Monday 29 January 2024

1975, Science and Technology: Altair 8800

MITS (Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems) produced one of the first PCs, the Altair 8800, with one kilobyte (KB) of memory. The computer could be ordered as a mail-order kit for 397€ or assembled for 562€.

Altair 8800
Altair 8800 connected to a terminal for programming and display output

The Altair 8800 was developed by Ed Roberts, based on the Intel 8080 CPU. It was the first commercially successful personal computer. The Altair could be programmed using its front-panel switches, or alternatively if it had a serial interface card installed, it could be connected to a terminal for programming and display output.

Ed Roberts

Bill Gates, Paul Allen, and Monte Davidoff announced Altair BASIC, designed for the Altair computer, on January 2, 1975. The language became the first computer programming language for personal computers.

Altair 8800 advert
Altair 8800 advert

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