• Atari releases the Falcon030. It would be the the last computer ever released by Atari. The system was an attempt to combine multimedia, with the "Power without the Price" slogan used by Atari for so many years. The system featured a 16MHz Motorola 68030 processor, along with a Motorola 56001 Digital Signal Processor. Sound, which had always been a weak point on the older ST's, had been upgraded to 16-bit stereo. This system also featured Multi-TOS, which previously had only been available on the TT. This system also marked Atari's first (and last) implementation of IDE hard drives. A 2.5 inch internal hard drive was an option on this system. The system also had an external SCSI II port for external drive expansion. The main complaint about this system is the case. Atari users had been asking for a two-piece desktop case for years. Only the MEGA ST, MEGA STe, and the TT were offered in this configuration. The Falcon030 could have had more appeal if it had a detached keyboard. There was a model on the drawing board with the detached keyboard, but it was scrapped. The main market for this system was Europe, although it was quite popular with musicians.

• Atari Falcon030:
• CPU: Motorola MC68030 32-bit (16-bit CPU bus) running at 16Mhz.
• FPU: Optional Motorola MC68882.
• DSP: Motorola DSP56001 running at 32Mhz.
• TOS Version: 4.01 in ROM, 4.02 in ROM or 4.04 in ROM. Some models had TOS in ERPROM.
• RAM: 1Mb, 4Mb or 14.3Mb, expandable up to 14.3Mb.
• Graphics: Large number of video modes for both RGB/TV and VGA monitors. VGA modes include 640x480x16, 640x480x256, 320x240x65k, 320x480x65k. Palette of 262,144 colors. TV modulator. Blitter chip.
• Sound: 16-bit stereo, up to 50kHz sampling rate.
• Disk Drives: Internal 1.44Mb floppy drive. Optional internal 2.5" IDE hard drive.
• Ports: Cartridge (ROM) port, MIDI In and Out/Thru, SCSI2 port, internal IDE port, parallel (printer) port, serial (modem) port running at 230kbps, LAN port, microphone port, headphone port, DSP port, mouse, joystick and analog joystick ports and a processor direct slot.
• Case: One piece standard-style

• COMMODORE -- Commodore International announces the Amiga 1200 multimedia computer. The new computer is said to be aimed at the home, education and entry-level business presentation markets. It features a Motorola 32-bit 68020 cpu and it comes with:
• Commodore's Advanced Graphics Architecture (AGA) graphics chip set.
• AmigaDOS Release 3, the newest version of the Commodore proprietary multitasking operating system. This release includes CrossDOS, a utility program designed to simplify the transfer of files in MS-DOS format to and from the Amiga.
• Two megabytes of RAM, expandable to 10 megabytes.
• An 880K 3.5inch floppy drive.
• An IDE internal hard disk interface.
• A 2-button mouse.
• A PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card Interface Association) card slot.

A Base system price is set at $699. A version shipped with a 40Mb hard disk drive will sell for $1,499.

FEB 1993:

• ASGARD SOFTWARE announces the release of Extended BASIC 3, written by German Assembly language wizard Winfried Winkler. The cartridge is said to contain the full Terminal Emulator II ccode, Editor/Assembler, TI-Writer, plus Mass Transfer, Disk Manager 1000 and John Johnson's Remind Me! all rolled into one.

• Steve Jobs' NeXt Computer drops its hardware line and focuses on the sale of its multi-taking operating system software.

• Spinnaker Software, the firm that licensed Facemaker and Story Machine to Texas Instruments in 1983 for use on the TI-99/4A, acquires Power Up Software of California.

MAR 1993:

• The first news of a new 32-bit operating system from Microsoft appears in the media. The new product, said to be available in 18-24 months, is code-named 'Chicago'. It will ultimately be released as Windows 95 in August 1995.

• Bill Gaskill reports finding what appears to be a 'virus' on his 99/4A system equipped with a Horizon Ram Disk and ROS 8.14 when the word "Gotcha" appears. It would later turn out to be a 'joke built into the operating system by Gary Bowser of Oasis Pensive Abacutors (OPA).

• Competition Computer Solutions of Milwaukee, WI releases their new catalog of products on March 23rd.

