The Tibetan Computer Company was started in the mid 1980's with the aim of developing high-class Tibetan software for the IBM PC platform. The company developed the first professional Tibetan word-processing package for the DOS environment, called Tibetan! (version 4). The company has now developed a group of products for the Windows environment. Although the company makes Tibetan software for the use of all, its specific aim is to provide the software, fonts, and expertise needed for the preservation and dissemination of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. To that end, the company provides its software and expertise to the various groups doing that work.

   The founder of Tibetan Computer Company, Mr. Tony Duff, is a translator who directs the  Padma Karpo Translation Committee and who established and directed one of the biggest projects for the preservation of the writings of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition in recent times,  The Drukpa Kagyu Heritage Project. When the Drukpa Heritage Project began it was the first major Tibetan Buddhist text preservation project to do its work in Tibetan language using native scripts. The Tibetan Computer Company effectively became a part of the Drukpa Kagyu Heritage Project and continued to develop its software in the context of a Tibetan text preservation project. As a result of the two projects working together, several fine Tibetan typefaces were developed. These typefaces are considered by Tibetans to be the best available.

   Another outcome was the wordprocessor called Tibetan! (version 4).  It was based in WordPerfect for DOS and, because of its many features, became regarded as the only software suitable for serious Tibetan publishing.  It is still used by most Tibetan monasteries in India where substantial pecha production is required, for example at Dilgo Khyentse's monastery.

   With the decline of DOS and the end of the Drukpa Kagyu Heritage Project in 2002, the company stopped developing the DOS-based program and turned its attention to developing a set of standalone programs for Windows that could do all of the things needed for serious Tibetan publishing.  Three stand-alone programs for Windows have been produced and are being actively developed.  One is an effective word-processor that can make real Tibetan pecha at the press of a button and which can access all of the Padma Karpo Translation Committee's dictionaries, texts, and reference works directly; it is called TibetDoc.  The other is a database program called TibetD.  The third is a version of TibetD called TibetD Reader used as the reader for all of the dictionaries, texts, and reference works published by Padma Karpo Translation Committee.  You can download samples of the dictionaries, texts, and reference works and see the reader for free at the translation committee's tools page.

   In 2005, a Macintosh version of TibetD Reader was made available.  Three of Padma Karpo Translation Committee's dictionaries are available for the Macintosh in that format.  We hope in the future to make their texts and other reference works available in the TibetD Reader for the Macintosh, too.

   The products of Tibetan Computer Company can be purchased through a number of distributors around the world.  However, the company focusses on electronic sales and delivery of its products.  If you would like to purchase any of our products, consider doing the purchase directly through our electronic shop.  We will have direct contact with you that way and will offer you the best level of service possible for our products.

   The Tibetan Computer Company operates as a non-profit company. All proceeds from sales of the Tibetan software go directly to the support of  the Drukpa Kagyu Heritage Project in Kathmandu, Nepal and other Tibetan text preservation projects in the Indian sub-continent.

Home | Word-processing software | Download | News | Top