website/content/museum/mits-altair-8800.md

title, categories, types, origins, years, cpus, params

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
MITS ALTAIR 8800	Computers	Professional Computer	U.S.A.	1975	Intel 8080A	name image company company_name specs tabs photos adverts hardware emulators links docs videos comments related oc_id source ALTAIR 8800 /media/museum/photos/mits_altair-8800_2.jpg /companies/mits MITS label value NAME ALTAIR 8800 label value MANUFACTURER MITS label value TYPE Professional Computer label value ORIGIN U.S.A. label value YEAR 1975 label value KEYBOARD No keyboard, but switches on front panel. label value CPU Intel 8080A (rarely 8080) label value SPEED 2 MHz (each instruction takes 4 clock cycles) label value RAM 256 bytes (you had to buy this memory board) label value ROM None label value TEXT MODES None (optional 64 x 12 card) label value GRAPHIC MODES None label value SIZE / WEIGHT Unknown label value I/O PORTS Unknown label value POWER SUPPLY Unknown label value PRICE $595 photos adverts hardware emulators links docs videos title subtitle text image LARGE VIEW /media/museum/photos/altair_8800_system_s1.jpg title subtitle text image FRONT PANEL #1 /media/museum/photos/altair_8800b_fpanel_1.jpg title subtitle text image FRONT PANEL #2 /media/museum/photos/altair_8800b_fpanel_2.jpg title subtitle text image TOP VIEW /media/museum/photos/altair_8800b_top_1.jpg title subtitle text image INSIDE Note that the back plane didn't receive all of its S-100 connectors. Only the CPU board is inserted. /media/museum/photos/altair_8800b_inside_1.jpg title subtitle text image ALTAIR PERIPHERALS Various peripherals including a paper tape reader and 8'' floppy drive units /media/museum/photos/altair_8800_peripherals_1.jpg title subtitle text image THE TARBELL CASSETTE INTERFACE This interface can be used with IMSAI or ALTAIR. It transfers from 187 to 540 bytes / second /media/museum/photos/tarbell_k7.jpg title subtitle text image BILL GATES Bill Gate giving a demonstration of its first BASIC interpreter, written for the Altair 8800. /media/museum/photos/altair_8800_billgates_1.jpg title subtitle text image PROGRAM EXAMPLE An example of assembly program user could enter using sense switches. Thanks to **Mark Thompson** /media/museum/photos/altair_8800_progsample_1.jpg title subtitle text image PAPER TAPES Original Altair paper tape programs. This Assembler package consisted of a **Monitor**, an **Editor**, an **Assembler** and a **Debugger**. Thanks to **Mark Thompson** /media/museum/photos/altair_8800_papertapes_1.jpg title subtitle text image FIRST ADVERT This painting was the first and the best known MITS Altair advert. It was created by Kim Behm who has since become a well-known artist. At the first beginning of the personal computers era, this advert seems to be saying: In a near future, everybody around the world will have access to a personal computer. /media/museum/pubs/altair_8800_pub_1.jpg title subtitle text image ADVERT #2 Thanks to **Mark Thompson** /media/museum/pubs/altair_8800_franklinad_1.jpg title subtitle text image POPULAR ELECTRONICS Cover and extracts of a 6 page article in the January 1975 issue of Popular Electronics /media/museum/pubs/altair_8800_popularelectronics_1.jpg title subtitle text image SHOW BAG /media/museum/pubs/altair_8800_bag_1.jpg title subtitle text image 1976 PRICE LIST Notice that the 16K static RAM expansion is more expensive than the computer itself. Thanks to **Mark Thompson** /media/museum/pubs/altair_8800_pricelist_1.jpg title subtitle text image 1976 XMAS CATALOG Thanks to **Mark Thompson** /media/museum/pubs/altair_8800_xmascatalog_1.jpg title subtitle text image MITS BROCHURE #1 Thanks to **Mark Thompson** /media/museum/pubs/altair_8800_brochure_1.jpg title subtitle text image MITS BROCHURE #2 /media/museum/pubs/altair_8800_salebrochure_s1.jpg title subtitle text image ALTAIR 'MOBILE' COURSE Thanks to **Mark Thompson** /media/museum/pubs/altair_8800_course_1.jpg title subtitle text image COMPUTER NOTES This fanzine - one of the first of the microcomputers era - was published by the Altair User Group Thanks to **Mark Thompson** /media/museum/pubs/altair_8800_compnotes_1.jpg title subtitle text image ALTAIR CONVENTION The first Altair Convention was here announced in the Computer Notes magazine. Thanks to **Mark Thompson** /media/museum/pubs/altair_8800_compnotes_2.jpg title subtitle text image BIT SHOPPER Spring 1978 issues of Byte Shopper /media/museum/pubs/altair_8800_bitshopper_1.jpg title subtitle text image EARLY ADVERT (SEPTEMBER 1975) from Creative Computing magazine /media/museum/pubs/mits_altair_pub-creative-compuetug%20sept1975.jpg title subtitle text image EARLY ADVERT (SEPTEMBER 1975) from Creative Computing magazine /media/museum/pubs/mits_altair_pub-creative-computing-sept1975_2.jpg title subtitle text image EARLY ADVERT (NOVEMBER 1975) from Creative Computing magazine /media/museum/pubs/mits_altair_pub-creative-computing-nov1975.jpg title subtitle text image FLOPPY DISK SYSTEM Advert (March 1977) said: "The North Star Micro-Disk System uses the Shugart minifloppy disc drive. The controller is an S-100 compatible PC board with on-board PROM for bootstrap load. It can control up to three drives. With the PROM bootstrap, we provide our powerful extended Basic (10 Kb) with sequential and random disk file accessing.