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The Altair 8800 computer was a break-even sale for MITS. They needed to sell additional memory boards, I/O boards and other options to make a profit. The system came with a "1024 word" (1024 byte) memory board populated with 256 bytes.
Was the earliest commercial kit computer based on the Intel 8008 microprocessor. Sold for embedded control applications. [11] Mark-8: Intel 8008: 1974: Plans published; an etched board was available but constructors had to source all parts [12] MITS Altair 8800: Intel 8080: 1975: Etched boards and parts: Introduced S-100 bus: IMSAI 8080: Intel ...
The MITS Altair 8800 effectively created a new industry of microcomputers and computer kits, with many others following, such as a wave of small business computers in the late 1970s based on the Intel 8080, Zilog Z80 and Intel 8085 microprocessor chips.
The MITS Altair 8800, the first commercially successful hobby computer, is released. An article in Popular Electronics (January 1975), described the computer and invited people to order kits. Despite the limited processing power, input/output system ( blinkenlights and toggle switches) and memory (256 bytes), around 200 were ordered on the ...
Mary Allen Wilkes working on the LINC at home in 1965; thought to be the first home computer user The 1974 MITS Altair 8800 home computer (atop extra 8-inch floppy disk drive): one of the earliest computers affordable and marketed to private / home use from 1975, but many buyers got a kit, to be hand-soldered and assembled.
The history of the personal computer as a mass-market consumer electronic device began with the microcomputer revolution of the 1970s. A personal computer is one intended for interactive individual use, as opposed to a mainframe computer where the end user's requests are filtered through operating staff, or a time-sharing system in which one large processor is shared by many individuals.
On display are key items from the early era of computers (and even before) from ageing comptometers through the Altair 8800 to the ZX Spectrum and Apple II. The museum also holds vintage games consoles, peripherals, software and an extensive collection of computer manuals, magazines and other literature. It is home to the Megaprocessor, an ...
As supplied, the Altair 8800 could only be programmed via front-panel switches and lights. A cost-effective terminal was lacking. January 1975 was also the month that the Altair 8800 appeared on the front page of Popular Electronics, sparking off intense interest among the engineers of the rapidly growing Silicon Valley.