12 Apr
2001
12 Apr
'01
1:35 p.m.
I think there was an entire line of TI minicomputers that were sold off by
TI to HP. I have part of a TI explorer and several TI 1100's and 1500's.
These minicomputers are still used by several HMO's in Kansas City for some
medical billing application. My local computer surplus has 6-7 of them.
There were ASCII TI terminals that went with the system. I seem to remember
that there was a terminal emulation application for the TI-99/4's.
Mike
mmcfadden(a)cmh.edu
12 Apr
12 Apr
1:12 p.m.
----- Original Message -----
From: "McFadden, Mike" <mmcfadden(a)cmh.edu>
To: <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org>
Sent: Thursday, April 12, 2001 11:35 AM
Subject: Re: TI Minicomputer?
I seem to remember
that there was a terminal emulation application for the TI-99/4's.
The most common cartridge (oops, sorry, "Solid State Software") based one
was called Terminal Emulator II. For people with the PEB and disk drive,
there were much better disk based emulators available.
Cheers,
Mark.
4:01 p.m.
On Thu, 12 Apr 2001, Mark Gregory wrote:
----- Original Message -----
From: "McFadden, Mike" <mmcfadden(a)cmh.edu>
To: <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org>
Sent: Thursday, April 12, 2001 11:35 AM
Subject: Re: TI Minicomputer?
Yes. There were Fast-Term, Mass Transfer, Telco, Term80, Kermit, and also
a P-code terminal emulator (TEP), to name most of the major ones.
The neat thing about TEII protocol was the sound, graphics, file
transfer, and even speech protocols built into it, not that most people
used it much after modems got faster than 300 baud. Aside from Texnet on
the Source, and Ralph Fowler's TIBBS software, few host platforms
supported it for a long time, if ever.
Good old Source. They actually gave you a Primos command line and
compilers and *encouraged* you to use them. They actually paid you if
people ran your code or accessed your databases. Nowadays, you're lucky
to find an ISP that'll let you come anywhere near a shell.
jbdigriz
I seem to remember
that there was a terminal emulation application for the TI-99/4's.
The most common cartridge (oops, sorry, "Solid State Software") based one
was called Terminal Emulator II. For people with the PEB and disk drive,
there were much better disk based emulators available.
Cheers,
Mark.
2:53 p.m.
On Thu, 12 Apr 2001, McFadden, Mike wrote:
I think there was an entire line of TI minicomputers that were sold off by
TI to HP. I have part of a TI explorer and several TI 1100's and 1500's.
These minicomputers are still used by several HMO's in Kansas City for some
medical billing application. My local computer surplus has 6-7 of them.
There were ASCII TI terminals that went with the system. I seem to remember
that there was a terminal emulation application for the TI-99/4's.
Mike
mmcfadden(a)cmh.edu
Pretty certain the system I remember hearing about was a 990. There indeed
a couple of terminal emulater cartridges for the 4A. Kermit was ported to
the 990 and the 4A as well, but that would have required an expansion
system with drives, which this file server setup was apparently intended
to avoid. Little fingers, I guess.
Something's tugging at the back of my mind about the Plato courseware,
too.
jbdigriz
3:47 p.m.
Pretty certain the system I remember hearing about was
a 990. There indeed
a couple of terminal emulater cartridges for the 4A. Kermit was ported to
the 990 and the 4A as well, but that would have required an expansion
system with drives, which this file server setup was apparently intended
to avoid. Little fingers, I guess.
I used to work at TI, and for a while we used a TI 990
minicomputer. I can't remember many details (we replaced
the 990 with a MicroVAX II about six months after I
started). I remember using TI914 terminals, which were
block-mode terminals. I don't remember the name of the
operating system, but I do remember the OS was not very
secure.
There was a TI-developed 914 terminal emulator that
was widely used in TI. Long after the 990 systems
were gone the 914 terminal emulator was used to
connect to the IBM mainframes.
--
Eric Dittman
dittman(a)dittman.net
4:49 p.m.
On Thu, 12 Apr 2001, Eric Dittman wrote:
I used to work at TI, and for a while we used a TI
990
minicomputer. I can't remember many details (we replaced
the 990 with a MicroVAX II about six months after I
started). I remember using TI914 terminals, which were
block-mode terminals. I don't remember the name of the
operating system, but I do remember the OS was not very
secure.
