Looking through TI99/4a user group disk collections, we have found a disk in the Lima User Group collection - disk 0015 - which contains mostly two collections of music by Bill Knecht, plus one game (Crossfire) and some very strange files with names commencing ITIP.
Listing these produced an OWNER name of Info Tools Inc, and a news article was found in a 1981 issue of Computerworld (9th Nov 1981) identifying this firm as having been founded in 1981, and producing financial software for the TI 900 series using the DX10 operation system.
Many TI99/4 programs were developed on the 900 series computer and there is strong crossover. The news article indicated the financial software- at 1981 prices- for the TI900 cost US$3000 plus $600 per user and $500 per year support. The 900 software had a very generic name "Biz-Pak" which has been used by several software publishers.
The 900 software was made up of: financial modelling, statistical analysis, investment evaluation and several general business programs
The 99/4 files we found covered: Asset Cost Recovery; a Calculator (adding machine); Cost Volume Report Analysis, an Equation Calculator; Financial Schedules; Investment Analysis; Loan Analysis; Pricing and Profits.
For a Basic program the ITI equation calculator is quite clever- years ago I had a look at inputting an equation from a single prompt and gave up (!) but this one works. See attached screen grab.
As ITI are still trading we reached out to them for comment (!!) on these files which are possibly 40+ years old, and otherwise unknown and unrecorded.
The programmer was Don Raymond, who started with IBM in 1968, then launched his own companies using HP computers including a computer time- sharing service (eg he provided the host computer).
He moved to TI900/10 or 12 using DX10, and transferred financial programs from HP to TI900/10 or 12.
Later he bought his daughters a TI99/4a and transferred some of the simpler 900 financial programs to the 4A to learn how to program on it. They were not intended for release. No idea how the programs got to Lima- Don gave his TI material to the Salvation Army - and presumably someone bought it!
Here is a v9t9 dsk file for you to see (and use!) Don's financial suite for the TI99/4a. Thanks Don.
(TI Basic but the ITIPMEN has been amended to Extended Basic for speed, remove the XB lines at the start for pure TI Basic).
Lesson: All those dsk files out there could have some interesting surprises for those who look, especially older disks.
