Tektronix 4051 / 4052 / 4054 Computers

I got my first personal computer experience using a Tektronix 4051 vector graphics computer at my first job in the USAF in the late 1970s.  I learned to write program in Tektronix 4050 BASIC and developed several programs for the USAF to automate high-speed training film data capture displaying the film on a large digitizing tablet and plotting the results to match a mainframe computer using used by our contractor to plot results on a Calcomp plotter.

I also ported many game programs from magazines like Byte to the Tektronix 4051.  I discovered through a tip from the Tektronix sales engineer how to call an assembly language program from Tektronix BASIC - and wrote a couple of assembly language programs to play music and draw text and graphics.

After I retired (the first time - I'm back at work now) I purchased a Tektronix 4052 and a 4054 - see photo below.  The 4052 came with a custom cabinet plus the hard copy unit.  I purchased the 4054 for $17 AS-IS not working, on EBAY, and made a road-trip to pick it up with my classic Mini Cooper.
 
                  

I repaired the 4054 and the photo below shows both computers running my port of the Byte magazine 3D Plot program.

I have recently repaired my 4054 and upgraded it to a 4054A - the last of the series of Tektronix desktop 4050 computers.

I have been recovering the files from dozens of old tapes and posting the programs on my github repository:

https://github.com/mmcgraw74/Tektronix-4051-4052-4054-Program-Files

I have also been active on a vintage computer forum where I have started several different threads about Tektronix computers:

http://www.vcfed.org/forum

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