve
9640 and receives Myarc's permission to distribute it.
- Ken Gilland dba Notung Software releases Gilliland's Disk of Horrors,
a 3-disk set of programs that cleverly provide a look at the 1930's Horro
Pulp World with the aid of 30 TI_Artist pictures and Instances. MSRP is
$12 for the package. (MICROpendium
Nov91, p.8)
- Barry Boone releases Star Wars VOC files for use with his Sound
F/X program
DEC 1991: Dennis
Rebello of Swansea, Massachusetts releases Casino Games v1.5, an
update to the popular program Las Vegas games program. The new version
is said to include more assembly language routines and other changes designed
to make the casino action simulate the real game more closely.
- KBCC, Keith Bergman Computer Concepts, relocates to 1625 1/2 Roosevelt
in Toledo, Ohio 43607-1462.
- Harrison Software releases an audio tape of the company's MIDI music
for those who wish to enjoy the music without having to invest in a MIDI
device.
- Patrick Powell PO Box 496 Ocean Park, ME 04063-0496 releases TIPS
Manipulator, an application for categorizing and organizing the images
that are available for Ron Wolcott's TI Print Shop program.
- Bill Gaskill releases Check+ v1.1, an update to Check+ that
fixes an error in the Chart of Accts file editor.
- Barry Boone releases VOC files of the 3 Stooges, Dorothy from Wizard
od Oz, Gomer Pyle and David Letterman for his Sound F/X program
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