\ Each 5.25'' diskette has 90k data byte capacity. Basic loads in less than 2 seconds. Micro-Disk system (kit) **$699**\ Micro-Disk system (Assembled) **$799**\ Additional drive **$425**\ Diskette **$4.5**" /media/museum/hardware/altair_8800_fd_1.jpg title subtitle text image CPU CARD /media/museum/hardware/altair_8800_card_cpu_1.jpg title subtitle text image 1 KB STATIC RAM /media/museum/hardware/altair_8800_card_1kstatic_1.jpg title subtitle text image 4 KB DYNAMIC RAM /media/museum/hardware/altair_8800_card_4kdram_1.jpg title subtitle text image SERIAL I/O CARD /media/museum/hardware/altair_8800_card_serialio_1.jpg title subtitle text image TEST CARD Tis card was used to test each contact of a S-100 connector /media/museum/hardware/altair_8800_testconnectorboard.jpg title subtitle text image US ADVERT (1977) You could use these joysticks with the Altair or any S100 bus system. They connect to the Cromenco D+7/A I/O board and were meant to play the games available for the Cromenco TV Dazzler, the first video card for personal computer. /media/museum/hardware/cromenco-joysticks_pub_1-1977.jpg title url platform text SIMH http://simh.trailing-edge.com/ Windows Windows emulator for a lot of mini computers. Sources are available so you can compile them for your own platform. title url platform text Altair and IMSAI Emulators http://www.threedee.com/jcm/emu8080/index.html Other platform A list of Altair / IMSAI emulators title url text Altair 8800 brochures http://altair.ftldesign.com/ 1974 - 1976 Altair 8800 Brochures and Price Lists title url text Computers : from the past to present http://www.eingang.org/Lecture/altair.html Altair page title url text The Virtual Altair Museum http://www.virtualaltair.com/ Infos about MITS/Pertec Altair 8800/680b/MITS 300/Attache systems title url cover text OPERATOR'S MANUAL http://www.1000bit.net/support/manuali/manuali.asp /media/museum/docs/couvs/mits_altair8800_operator-manual.jpg [**OPERATOR'S MANUAL**](http://www.1000bit.net/support/manuali/manuali.asp)written by MITS  compiled/archived by Robert Krten\  type of document : PDF\  size : 5,5 MB\  source : [www.1000bit.net](http://www.1000bit.net) title url cover text ASSEMBLY MANUAL http://www.1000bit.net/support/manuali/manuali.asp /media/museum/docs/couvs/mits_altair8800_assembly-manual.jpg [**ASSEMBLY MANUAL**](http://www.1000bit.net/support/manuali/manuali.asp)written by MITS  compiled/archived by Robert Krten\  type of document : PDF\  size : 7 MB\  source : [www.1000bit.net](http://www.1000bit.net) title url cover text THEORY OF OPERATIONS - MANUAL & SCHEMATICS http://www.1000bit.net/support/manuali/manuali.asp /media/museum/docs/couvs/mits_altair8800_theory-of-operation.jpg [**THEORY OF OPERATIONS - MANUAL & SCHEMATICS**](http://www.1000bit.net/support/manuali/manuali.asp)written by MITS  compiled/archived by Robert Krten\  type of document : PDF\  size : 387 KB\  source : [www.1000bit.net](http://www.1000bit.net) title url cover text VARIOUS SCHEMATICS http://www.1000bit.net/support/manuali/manuali.asp /media/museum/docs/couvs/mits_altair8800_schematics.jpg [**VARIOUS SCHEMATICS**](http://www.1000bit.net/support/manuali/manuali.asp)written by MITS  compiled/archived by Robert Krten\  type of document : PDF\  size : 936 KB\  source : [www.1000bit.net](http://www.1000bit.net) title url text MITS Altair 8800 demonstration https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAhp_LzvSWk Length: 8 min 45 s title url text How the Altair 8800 started the PC revolution https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVwfDA4watU Length: 7 min 40 s title url text ALTAIR 8800 -The Computer that started Microsoft https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vD4xHCW9YCQ Length: 3 min 14 s author date text Jay Lucas (United States) Thursday 28th November 2019 Hi All, I''m Jay Lucas, and I have been "into" microcomputers for a long time. My wife is cleaning out the basement, and if anyone wants my old Altair 8800, or its 8" Floppy drive, or one of three Apple Newtons, or any of my 4 Macintosh original computers, let me know. jaylucas@me.com or phone at 703.347.2000 (text preferred). I''m in Alexandria, VA. author date text David Payne (Melbourne, Australia) Monday 10th February 2014 "Forbidden Planet" was set on Altair 4 which would usually mean the 4th planet orbiting Altair counting outwards. Likewise Earth is sometimes referred to as Sol 3.