http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2008/08/08/101-classic-computer.html#more

Man, how far we have come!

Fun Stuff! ... brings back great memories. My first computer was a home-brew 4051: 6800 cpu running at 1 MHz, 32K of memory, 32K operating system (including Tek Basic), joystick, 300 baud phone cradle modem, and 300K 3M tape for data and program storage.

Man, we have come a long way in 30 years!

http://www.atariarchives.org/bcc2/showpage.php?page=282

Jr--

Was that 4051 one of the "mean green flashin' machines" by chance? ;o)

I am not quite sure what you mean by "mean green flashin' machines" ... The 11 inch display CRT used p-1 phosphor, which emits in the green region of the visible spectrum. The display was a "direct view bistable storage tube"... which allowed information to be written, and held in the phosphor surface of the CRT until erased. As no "refresh" was required to hold the image, NO video memory was required! Erasure of the written image DID produce a fairly bright flash... is this what you mean?

Yes.

Wow! A Wikipedia page for the good old 4014! Later, a giant version of the 4051, using the 19" tube seen in the 4014 was developed. It was the 4054. In time, the "erase flash" was greatly reduced by using several short positive pulses, rather than one long one.

Ya know, from seeing the pictures on the Wikipedia pages, I remember seeing one of those types of machines at Hearthwood Elementary around 1993 or so. I don't think anyone was using it by that time tho, as it had been sitting in a closet collecting dust.

Maybe this September I should drop by and see how much they want for it.....I do know it was a Tektronix. Don't know which model it was.

Here is what I first accessed the Internet and learned to program BASIC on also at Hwood around that time. 128 kilobytes RAM, two 5" floppy drives, a staggering 1MHZ CPU array, a TV set for the monitor, 9600 baud acoustic modem (and Usenet access........)

Yeah, those were the days.......

One of the technicians here at work has a power transformer from one of those Tektronix storage terminals (possibly a 4051). That thing is a behemoth! He said that the storage CRT uses a lot of power when the flood guns are on.

The 4051 power transformer (120-0998-00) measures only about 4"x3.5"x3.5". The 11" CRT used in the 4051 had, IIRC 8 flood guns, each consuming about 2 watts of heater power. the larger computer storage CRTs, 19' & 25" had more floodguns 16-20? , and required larger power transformers.