Altair 8800 - Wikipedia
To connect it to a terminal, a serial interface card had to be installed. Alternatively, the Altair could be programmed using its front-panel switches. According to the personal computer pioneer Harry …
MITS Altair 8800 computer
The Altair 8800 from Micro Instrumentation Telemetry Systems (MITS) of Albuquerque, NM, is considered by many to be the first "personal computer" - a computer that is easily affordable and …
What Is an Altair? - Computer Hope
Sep 7, 2025 · The Altair or Altair 8800 computer from MITS (Micro Instrumentation & Telemetry Systems, Inc.) was developed by Henry Edward Roberts and introduced on December 19, 1974. It …
Altair 8800 Microcomputer - National Museum of American History
H. Edward Roberts, the Florida-born former U.S. Air Force officer who headed MITS, decided to design a small, affordable computer around the Intel 8080. His daughter named the new machine after the …
Altair at 50: Remembering the first Personal Computer
Apr 30, 2025 · Although the Apple I appeared in 1976, and then in 1977 the Apple II, Commodore PET and TRS-80 all appeared, there was one personal computer that preceded them all: The MITS Altair …
Complete History of the MITS Altair 8800 - History-Computer
May 23, 2025 · The MITS Altair 8800 was the first "popular" microcomputer, and gained the interest of hobbyists back in the early days of computers.
Computer Museum of America -- Altair 8800
N amed after the destination for the Star Ship Enterprise in an episode of the original "Star Trek" TV series in the 1970s, the Altair desktop personal computer enjoyed a brief, yet passionate fling with …
Altair and 50 Years of Personal Computing – Retro Tech Restoration
Aug 21, 2025 · Electronics and computer hobbyists jumped on the chance to have an easily customizable computer of their own and the first Altair sold over 20,000 units. As is true even today, …
Beyond the Desktop: Unpacking the True First ‘Home Computer’, the ...
Jun 22, 2025 · For many, the Altair 8800 represents the true starting gun for the personal computer revolution. It wasn’t the first machine to use a microprocessor, but it was arguably the first affordable, …
Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems - Wikipedia
Altair computers were only available from the 20 or so authorized Altair computer dealers, but the IMSAI 8080, Processor Technology Sol and many other clones were sold by hundreds of newly opening …