I too bought a TI-994a back when they cut the price to $100. I also began to learn programming and think I actually would eventually have become proficient as it seemed pretty simple.
My Daughter wanted it so I let her have it then it tore up. TI replaced it with a reconditioned unit which also tore up.
Did not have another computer until around 1996 or so. I bought a current model which Wal-Mart had reduced to $90, from $795 because it did not work and the packaging was gone. I later saw it for $45 as-is and decided the monitor was worth more than that.
When I got it home, I could get it to turn on but not really work. I did find the name of the kid who had first purchased it. I phoned him and he had installed a newer and better processor but it would not work. I have a cousin who is a computer expert and he came by one day and fixed it with no problem.
I used it for years. It probably would still work OK but it has just sat in storage for years.
The good “Old Days”. My next one, was an Apple IIe, with floppies and a dot matrix printer. How, times have changed!
Capacitors are usually the problem after sitting for years. Never know, could be fine.