I stan veit was the first and last computer editor of popular electronics magazine, and i. The cover shows the altair 8800, the seminal personal computer to rival commercial models, as the magazine blurbs. One thing that struck me about microcomputers back then was how big they were. Popular electronics needed a computer project so they selected ed roberts altair 8800 computer based on the improved intel 8080 processor. 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. It doesnt offer much, but its the small start of a big trend toward small things. If youre interested in electronics you need this catalog. During this time, allen showed gates an edition of popular electronics magazine featuring an article on the altair 8800 minicomputer kit. 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 altair was the first popular microcomputer kit. After the altair 8800 appeared on the cover of popular electronics magazine in january 1975, mits was flooded with orders. Popular electronics is an american magazine published by john august media, llc, and. The article would give us free advertising for the kit version of the project, and the.
Forrest mims wrote the assembly manual for this kit and many others over the next several years. The order of the manuals below is the order in the altair 8800 reproduction kit binder. 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. The altair 8800 is a microcomputer designed in 1974 by mits and based on the intel 8080. The popular hobbyist magazine, which was founded over 60 years ago in october of 1954. A small new mexico company with the big name of micro. The pdf is in the cisc367 directory in the members area. The cover shows the altair 8800, the seminal personal computer to rival. Til how to program an altair 8800, and subsequently why bill gates altair basic was such a game changer. Popular electronics, january 1975, volume 7, number 1. The altair 8800 worlds first microcomputer kit to rival commercial models. The altair 8800, from micro instrumentation telemetry systems mits of albuquerque, nm, was first featured in the january 1975 edition of popular electronics. The story of the first true personal computer has many versions.
The january 1975 issue of popular electronics magazine is probably the most important publication in the history of the microcomputer. 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. 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. Its assembly isnt much more difficult than assembling a desktop calculator. The november 1970 issue of popular electronics featured the opticom, a kit from mits. Mits altair 8800 computer steves computer collection. 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.
Popular electronics, all issues online, for free ocsmag. Media in category popular electronics the following 21 files are in this category, out of 21 total. The january 1975 issue of popular electronics had the altair computer on the cover and this launched the home computer revolution. 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. For those users who are not familiar with computers, mits offers free consultation service.
This image appears on the cover of the january 1975 popular electronics magazine. The most important computer magazine in the history of computer. 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. Altair basic was the start of the microsoft basic product range. The new editor of popular electronics, art salsberg, was worried. The most powerful minicomputer project ever presented can be built for under. 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. Or you can start with an altair 8800 complete data processing system.
I was looking at some of the old magazines from the 1924 days. Altair 8800 article about altair 8800 by the free dictionary. Among certain collectors the mits altair 8800 is considered to be one of the most prized computers you can own. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Both boys were fascinated with the possibilities this computer could make toward personal computing. The designers intended to sell only a few hundred to hobbyists, and were surprised when they. The altair 8800 has been designed to or you can start with an altair 8800 fulfill a wide variety of computer. Popular electronics altair 8800 february 1975 part 2 computer kit edward roberts. 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. It was microsofts first product as microsoft, distributed by mits under a contract. It captured my imagination and i knew that someday i would build and own my own computer. The altair 8800 is a microcomputer designed in 1974 by mits and based on the intel 8080 cpu. It was designed by ed roberts at mits micro instrumentation and telemetry systemsa small albuquerque, new mexicobased company that started out producing.
To follow are selections relevant to mits altair 8800. And difficult than assembling a desktop sells for a fraction of their cost. 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. 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 this video we take a look at a programmer for the altair 8800 and other similar systems for the 1702a eprom. When paul allen showed it to bill gates, they decided to create a basic interpreter for it.
The january 1975 issue of popular electronics had the altair computer on the cover and this launched the home computer. Mits altair computer with cromemco cylops camera 1. It appeared on the cover of the january 1975 popular electronics magazine with an article probably by leslie solomon. Popular electronics magazine archive online hackaday. Leslie solomon was an editor at popular electronics who had a knack for spotting kits that would interest people and. Amongst them, the full run of the legendary popular electronics. Before computers where very expensive and only available at companies and institutions. Popular electronics described its article as a project, and implied that you. All manuals were scanned at either 300dpi or 600dpi. The january 1975 issue of popular electronics magazine had a breakthrough project on the cover. The mits altair 8800 this image appears on the cover of the january 1975 popular electronics magazine. Read the entire collection of popular electronics magazine 19541982 for free. Edward roberts and william yates he era of the computer in every homea favorite topic among sciencefiction writershas arrived.
Somewhere midway through, for example, is the issue published in january 1975. This was the beginning of a revolution in computer use. Popular electronics was created in 1954 by ziffdavis publishing for an audience of electronics hobbyists and experimenters. The circulation was 240,000 by 1957 and exceeded 400,000 by 1963. Popular electronics continued with a full range of construction projects using the newest technologies such as microprocessors and other programmable devices.
The altair 8800 was the first commercially successful microcomputer. Up until this point, mits was known for selling calculators and model rocket components telemetry. It soon became the worlds largestselling electronics magazine. Altair basic is a discontinued interpreter for the basic programming language that ran on the mits altair 8800 and subsequent s100 bus computers. Its assembly isnt much more with most minis on the market today. The altair 8800 computer the start of the personal computer. The system pictured is a nonfunctional model, because at the time of publication nov 1974 no actual altair 8800 was available to photograph. Popular electronics 19541982 available as pdf downloads. The design is based on a article in popular electronics feb 1978. Mits altair article about mits altair by the free dictionary.
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. I never did get an altair 8800 the computer revolution was started and it. The mits altair 8800 is the you have a computer thats competitive ultimate kit. The altair is widely recognized as the spark that ignited the microcomputer revolution as the first. Til how to program an altair 8800, and subsequently why. Altair 8800 computer an intel 8080based machine made by mits. In the editorial of this issue the altair is announced as a home computer. He takes it to his friend bill gates and says this. 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. Find great deals on ebay for altair 8800 when you shop the largest online selection at. In some ways, it started when radioelectronics, a major competitor to popular electronics, published a 1973 cover story on don lancasters tv. Given the interest in smaller computers, coupled with the introduction of microprocessors, the creation of a. From the collection, a scannedin computerrelated document. Both kits and fully assembled machines were available the serial number of a kit ends with a k.
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