TI 99/4A
Beige Model

June of 1983 saw the release of the all plastic, "Beige" version of the TI-99/4A. This helped TI lower production costs and they hoped the beige color would fit into the home more comfortably. Some other minor changes were also made. A new power supply, along with the power switch, being moved from the front to the top.

For the most part this computer was the same as the black and silver model, and could use all the same add-ons.

When the beige models were designed TI decided to move the switch from the front of the console to the top. Also they removed the LED and replaced it with a little colored bar. The one on this switch is blue, and I have seen ones with a red bar.

The cartridge port on the TI 99 console was located on the top, and in easy reach. The early cartridges were produced in black plastic while later cartridges were produced in the beige color. One nice thing about the TI, as opposed to most computers of the time, was that you could insert and remove cartridges without turning off the power to the console. One exception to this was the Mini Memory cartridge which contained and internal battery.

Another nice feature was the strips that could be placed in a slot above the function keys. This was very handy in having a quick reference to each programs special key functions. Several programs came with their unique strips. The consoles also came with a few blank strips which could be customized for different software which might not come supplied with one.