More thoughts on UNIX99

UNIX99 for the TI-99/4A may be my favorite software/OS for 2026 so far. The OS has continued to be updated. As of writing this, April 9th, 2026 was the last update. I'm quite impressed with it. Enough, that I'm going to start helping by porting apps to the OS. For example, SED is not bundled with it. That tool is must for me. A real world work tool for me... at least in my career.

Purchased a PPEB

I just purchased an 8M PPEB with case and the activity led installed. Has a preloaded microsd card included.

A "8MB PPEB" for the TI-99/4A refers to a modern, compact, all-in-one expansion device built around a Raspberry Pi Pico W, designed to emulate the massive, original 1980s Peripheral Expansion Box (PEB). "PPEB" stands for [Pi Pico[W] Peripheral Expansion Box].



It is designed to fit in a small case. Mine in a 3D-printed enclosure or sometimes a repurposed original speech synthesizer case and plugs directly into the TI-99/4A's side expansion port, rather than needing a large external unit.

Key Features and Capabilities:
- 8MB RAM Expansion: This specifically provides massive memory expansion, often utilizing SAMS (software-activated memory system) memory management to support 1MB or 8MB configurations, far exceeding the original 32K limit.  There are configurations that support 16MB.

- Virtual Disk Storage: The device emulates floppy drives and hard drives using a MicroSD card or the Pico's internal storage, allowing you to run games and software without physical disk drives.
Sidecar Form Factor: It replaces the massive, 30 lb original PEB box and its many expansion cards with one small module that sits on the side of the computer.

- Modern Connectivity: It often provides USB or Wi-Fi capabilities for file transfers.

New hardware project - my computer desk

I have 5 to 7 computers on my desk at any given time. With literal, physical desktop space being sparse, I have decided to do something that I think most would find odd. I'm going to take my Atari and my C64 and put them in a tower.


I will need a mechanism that will allow the two boards to share a single keyboard and a way to possibly power each independently.


I'll leave my primary Tandy CoCo2 and TI-99/4A alone of course.

I also need a tape cassette cable for the Tandy Coco so I can backup and restore code to my file server.