• TIRUG, the TI Riverside, CA User Group sends out their last newsletter, announcing that the User Group has disbanded after ten years.

• Chris Bobbitt releases a lengthy article describing the history and design philosophy behind the Asgard Memory System cards. The article explains the reasons why the device was developed, why certain design decisions were made, and what Asgard feels are the implications of the project for the 99/4A community. It also explains how an Expanded memory device differs from a RAM-disk, and even other memory expansion systems for the TI-99/4A.

APR 1993:

• Word is communicated throughout the TI and Geneve community that Myarc's Disk Manager version 1.40, which was the last version that John Birdwell was working on before his death last year, only works with the TI-99/4A. Myarc Geneve 9640 users are told to use MDM version 1.30.

• Bruce Harrison, dba Harrison Software, releases a new catalog on April 15th. Products include "General Purpose" (Word Processor, Smart Connect), MIDI-Master Music (Johann Sebastian Bach, Bits & Pieces Potpourri, 17th & 18th Century Lute Music, "Pop" Classics), "Games" (Scud Busters, Code Breakers), and "Miscellaneous" (Easy Data, Stor Mor, KwikDump).

MAY 1993:

• On May 15th, Asgard Peripherals releases a document that provides an introduction to the AMS AEMS and its design philosophy. A development kit for the card, written by assembly language wizards Art Green and Joe Delekto is also released.

• Asgard Software announces the release of Extended BASIC 3 by Winfried Winkler, at the Lima, OH TI Conference on May 15, 1993. The new programming language in a cartridge is said to contrain 256K of code including XB3, text-to-speech, Editor/Assembler, TI-Writer and a host of utilities like Disk Manager 1000, all in one menu. MSRP is $99.95.

• On May 16th, at the Lima, OH TI Fair, Asgard announces First Draft v2.0 (Art Gibson) as a free upgrade to the original word processor. According to the press release, the upgrade to the original program has many major enhancements, including support for Extended Memory, the Geneve and much more.

• Creative Labs, makers of the popular Sound Blaster sound card for PCs, announces that it has named former Ashton-Tate President Ed Esber as president and chief operating officer ofthe company. Esber was in charge of Texas Instruments 3rd Party Software Group for the TI-99/4A Home Computer before moving on to his position at Ashton-Tate, best known for its dBase II product.

JUN 1993:

JUL 1993:

• On July 2, 1993, Asgard's Chris Bobbitt issues a scathing statement to the TI Community criticizing the negativism, false statements and rumor mongering taking place regarding the Asgard Memeory System (AMS).

• Competition Computer Solutions of Milwaukee, WI (Ted Kieper) announces that they have a new toll-free number: 800-471-1600 for orders.

AUG 1993:

SEP 1993:

OCT 1993:
The annual Chicago TI Faire is held at the Holiday Inn in Gurnee, IL on October 30th.

• On October 11, 1993 Asgard Software owner and founder Chris Bobbitt announces that he will turn over the ownership of the business to Harry Brashear of Newfane, NY effective November 1, 1993, .

NOV 1993:

• A group of US students working on a graphical browser called Mosaic begin posting early versions of it on what will become known as the Internet, from their National Center for Supercomputing Applications site. Thousands of down loads occur, signalling the beginning of the web explosion.

• John C. Dvorak authors an article in PC Magazine entitled, "Game Machines: Trend or Fiasco?" (November 9, 1993), that will evoke an emotional outpouring of anger from myraids of readers who recall the Commodore Amiga and other machines of the Home Computer Era with fond memories.

• APPLE -- Apple officially discontinues all production of the Apple II series of computers, focusing totally on the Macintosh line. The last Apple II, which was the IIc+, was introduced in September 1988.

• ATARI -- Atari introduces its 64 bit Jaguar video game system in New York.

DEC 1993:

• Mi Kyung Kim, 28-year old designer of the Swan that Myarc used for it's Geneve 9640 computer, dies on December 7th, one of several murder victims of Jamaican immigrant Colin Ferguson, who randomly guns down riders on a Long Island, NY commuter train.  

• Spinnaker Software, the firm that licensed Facemaker and Story Machine to Texas Instruments in 1983, disappears in a merger of WordStar and SoftKey. The new company will become SoftKey.

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