\ I think the Star Trek planet was another number presumably orbitting Altair. Given the size of the brightness at the end of "Forbidden Planet" it would have to be much further out or in a different fictional universe. author date text David Payne (Melbourne, Australia) Monday 10th February 2014 I think after the first 30 or so bytes the loading process would get tiresome, particularly if you had nearly finished $ someone kicked the power plug as happened at Steve Dompier''s famous demo. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daisy_Bell author date text James Parsons (U.S.A.) Wednesday 6th November 2013 Ahh it would be fun to flip the data and address bus''s on and off :D author date text James Parsons (U.S.A.) Wednesday 6th November 2013 Ahh it would be fun to flip the data and address bus''s on and off :D author date text Dave Brandt (US) Monday 11th April 2011 Ha! The name Altair came from the great sci-fi movie of the 1950''s, ''''Forbidden Planet", starring Leslie Nielson. Evidently Mr. Roddenberry was a Forbidden Planet fan as well! author date text Pete Bickerdike (USA) Monday 5th January 2009 I had an early Altair bought as a kit from Dick Heiser''s computer store in Los Angeles, had it in my Winnebago motorhome with a LS 7700A terminal. On a trip around the US in the motorhome, I bought a second dynamic 4K card from Bruce Seals (later to become Seals Electronics - another story) at his Knoxville, TN Byte Shop. The card didn''t work, stopped at MITS in NM on the way back to California, they showed me their repair facility and said that I could leave the card to be repaired if I wanted, said "no thanks" after seeing the 50 or 60 card pile awaiting repair. I fixed the card myself, finding the refresh timimg was off, they used one-shots to time the refresh, with poor timing components. It took a dual trace scope and careful comparison against my working 4K card. I used the Altair for many years, toggling in the bootstrap loader for the basic loaded from cassete tape. author date text Paul Stevens (South Africa) Tuesday 4th June 2002 In 1975 When Bill Gates and Paul Allen Got their lates copy of Popular Electronics With The Story about the Altair 8800 they realised that this was what they were waiting for, they started a new company soon after called Micro-Soft author date text Jay S. Curtis (NY) Tuesday 21st May 2002 I built the IMSAI 8080(A) in '76. It took 4 months and cost $625 at the time. I sold it in 1980 after upgrading to text video (TV) and 1K ram for $800 author date text Martin (Sweden) Monday 25th March 2002 Hello all!\ I wonde if there is a homepage where\ you can find the manuals for the Altair\ cause i got the emulator but i dont know\ how to use it (= /museum/imsai-8080 62 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230413211213/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=62 2023-04-13

This computer was one of the first "home" computers ever made, it was sold as a kit, but for additional money, you could buy one fully assembled.

It had no keyboard, the "program" had to be entered with the switches located on the front panel of the "computer", and as it didn't have video output (yet), the result was displayed via LEDs.

Another computer which had almost the same characteristics was launched by IMSAI and was called IMSAI 8080 (see both in the "Emulators" section).

The ALTAIR 8800 had one input port, also called the "Sense Switches" (I/O address 255) which was the left hand 8 address switches. Address 255 was also used on the IMSAI. The IMSAI front panel differed from the Altair in that you could also output to port 255 to a displayed LED buffer above the sense switches - a feature the Altair did not have (it only had input). The Altair sense switch were used during boot into Altair DOS to specify the terminal port to the DOS.

MITS made several peripherals and cards for this computer, namely, a video card, a serial card to connect a terminal, a RAM expansion card and a 8" floppy drive that used hard sectored floppies and stored 300 KB.

Several models were launched, they had the same characteristics except the CPU (8080 and later 8080A).

Believe it or not, the name "Altair" comes from Star Trek! The young daughter of the 'Popular Electronics' magazine editor gave it the name of the destination planet of the Enterprise from the episode she was watching.