Altair+Computer

Altair Computer By: Loren G.

In January 1975, a picture of the Altair 8800 was featured on the cover of Popular Electronics magazine. Altair 8800 is the world’s first microcomputer, which uses the new Intel 8080 processor. The company that made the Altair 8800 is MITS (Model Instrumentation Telemetry Systems) and the owner named Ed Roberts. Ed Roberts had previously written some articles for Popular Electronics magazine. Ed Roberts company built electronic equipment, but his company had hard times and owed the bank ¼ million dollars in debt. Roberts Company had sold electronic kits and calculators. Ed Roberts realized that the capability of the new Intel chip could be used in an actual computer. Since Roberts was facing a looming financial ruin he decides he would make a complete computer as an attempt to save his business. Roberts was able to offer the kit for $397, and Intel agreed to sell him cosmetically blemished chips for $75 each. If Roberts got “lucky” he estimated he would sell enough computer kits to keep his business going. Ed Roberts had no idea on what his computer kit would have such a big impact on the future of the world. In one day they sold 200 computers and, Ed Roberts was so amazed at how many people wanted to have their own computer. Roberts received a letter saying they had already created a version of Basic software.