What was the Altair 8800 used for?

What was the Altair 8800 used for?

The Altair 8800, based on the Intel 8080 processor, was aimed at hobbyists but it became the first commercially successful personal computer because it hit the sweet spot of performance and price. It was sold at $439 per kit in a time where other commercial personal computers were in the thousands range.

Was the Altair 8800 the first personal computer?

The MITS Altair 8800 was the first commercially successful personal computer. Created by Ed Roberts in 1974, it was purchased by the thousands via mail order, proving there was a huge demand for computers outside universities and large corporations.

How much is an Altair 8800 worth?

The going rate for the Altair 8800 is anywhere from $1,500 to $3,000. Though with so many produced, says Ismail, the value is slightly inflated. IMSAI 8080—Immortalized in the movie “War Games,” the 8080 was first released in 1975, and over the next 11 years IMSAI produced between 17,000 and 20,000 units.

What features did the Altair 8800 have?

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. The system came with a “1024 word” (1024 byte) memory board populated with 256 bytes….The launch.

What did Altair Basic do?

Altair BASIC is a BASIC language developed by Bill Gates, Paul Allen, and Monte Davidoff that was first introduced and announced as completed on January 2, 1975. Altair BASIC allowed people to create programs for the Altair computers.

What does the Altair do?

We are a global technology company that provides software and cloud solutions in the areas of product development, HPC, and data analytics.

Who invented the Altair 8800?

founder Ed Roberts
MITS co-founder Ed Roberts invented the Altair 8800 — which sold for $297, or $395 with a case — and coined the term “personal computer”.

Who developed the 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. Altair 8800 was also the platform Paul Allen and Bill Gates used […]

Do older computers have gold in them?

Motherboards and Circuit Boards Motherboards – the biggest circuit boards inside both laptops and desktops – often contain the “mother lode” of gold in used computers. Their edges have gold contacts and connectors where wires slide on. You will also find thin layers of gold applied to motherboards’ surfaces.

What did the Altair Basic do?

Who created the Altair 8000?

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 star Altair.

How many Altair 8800 sold?

However, when they asked after 30 days if customers wanted refunds, everyone decided to wait. No one knows for sure how many Altair 8800 computers were sold, but Ed Roberts has said he sold 40,000 units before selling MITS to Pertec and leaving the computer business in 1978.