Edward roberts and william yates he era of the computer in every homea favorite topic among sciencefiction writershas arrived. It captured my imagination and i knew that someday i would build and own my own computer. Popular electronics was created in 1954 by ziffdavis publishing for an audience of electronics hobbyists and experimenters. Til how to program an altair 8800, and subsequently why bill gates altair basic was such a game changer. From the collection, a scannedin computerrelated document. To follow are selections relevant to mits altair 8800. The pdf is in the cisc367 directory in the members area. Its assembly isnt much more with most minis on the market today. All manuals were scanned at either 300dpi or 600dpi. The altair was also popular with the homebrew computing club, where steve wozniak and steve jobs began their partnership selling their own computer kit, the apple i. I never did get an altair 8800 the computer revolution was started and it. Popular electronics continued with a full range of construction projects using the newest technologies such as microprocessors and other programmable devices. It was microsofts first product as microsoft, distributed by mits under a contract. And difficult than assembling a desktop sells for a fraction of their cost.
I was looking at some of the old magazines from the 1924 days. It appeared on the cover of the january 1975 popular electronics magazine with an article probably by leslie solomon. Its assembly isnt much more difficult than assembling a desktop calculator. If you would like to build this but dont like the idea of starting completely from scratch, please check out chris davis altair duino kit which comes with all components, a pcb, a case and a preprogrammed arduino due here are some pictures from others. The january 1975 issue of popular electronics magazine had a breakthrough project on the cover. The order of the manuals below is the order in the altair 8800 reproduction kit binder.
The altair was the first popular microcomputer kit. The new editor of popular electronics, art salsberg, was worried. This was the beginning of a revolution in computer use. The january 1975 issue of popular electronics had the altair computer on the cover and this launched the home computer revolution. The altair 8800, from micro instrumentation telemetry systems mits of albuquerque, nm, was first featured in the january 1975 edition of popular electronics. The altair 8800 worlds first microcomputer kit to rival commercial models. The idea that would spawn microsoft germinated when paul allen showed bill gates the january 1, 1975 issue of popular electronics that demonstrated the altair 8800. Popular electronics magazine archive online hackaday. The altair is widely recognized as the spark that ignited the microcomputer revolution as the first. Find great deals on ebay for altair 8800 when you shop the largest online selection at. Read the entire collection of popular electronics magazine 19541982 for free.
Popular electronics, january 1975, volume 7, number 1. For those users who are not familiar with computers, mits offers free consultation service. Mits altair computer with cromemco cylops camera 1. It doesnt offer much, but its the small start of a big trend toward small things. As an electronics hobbyist, i enjoy the roots of my interest as formed by endless hours of studying popular electronics and radio electronics magazines from the 70s and 80s. After the altair 8800 appeared on the cover of popular electronics magazine in january 1975, mits was flooded with orders. One thing that struck me about microcomputers back then was how big they were. The design is based on a article in popular electronics feb 1978. Mits altair article about mits altair by the free dictionary. Before computers where very expensive and only available at companies and institutions. The popular hobbyist magazine, which was founded over 60 years ago in october of 1954.
The circulation was 240,000 by 1957 and exceeded 400,000 by 1963. The mits altair 8800 was a microcomputer design from 1975 based on the intel 8080 cpu and sold by mail order through advertisements in popular electronics, radio electronics and other hobbyist magazines. He takes it to his friend bill gates and says this. Mits altair 8800 computer steves computer collection. Popular electronics is an american magazine published by john august media, llc, and. The january 1975 issue of popular electronics had the altair computer on the cover and this launched the home computer. In fact the first working sample was sent to popular electronics offices in new york to be photographed but never arrived and has never been seen since. I was a child of 9 years old when the altair 8800 was announced on the pages of popular electronics magazine in january of 1975. In the editorial of this issue the altair is announced as a home computer.
Altair basic is a discontinued interpreter for the basic programming language that ran on the mits altair 8800 and subsequent s100 bus computers. Up until this point, mits was known for selling calculators and model rocket components telemetry. Popular electronics altair 8800 february 1975 part 2 computer kit edward roberts. Among certain collectors the mits altair 8800 is considered to be one of the most prized computers you can own. The altair 8800 development spurred by popular electronics ed roberts reports on the altair 8800 kit based on intel 8080 generates 4000 orders within three months altair 8800 features io similar to eniacs open architecture provides adaptability portable. A published memory test program for altair 8800 k pdf publications relating to the altair january 1975 popular electronics introduces the altair cover 400k pdf table of contents 2m pdf artical page 1 2. A small new mexico company with the big name of micro.
