The pdf is in the cisc367 directory in the members area. Altair 8800 computer an intel 8080based machine made by mits. The cover shows the altair 8800, the seminal personal computer to rival. The altair 8800 has been designed to or you can start with an altair 8800 fulfill a wide variety of computer. The january 1975 issue of popular electronics magazine is probably the most important publication in the history of the microcomputer. 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. Additional pictures and documents related to the 1440 read more. The altair was made by a small company in albuquerque, new mexico, called micro instrumentation and telemetry systems mits. Altair 680 computer from 1975 popular electronics magazine. In the editorial of this issue the altair is announced as a home computer. View and download mits altair 8800 operators manual online. Altair 8800 front panel for an 8080 emulator hackaday.
I was looking at some of the old magazines from the 1924 days. January 1975 popular electronics the issue that introduced the mits altair 8800. 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. Popular electronics, all issues online, for free ocsmag. The altair 8800 was launched at just the right time. The altair 8800 development spurred by popular electronics. Altair32 emulator project this is the beginnings of my altairrelated documents archive. The january 1975 issue of popular electronics featured the altair 8800 on the cover, otherwise known as the blinky box that launched a revolution.
Pdf, using a hex inverter chip cd4049 and a small handful of passive components. Popular electronics and radio electronics magazines from the 70s and 80s. Popular electronics magazine january 1975 microcomputers. The mits altair 8800 this image appears on the cover of the january 1975 popular electronics magazine. Popular electronics magazine archive online hackaday. Yates and bybee assembled the outer shell of an altair, placed some flashing lights on the front, and shipped it to new york, where popular electronics photographed it for the front cover. I first learned about the altair 8800 when reading about it in the book the innovators by walter isaacson. Files with long filenames are displayed with trimmed names for layout purposes. Mits altair 8800 computer steves computer collection. In this hustle bustle world of smartphones and internet. 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, radioelectronics and other hobbyist magazines. Les solomon, publisher of popular electronics, receives altair number 0001. Volume includes ads for swtpc ct1024 terminal and mitscope. Product sheets for the altair line of computer, including the new altair 680, featured in the november 1975 issue of popular electronics.
The basic altair included no keyboard, video display, disk drives, or other elements we now think of as essential elements of a personal computer. Altair basic is a discontinued interpreter for the basic programming language that ran on the mits altair 8800 and subsequent s100 bus computers. The altair was the first popular microcomputer kit. It doesnt offer much, but its the small start of a big trend toward small things. The altair 8800 was the first commercially successful microcomputer. Popular electronics magazine january 1975 free download as pdf file. To follow are selections relevant to mits altair 8800. It was allen who spotted the story about the new microcomputer in popular electronics. Altair 8800 complete history of the mits altair 8800. Mits micro instrumentation and telemetry systems had hoped to sell a couple of hundred to hobbyists and enthusiasts and were shocked when their niche hobby computer sold thousands in the very first month. The altair 8800 development spurred by popular electronics ed roberts reports from cs 160 at western oregon university. Leslie solomon was an editor at popular electronics who had a knack for spotting kits that would interest people and. Forrest mims wrote the assembly manual for this kit and many others over the next several years. Mits altair 8800 article about mits altair 8800 by the.
Popular electronics, january 1975, volume 7, number 1. Popular electronics 19541982 available as pdf downloads. In january 1975 this computer kit made its appearance on the cover of the popular electronics magazine i wasnt evern born back then. The popular electronics january 1975 issue the january 1975 issue of popular electronics magazine is probably the most important publication in the history of the microcomputer. Altair 8800 computer, altair 32 emulator, altair front. The november 1970 issue of popular electronics featured the opticom, a kit from mits that would send voice over an led light. This image appears on the cover of the january 1975 popular electronics magazine. From paper tape to a patchedtogether altair 8800, the story of my first computers. The files from this library are included in the simulator source since i needed to make some small modifications to integrate them into the simulator. Thealtair8800 isextensivelysupported byongoinghardwareand softwaredevelopment. Popular electronics the mits altair 8800 complete january february 1975 articles loading basic on a mits altair using turnmon or vg mon. Some of the items, like the homebrew computer club newsletter, are more general but for now will be consolidated here.
