Communicator, Entrepreneur, Developer, and Dreamer
Lou Phillips brought to the TI-99/4A community, achievements recognized throughout the world. In his early days in the TI community, Lou recognized various needs within the TI community and built from the ground up a very successful company called Myarc, Inc.
When 8/16 bit computers were in their infancy with minimal storage capacity of 90K, Lou envisioned mass storage devices capable of storing many more times the existing capacity using hard drives. The TI-99/4A was the first personal home computer with hard drive capacity using a massive storage capacity of 5 MB almost 25 years ago. Following this entry product into the marketplace, Lou led the way with high capacity floppy drives, a Parallel & Serial I/O peripheral, and memory expansion for the computer.
Lou would not be stopped. As the leader in non TI-manufactured hardware peripherals for the TI-99/4A, the TI-99/4A community asked for more. Lou would not be stopped! Lou would be challenged and those challenges brought forth new products. Lou’s first step into software development outside of the development for hardware specific code brought into the market-place an enhanced version of TI’s Extended Basic. It was called Myarc Extended Basic II adding new graphic capabilities and new features to a rich programming language.
During this period, the TI community continued to ask for more, and Lou promised to deliver. After much difficulty, the Geneve 9640 computer was born along with a new hard drive interface card expanding capacity to greater than 100 MB’s. The two children, the Geneve 9640 and the peripheral identified as the Myarc HFDC, had a rough delivery. Patience and persistence allowed these newborns to grow into adolescents at a young age. As time passed, as with all children, they become adults and moved on with lives of their own and eventually the parent pursues other directions for their lives.
Lou brought hope and excitement to every event he attended holding everyone’s attention and delivering almost every request. Lou was a friend to many and a visionary to all. Twenty-five years after Lou entered the marketplace, nearly every remaining TI or Geneve 9640 user since his first product introduction has used or is using one of his many products.
Lou re-entered the complex life of banking approximately ten years ago after completing the last of his visions. Many have missed his presence. We all wish Lou the best, and say once again, “Thank You for Personal and Professional Commitments to the TI Community”!!!
Milwaukee, 1986
Circa 2003
Inducted into the TI99ers Hall of Fame on March 7, 2004
