Re: World-wide 8-bit computer sales (all-time)?

[mjmahon@aol.com (Michael J. Mahon)]

Roy wrote:

>Scott Alfter wrote:
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>> In article <3EFC0271.753A07D6@usa.net>, Jeff Thomas  <a2forever@usa.net>
>wrote:
>> 
>>>Anders Carlsson wrote:
>>>
>>>>Heh, a little exaggerating surely. By the way, which computer or
>>>>game console has seen the largest drop in list price? IIRC, the
>>>>TI-99/4 was released at $1150 in 1979, and the improved TI-99/4A
>>>>was down at $99 in 1983ish when it finally was dropped.
>>>
>>>That's because of the great computer/video market crash of 1983, when
>>>alot of companies went under!
>> 
>> 
>> That TI apparently didn't have a clue about how to sell computers didn't
>> help much, either.  
>
>Part of the problem Scott, was that TI sold VERY expensive mini 
>computers that used the same CPU as the 99/4a, and that division didn't 
>want to see people buying the 99/4a for a few hundred bucks and then 
>using it to run the software that ran on their $25,000 systems.

Actually, I think there would have been little chance of that, since
the memory of the standard TI 99/4a could not be accessed directly
by the processor, but only indirectly through the 9918a video
controller.  ;-)

-michael

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