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=Dream Machine? The soon to be unveiled 99/64 ( aka Phoenix) may be the best home computer yet= Speculation about a successor to the Tl99/4A home computer has been settled by a California-based hardware manufacturer called Cor-Comp Inc. The company is producing a computer called the 99/64, dubbed the Phoenix. that it expects to have on the market by March. According to a company spokesman, the new machine will be compatible with all Tl99/4A software and hardware. The cost of the machines is expected to be in the $500-$600 range. Features of the new machineinclude 64 kilobytes of built-in randomaccess memory (RAM) and abuilt-in RS232 port and disk drivecontroller. The machine is supposedto come with a host of other features,including expandability to one megabyteof RAM in 64K increments andplug-in ports for such central processingunit chips as the Mostek 6502chip used in Apple and Atari computers,the Intel 8088 chip used in theIBM-PC and the Z80A used inOsborne and Timex computers.According to Dana Webb, incharge of public relations for CorComp.the machine will be unveiledat the winter Consumer ElectronicsShow.Webb characterizes the new computeras a "modular unit." Users willhave a choice of three keyboards:typewriter style, mylar and wordprocessingstyle with a built-innumeric keypad and programmablefunction keys. Each will be priceddifferently.The keyboard will be separatefrom the Cor-Comp peripheralexpansion box that is the brains of thenew system. Webb describes thePEB as a "slimline version of theTexas Instruments (peripheralexpansion) box." It will include amotherboard with two cartridgeslots and a processor slot.The system will come with whatC o r - C o m p c a l l s "I m p r o v e dExtended BASIC'' in ROM (readonly memory). It will also have whatWebb calls "a true Extended BASICcompiler" and an operating systemthat allows the user the option ofchoosing screen display formats.Webb says the user will be able tochose from 32-, 40-, 80- or 132-columndisplays. The user will also be able tochoose screen color, he says. Thescreen will include 25 rows, with thebottom row dedicated to commandlines.The system will feature numerousbuilt-in utilities. Webb said, includinga word processor, spellingchecker, spread sheet, mail-mergeto the word processor. menu planner,text filer and dc1tabase manager. Itwill also have a built-in text-tospeechcapability, real-time clock,two game controller ports-one Ataric o m p c1 t i b l e. t h e o t h e r A p p l ecompatible-hard d i s k cc1pc1bilityand networking cc1pability for multiusersystems.The disk drive controller card willaccept up to four double-sided, quaddensitydrives, Webb said.Planned for the system are plug-incards for CP/M, Logo and Pascal.Other standard features, Webbsays, are a built-in light pen, graphicscode generator and music codegenerator.Cor-Comp is setting up its own distributionnetwork, Webb says,eschewing the major chains that TIused. "We don't expect to use anymass merchandising yet, or probablyin the future," he says.Another Cor-Comp official indicatedthat the company has alreadyturned down bids by such companiesas Sears to distribute the machine.A number of mail-order housesthat currently stock Cor-Comp'sother hardware products, including a32K memory expansion card andRS232 card for the Tl99/4A, expect tosell the new computer when it hits themarket. Among these are Ul)isourceElectronics of Lubbock, Texas, andTenex Computer Marketing Systemsof South Bend, Indiana. Neither hadreceived any information from CorCompabout the Phoenix by lateDecember.The International 99 Users Groupof Bethany, Oklahoma, is said tohave one of the machines and is supposedto be in the process of testing it.However, Charles LaFara, presidentof the IUG, declined to commentwhen asked about the Phoenix.