More enjoyable Joysticks
The TI-99/4A was infamous for getting shipped with what was probably the worst joysticks ever produced. Moreover, the IT's joystick port unfortunately was incompatible with high-quality joystick manufacturer's pin-outs, which usually adhered to the Atari standard.
However, as smart electronics hobbyists figured out, it was pretty simple to build an Atari-to-TI joystick adapter. All that was needed were three 9-pin D-sub connectors (one female and two male) and two hands full of diodes.
I built mine according to the schematics published by Glenn Pearson. Looks actually quite nice after I managed to cram the whole circuitry into a small black plastic box!