The predecessor to this, the Atari 800, is the computer I wanted when I was 12. A TI-99/4A is the computer I got. It was still a wonderful gift that set me up for the rest of my life.
But I am so glad I got the Atari. I learned BASIC, assembly, and Pascal on it. I would type in games from the back of the magazine. And here I am decades later!
A bit later on, I did end up with an Apple and have both today in working condition.
I am glad I got the Atari first. There was a lot in the box, so to speak, and I learned a ton. Later, when doing more advanced projects, I found the Apple and it's expansion cards could make a very capable workstation.
On paper they were pretty similar, but there was definitely a different "feel" between the 99/4 and Atari 8-bits. Atari went to great lengths to remind people their 8-bit line were more than just game consoles, but at the same time I think they had the most flexible graphics systems and the best games.
Every once in a while I find myself on eBay thinking about buying the system of my childhood dreams. That would be a TI-99/4A, the speech synthesizer, the peripheral expansion system (with floppy drive), the memory expansion cart, and a dot matrix printer. I don’t pull the trigger though because I know it would give me a weekend of fun and then it would sit gathering dust.