The designers hoped to sell a few hundred buildityourself kits to hobbyists, and were surprised when they sold thousands in the first month. Mits altair computer with cromemco cylops camera 1. It is missing its top cover if anyone can tell me how i might get this replaced, and whether it. And there on the cover of the january issue of popular electronics magazine was the mits altair 8800. Edward roberts and william yates he era of the computer in every homea favorite topic among sciencefiction writershas arrived. The altair is widely recognized as the spark that ignited the microcomputer revolution as the. Electronicsmits altair 8800, a full puts, all directly addressable, and has blown computer that. Altair8800interfaceand memorymodulesand altairperipheralsaxe inexpensivelypriced,yet amongthehighestquality inthebusiness.
The order of the manuals below is the order in the altair 8800 reproduction kit binder. For example, after seeing the altair featured on the cover of the january 1975 issue of popular electronics, bill gates and paul allen founded microsoft then microsoft. At this point in time, there were no computer or electronic stores to buy your own computer. Altair 8800 imsai 8080 replacement cpu project josh bensadon june 5, 2014 toronto canada i cannot thank everyone by name or else i may forget someone, but you know who you are and thank you for your help and friendship. 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 obtainable. A small new mexico company with the big name of micro. The altair 8800 is a microcomputer designed in 1974 by mits and based on the intel 8080.
January 1975 popular electronics introduces the altair cover 400k pdf. Popular electronics 1977 pdf altair 8800 assemblyconstruction manual 7. It is in what appears to be ok condition, although it is really dirty. Thanks to mikes work there is a wealth of information on the inner workings of the altair and its most popular peripherals conveniently available. January 1975 cover of the magazine popular electronics, featuring the altair 8800. The mits altair 8800 is the you have a computer thats competitive ultimate kit.
The kit that launched the tech revolution kit, product. And difficult than assembling a desktop sells for a fraction of their cost. All manuals were scanned at either 300dpi or 600dpi. In its january 1975 issue, popular electronics magazine featured an article describing the altair 8800 computer, which was the first microcomputer that hobbyists could build and program themselves. There was already a sizable customer base who knew about computers and wanted to have one at handschools, colleges, electronics hobbyists, etc. From paper tape to a patchedtogether altair 8800, the. The gamechanging altair 8800 article in the jan 1975 issue. The birth of the modern personal computer is often traced to the publication of a cover article on the mits altair 8800 computer in the january 1975 issue of popular electronics. Media in category popular electronics the following 21 files are in this category, out of 21 total. The mits altair 8800 was a computer sold in 1975 through popular hobbyist magazines like radioelectronics, and popular electronics. Up until this point, mits was known for selling calculators and model rocket components telemetry. Amongst them, the full run of the legendary popular electronics. The altair 8800 computer the start of the personal computer.
It was microsofts first product as microsoft, distributed by mits under a contract. Accordingly, this manual has been prepared with all types of. The altair 8800 is a microcomputer designed in 1974 by mits and based on the intel 8080 cpu. 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. 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. Bytefor byte,altair8800basic languagesoftwareisthe mostpowerfulbasic everwritten. Altair 680 and videodisc articles in popular electronics. I was just out of college with a fresh bsee degree. 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 radioelectronics, and in other hobbyist magazines. Mits altair 8800 i saw this machine on ebay and just had to own it. You could get the lights on the front panel to blink, but that was about all, gates recalled gates, 16. The altair pictured on the cover of the magazine is actually a mockup, as an actual computer was not available.
That turned out to be the first of a multipart series on his altair 8800 again simulator. The system pictured is a nonfunctional model, because at the time of publication nov 1974 no actual altair 8800 was available to photograph. This is mostly highlytechnical information on the operations. Rival electronics world was merged into popular electronics in 1972. Its assembly isnt much more with most minis on the market today. Figure 6 popular electronics with altair 8800 on cover.
1561 1129 1548 951 671 1056 414 468 423 129 1215 172 1241 1038 1440 909 361 1379 805 883 1177 95 744 1283 371 687 1349 612 636 1035 4 640