From: Richard <legalize at xmission.com> Subject: Re: big bucks for a Tek computer on eBay To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk at classiccmp.org> Date: Sunday, June 15, 2008, 8:16 AM In article <637329.13632.qm at web65501.mail.ac4.yahoo.com>, Chris M <chrism3667 at yahoo.com> writes: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=22024324350… me=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=012 They're rare for the usual reasons: not many of them sold in the first place and when RAM prices came down, raster graphics systems pushed them out of the marketplace and killed off all the storage scope stuff. Frankly, I'm surprised that as much storage scope based Tektronix gear still exists, given that the transition to raster was 20+ years ago. You can still find these systems, but usually only from other collectors. Tektronix graphics gear is cool enough that people usually salvage it from the scrap path. I got a 4051 recently, but it needs some repairs. I got it from another collector via a 3rd collector :-). Except for the Tektronix raster terminals I got from dovebid, getting things from other "savers" is the only way I've been able to get Tektronix storage scope stuff. That's a good price for that unit, assuming it still works. The BASIC interpreter is in ROM, so you don't need the tape to enter programs and make them work. The tape is the local storage for it. I haven't done much with mine yet, but I hope to restore it to full function at some point. I do have the service manual for the 4051 and its also on bitsavers. See <http://bitsavers.org/pdf/tektronix/405x/> -- "The Direct3D Graphics Pipeline" -- DirectX 9 draft available for download <http://www.xmission.com/~legalize/book/download/index.html> Legalize Adulthood! <http://blogs.xmission.com/legalize/>