Given the interest in smaller computers, coupled with the introduction of microprocessors, the creation of a. The january 1975 issue of popular electronics magazine is probably the most important publication in the history of the microcomputer. During this time, allen showed gates an edition of popular electronics magazine featuring an article on the altair 8800 minicomputer kit. When paul allen showed it to bill gates, they decided to create a basic interpreter for it. The altair 8800 was the first commercially successful microcomputer. Somewhere midway through, for example, is the issue published in january 1975. The most powerful minicomputer project ever presented can be built for under. Both boys were fascinated with the possibilities this computer could make toward personal computing. Read the entire collection of popular electronics magazine 1954. In the summer of 1974, gates joined allen at honeywell. Popular electronics, all issues online, for free ocsmag. It was designed by ed roberts at mits micro instrumentation and telemetry systemsa small albuquerque, new mexicobased company that started out producing.
The system pictured is a nonfunctional model, because at the time of publication nov 1974 no actual altair 8800 was available to photograph. The november 1970 issue of popular electronics featured the opticom, a kit from mits. The cover shows the altair 8800, the seminal personal computer to rival. The designers intended to sell only a few hundred to hobbyists, and were surprised when they. If youre interested in electronics you need this catalog. Altair 8800 computer an intel 8080based machine made by mits. Leslie solomon was an editor at popular electronics who had a knack for spotting kits that would interest people and. Both kits and fully assembled machines were available the serial number of a kit ends with a k. In some ways, it started when radioelectronics, a major competitor to popular electronics, published a 1973 cover story on don lancasters tv. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Forrest mims wrote the assembly manual for this kit and many others over the next several years. The article would give us free advertising for the kit version of the project, and the. Popular electronics 19541982 available as pdf downloads. The mits altair 8800 is the you have a computer thats competitive ultimate kit.
It soon became the worlds largestselling electronics magazine. The altair 8800, was first featured in the january and february 1975 editions of popular electronics magazine, although this early design bore little resemblance to the finalized version released just a few months later. It is over 20 years since the debut of the altair 8800 computer in the pages of popular electronics magazine, but everyone connected with it tells a completely different story. Amongst them, the full run of the legendary popular electronics. Media in category popular electronics the following 21 files are in this category, out of 21 total. The most important computer magazine in the history of computer. In this video we take a look at a programmer for the altair 8800 and other similar systems for the 1702a eprom. Altair 8800 microcomputer description not long after intel introduced its 8080 chip, a small firm in albuquerque, new mexico, named mits micro instrumentation and telemetry systems announced a computer kit called the altair, which met the social as well as technical requirements for a. Interest grew quickly after it was featured on the cover of the january 1975 issues and was sold by mail order through advertisements there in radio electronics, and in other hobbyist magazines. The altair 8800 is a microcomputer designed in 1974 by mits and based on the intel 8080 cpu. This image appears on the cover of the january 1975 popular electronics magazine. The story of the first true personal computer has many versions. Popular electronics described its article as a project, and implied that you. The altair 8800 has been designed to or you can start with an altair 8800 fulfill a wide variety of computer.
The altair 8800 is a microcomputer designed in 1974 by mits and based on the intel 8080. Altair basic was the start of the microsoft basic product range. Or you can start with an altair 8800 complete data processing system. The mits altair 8800 this image appears on the cover of the january 1975 popular electronics magazine. Vintage microcomputer collectibles of every kind, including kim1 synertek sym1 cosmac elf heathkit et3400 aim 65 intel sdk86 sdk85 imsai 8080 altair 8800 commodore c64128 motorola mek6800d1 mek6800d2 steve jobs next nextstep apple lisa apple ii iie iigs eniac babbage intel 4004 8008 dec pdp8 books. Til how to program an altair 8800, and subsequently why. The altair 8800 computer the start of the personal computer. Popular electronics needed a computer project so they selected ed roberts altair 8800 computer based on the improved intel 8080 processor. Altair 8800 article about altair 8800 by the free dictionary. I stan veit was the first and last computer editor of popular electronics magazine, and i.