When was the Altair 8800 discontinued?
Table of Contents
- 1 When was the Altair 8800 discontinued?
- 2 What was the Altair 8800 missing?
- 3 Who made Altair 8800?
- 4 Why is Altair 8800 important?
- 5 Was the Altair 8800 Affordable?
- 6 Did the Altair have a keyboard?
- 7 Is there an operating manual for the Altair 8800?
- 8 What is the role of Altair in the development of Computer Science?
When was the Altair 8800 discontinued?
MITS claimed to have delivered 2,500 Altair 8800s by the end of May. The number was over 5,000 by August 1975. MITS had under 20 employees in January but had grown to 90 by October 1975. The Altair 8800 computer was a break-even sale for MITS….The launch.
| Description | Kit Price | Assembled |
|---|---|---|
| Teletype Model 33 ASR | N.A. | $1500 |
What could you do with Altair 8800?
In fact, a fully loaded Altair 8800 was a usable and functional computer well into the mid-80’s. You could run thousands of CP/M software titles (CP/M was the de facto standard operating system before MS-DOS.) You could play hundreds of games, including Colossal Cave Adventure, Star Trek, and Zork (I, II, and III!)
What was the Altair 8800 missing?
The Altair on the cover of the January 1975 issue of Popular Electronics was a dummy; there was nothing behind the front panel with its lights and switches. If you opened the January issue of Popular Electronics to read about the Altair, you would see a photograph of the lost prototype computer.
Where was the Altair 8800 made?
New Mexico
The MITS Altair 8800 is credited with having popularized microcomputers. This microcomputer was the first practical “build it yourself” computer kit available to hobbyists. This microcomputer kit was created by MITS, which stands for Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems, which was founded in New Mexico in 1969.
Who made Altair 8800?
Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems
Altair 8800/Manufacturers
Why the Altair 8800 was so important?
Given the interest in smaller computers, coupled with the introduction of microprocessors, the creation of a successful personal computer was probably inevitable. Altair 8800″ not only grabbed people’s attention, but it also proved to be a vital spark in making the personal computer real for a large number of people.
Why is Altair 8800 important?
The Altair 8800, based on the Intel 8080 processor, was aimed at hobbyists but it became the first commercially successful personal computer because it hit the sweet spot of performance and price. It was sold at $439 per kit in a time where other commercial personal computers were in the thousands range.
Is Altair 8800 a minicomputer?
The January 1975 issue of Popular Electronics, with its cover proclaiming “Project Breakthrough! World’s First Minicomputer Kit to Rival Commercial models… Altair 8800” not only grabbed people’s attention, but it also proved to be a vital spark in making the personal computer real for a large number of people.
Was the Altair 8800 Affordable?
MITS Altair 8800 computer. The Altair 8800 from Micro Instrumentation Telemetry Systems (MITS) of Albuquerque, NM, is considered by many to be the first “personal computer” – a computer that is easily affordable and obtainable.
How much is an Altair 8800 worth?
1: Altair 8800 This antique machine can be worth up to $5,000!
Did the Altair have a keyboard?
Hand crafted keyboard for the Altair 8800 microcomputer. It was the first microcomputer to sell in large numbers. In January 1975, a photograph of the Altair appeared on the cover of the magazine Popular Electronics.
Was the Altair 8800 the first personal computer?
The MITS Altair 8800 was the first commercially successful personal computer. Created by Ed Roberts in 1974, it was purchased by the thousands via mail order, proving there was a huge demand for computers outside universities and large corporations.
Is there an operating manual for the Altair 8800?
This operating manual has been prepared to acquaint both the novice and the experienced computer user in the operation of the ALTAIR 8800. The computer has 78 machine language instructions and is capable of performing several important operations not normally available with conventional mini computers.
How much did the Altair BASIC cost?
Altair BASIC was very expensiveat $500, but only $75 when purchased with an Altair computer, an interface board, and 8K of memory. Soon after, Gates and Allen formed their own company – Micro-Soft, and sold Altair BASIC as their first product. Why was the computer named “Altair”?
What is the role of Altair in the development of Computer Science?
The key role of the Altair was that it attracted Paul Allen and Bill Gates to develop Altair BASIC. They even moved to MITS in Albuquerque to expand their role–and co-found Microsoft. Greetings digital world!!
What is the 8800 prom used for?
The MITS Altair 8800 PROM board is actually a Solid State Music card. The 2k/4k EPROM board used in both of my Altair systems came from the Solid State Music company. 1702a EPROMS were used to store the boot loader for the disks and potentially paper tape or cassette tape.