What could Altair 8800 do?
What could Altair 8800 do?
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.
Was the Altair 8800 Affordable?
The Altair 8800 was an affordable, customizable way for hobbyists to get more experience with microcomputers.
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.
What is the RAM of the MITS Altair?
| Introduced: | January 1975 |
|---|---|
| RAM: | 256 bytes, 64K max |
| Display: | front panel LEDs |
| Controls: | front panel switches |
| Expansion: | Altair-bus card-cage |
Was the Altair 8800 successful?
The Altair is widely recognized as the spark that ignited the microcomputer revolution as the first commercially successful personal computer. …
Who invented Altair?
Ed Roberts
Ed Roberts, the maker of the world’s first personal computer, died yesterday at the age of 68. Roberts created the Altair 8800, the first computer normal people could a) afford and b) use in their homes, without it taking up an entire room.
How many Altair 8800 sold?
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Audio Cassette Interface Board | $128 | $174 |
| Teletype Model 33 ASR | N.A. | $1500 |
Is the Altair 8800 a good computer?
If you combine the Altair 8800 with a standard ASCII video terminal and keyboard, and add a disk drive, it became a very powerful and useful computer system (especially for 1975!) In fact, a fully loaded Altair 8800 was a usable and functional computer well into the mid-80’s.
How much did the IMSAI Altair 8800 cost?
In the October 1975 Popular Electronics, a small advertisement announced the IMSAI 8080 computer. The ad noted that all boards were “plug compatible” with the Altair 8800. The computer cost $439 for a kit. The first 50 IMSAI computers shipped in December 1975.
How did MITS make money with the Altair 8800?
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.
How much would you pay for an Altair?
But working vintage Altairs are rare and therefore expensive, easily costing $1500-$2500 if available at all. There are some other options, such as altairclone.com but that still costs $600 which for me is too much to spend on a computer that – while very cool – will be of limited use.