Altair 8800 - Revision history

Jnc: /* Further reading */ +Collectible Microcomputers

2025-04-29T15:22:42Z

‎Further reading: +Collectible Microcomputers

Jnc: /* External links */ +another one from Allen's collection

2025-04-28T11:28:35Z

‎External links: +another one from Allen's collection

Jnc: /* External links */ trim URL

2025-04-22T17:49:08Z

‎External links: trim URL

Jnc: /* External links */ +one from Paul Allen's collection at the LCM; add some links

2025-04-22T12:08:39Z

‎External links: +one from Paul Allen's collection at the LCM; add some links

Flx: mention Altair bus -> S-100 bus development

2024-02-05T03:27:07Z

mention Altair bus -> S-100 bus development

Jnc: /* External links */ fix link

2023-05-23T23:36:02Z

‎External links: fix link

Jnc: Short, but covers the basics

2023-05-23T23:33:46Z

Short, but covers the basics

New page

The '''Altair 8800''' from MITS (Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems) was the first mass-produced [[personal computer]] to be openly available. It was introduced in January, 1975, as a kit; later, pre-assembled units were made available.

It was a [[microcomputer]], built around an [[Intel 8080]] [[microprocessor]]. The early 8800's were unreliable, and had a weak [[power supply]]; the later 8800a was better, but it was only with the 8800b that it became really reliable. It originally came with no [[peripheral]]s, just a [[front panel]]; later, a variety of optional add-on units, including a [[floppy disk]] drive, were made available.

It is famous for being the machine that got [[Bill Gates]] and [[Paul Allen]] started; MITS did a deal with them to write a [[BASIC]] [[interpreter]] for it (Allen was actually hired as a MITS employee).

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==External links==

* [http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/mits/8800/ 8800] - documentation at [[Bitsavers]]
** [http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/mits/8800/Altair_Age_Of_Altair_Catalog-1975.pdf The Age of Altair] - catalog
** [http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/mits/8800/Altair_Computer_Report_1975.pdf
** [http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/mits/8800/Altair_PriceList_19750401.pdf MITS Altair Price List]

[[Category: 8-bit Personal Computers]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:22, 29 April 2025
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		+	==Further reading==
		+
		+	* Michael Nadeau, ''Collectible Microcomputers'' (Schiffer Book for Collectors), Schiffer, Atglen, 2002

	==External links==		==External links==

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 ** [http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/mits/8800/Altair_Computer_Report_1975.pdf MITS Altair Computer Report]
 ** [http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/mits/8800/Altair_PriceList_19750401.pdf MITS Altair Price List]
-* [https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-6495019?ldp_breadcrumb=back MITS Altair 8800 microcomputer] - one from [[Paul Allen]]'s collection at the [[Living Computer Museum|LCM]], includes several images
+* [https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-6495019 MITS Altair 8800 microcomputer] - one from [[Paul Allen]]'s collection at the [[Living Computer Museum|LCM]], includes several images
 [[Category: 8-bit Personal Computers]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:27, 5 February 2024
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	It is famous for being the machine that got [[Bill Gates]] and [[Paul Allen]] started; MITS did a deal with them to write a [[BASIC]] [[interpreter]] for it (Allen was actually hired as a MITS employee).		It is famous for being the machine that got [[Bill Gates]] and [[Paul Allen]] started; MITS did a deal with them to write a [[BASIC]] [[interpreter]] for it (Allen was actually hired as a MITS employee).
		+
		+	The Altair 8800 was implemented as a set of cards (ex: a CPU card, a memory card, optional serial or disk controller cards, etc) connected by a 100-pin backplane. Both MITS and third-party companies produced cards using this bus. This 100-pin Altair bus led to the standardization of the [[S-100]] bus, which is very similar, but not 100% compatible.

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 It was a [[microcomputer]], built around an [[Intel 8080]] [[microprocessor]]. The early 8800's were unreliable, and had a weak [[power supply]]; the later 8800a was better, but it was only with the 8800b that it became really reliable. It originally came with no [[peripheral]]s, just a [[front panel]]; later, a variety of optional add-on units, including a [[floppy disk]] drive, were made available.
-It is famous for being the machine that got [[Bill Gates]] and [[Paul Allen]] started; MITS did a deal with them to  write a [[BASIC]] [[interpreter]] for it (Allen was actually hired as a MITS employee).
+It is famous for being the machine that got [[Bill Gates]] and [[Paul Allen]] started; MITS did a deal with them to write a [[BASIC]] [[interpreter]] for it (Allen was actually hired as a MITS employee).
-The Altair 8800 was implemented as a set of cards (ex: a CPU card, a memory card, optional serial or disk controller cards, etc) connected by a 100-pin backplane. Both MITS and third-party companies produced cards using this bus. This 100-pin Altair bus led to the standardization of the [[S-100]] bus, which is very similar, but not 100% compatible.
+The Altair 8800 was implemented as a set of cards (a [[Central Processing Unit|CPU]] card, a [[main memory]] card, optional [[serial line]] or [[disk]] [[device controller|controller]] cards, etc) connected by a [[bus]] on a 100-pin [[backplane]]. Both MITS and third-party companies produced cards using this bus; this 100-pin Altair bus led to the standardization of the [[S-100]] bus, which is very similar, but not 100% compatible.
 {{semi-stub}}
@@ Line 15: / Line 15: @@
 ** [http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/mits/8800/Altair_Computer_Report_1975.pdf MITS Altair Computer Report]
 ** [http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/mits/8800/Altair_PriceList_19750401.pdf MITS Altair Price List]
 [[Category: 8-bit Personal Computers]]