The Associated Press

February 22, 1983, Tuesday, AM cycle

SECTION: Domestic News

LENGTH: 418 words

DATELINE: DALLAS



Texas Instruments Inc. said Tuesday that all owners of its popular 99-4A personal 
computer should contact the company about modifying a part that could give users a 
high-voltage electrical shock.  The company said it was discussing with the federal 
Consumer Products Safety Commission the distribution of a transformer adapter cord 
that would protect users from possible danger.

TI spokesman Norman Neureiter said company experiments last weekend showed there 
was a remote possibility the computer's transformer could fail and allow a surge of 
high voltage into the computer itself, perhaps shocking the operator or damaging the 
machine.  "There are several hundred thousand in use today, and the majority of 
them (transformer) should be considered defective," Neureiter said.  He said the 
company had not gotten any report of one of the computers developing the hazard in 
the field, although "a very small number" had been returned because of other 
malfunctions.  "But we've been able to duplicate that kind of condition in the 
laboratory, and we feel an obligation to correct it because it's an extremely 
popular computer," he said. He added that TI itself alerted the safety agency about 
the potential danger.  "It is extremely remote that such a condition could occur, 
but if the computer starts heating up, you should just pull the plug out," 
Neureiter said.  The 99-4A has been on the market for a year, he said, but most 
sales have been since October.

Owners of TI 99-4A computers will be located from rebate and warranty cards, the 
company said. People who did not send in cards can get an adapter by calling a 
toll-free telephone number _ 1-800-858-4565, 1-800-527-3550, 1-800-858-4069, or 
1-800-858-1802.  Neureiter said the AC9500 transformer, a small black box between 
the wall outlet and the computer, is purchased by TI from an outside supplier and 
sold with the computer. He said he did not know which company made it.

TI plans to conduct a "green label safety check" on all unsold models, and equip 
them with an adapter cord or a new transformer. A green label will be put on the 
computers' boxes to show that they have been modified.  In a statement released 
Tuesday, TI said it could not predict the effect of the transformer problem on 1983 
earnings, but said it expected first quarter earnings this year to be 
"substantially below" those of fourth quarter 1982.

Neureiter said company policy did not permit him to elaborate on the financial 
impact of the transformer problem.