Did the 990's go to HP with the Unix systems, or to Siemens or Fujitsu or
somebody else, or were they just abandoned?
You wouldn't believe how hard it is tracking down 990 and
BS300,600,800 stuff, unless you fork out corporate prices at the couple of
remaining TI vendors/repair centers..
Believe me, any light you can shed that would help locate parts,
documentation, software, etc. will be greatly appreciated by more
than myself on this list.
There was a TI-developed 914 terminal emulator that
was widely used in TI. Long after the 990 systems
were gone the 914 terminal emulator was used to
connect to the IBM mainframes.
I have 3 911 VDT's and a 990/1 here (effectively a 915 since I'm missing a
disk subsystem) with my 990/10. Not familiar with the 914 or the 914
emulator. I do know there was 924 emulator for the PC that was extant at
one time, but I haven't been able to get hold of a copy.
jbdigriz
7:03 p.m.
Did the 990's go to HP with the Unix systems, or
to Siemens or Fujitsu or
somebody else, or were they just abandoned?
I don't know where they went, but my guess is they were just
abandoned.
You wouldn't believe how hard it is tracking down
990 and
BS300,600,800 stuff, unless you fork out corporate prices at the couple of
remaining TI vendors/repair centers..
Believe me, any light you can shed that would help locate parts,
documentation, software, etc. will be greatly appreciated by more
than myself on this list.
I will put some feelers out to some people I know still at TI
and see what I can find out.
There was a
TI-developed 914 terminal emulator that
was widely used in TI. Long after the 990 systems
were gone the 914 terminal emulator was used to
connect to the IBM mainframes.
I have 3 911 VDT's and a 990/1 here (effectively a 915 since I'm missing a
disk subsystem) with my 990/10. Not familiar with the 914 or the 914
emulator. I do know there was 924 emulator for the PC that was extant at
one time, but I haven't been able to get hold of a copy.
9:39 p.m.
On Thu, 12 Apr 2001, Eric Dittman wrote:
I will put some feelers out to some people I know
still at TI
and see what I can find out.
Great, Eric. Thanks.
I seem to be becoming rapidly indebted to a lot of people. Hopefully I can
be of assistance to someone else along the way.
jbdigriz
5:12 p.m.
New subject: Technico (Re: TI Minicomputer?)
"James B. DiGriz" wrote:
On Thu, 12 Apr 2001, McFadden, Mike wrote:
A company called 'Technico' put out a TI 9900-based single board mirco back in
the
late 70s before TI had the 99/4. I rememebr building one for a class project in
college. In fact, I got one in the attic that I need to frag out of of these days
and see if I can add two numbers with it.
Eric
I think there was an entire line of TI minicomputers that were sold off by
TI to HP. I have part of a TI explorer and several TI 1100's and 1500's.
These minicomputers are still used by several HMO's in Kansas City for some
medical billing application. My local computer surplus has 6-7 of them.
There were ASCII TI terminals that went with the system. I seem to remember
that there was a terminal emulation application for the TI-99/4's.
Mike
mmcfadden(a)cmh.edu
Pretty certain the system I remember hearing about was a 990. There indeed
a couple of terminal emulater cartridges for the 4A. Kermit was ported to
the 990 and the 4A as well, but that would have required an expansion
system with drives, which this file server setup was apparently intended
to avoid. Little fingers, I guess.
Something's tugging at the back of my mind about the Plato courseware,
too.
jbdigriz
6:33 p.m.
New subject: Technico (Re: TI Minicomputer?)
On Thu, 12 Apr 2001, Eric Chomko wrote:
A company called 'Technico' put out a TI 9900-based single board mirco back in
the
late 70s before TI had the 99/4. I rememebr building one for a class project in
college. In fact, I got one in the attic that I need to frag out of of these days
and see if I can add two numbers with it.
Eric
Yep, they also sold a 9900-based system called the SS16, I think, as well
as an S-100 9900 CPU, if I remember correctly what I've seen on the list.
jbdigriz
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participants (5)
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chomko＠greenbelt.com -
dittman＠dittman.net -
gregorym＠cadvision.com -
jbdigriz＠dragonsweb.org -
mmcfadden＠cmh.edu