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Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems

Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems (MITS) was an American electronics company based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, founded in 1969 by Ed Roberts, Forrest M. Mims III, Stan Cagle, and Robert Zaller to produce radio telemetry and instrumentation kits primarily for model aircraft and rocketry enthusiasts.^[1]^[2]^[3] The company expanded into consumer electronics in 1971 with the introduction of affordable electronic calculator kits, such as the MITS 816, which sold thousands of units and helped establish MITS as a key player in the emerging hobbyist market despite intense price competition from manufacturers like Texas Instruments.^[4]^[5] By 1974, facing financial pressures from declining calculator prices, MITS pivoted to microcomputing under Roberts' leadership, designing the Altair 8800—a groundbreaking, low-cost computer kit based on the Intel 8080 microprocessor that required assembly by users and featured toggle switches for input and LED lights for output.^[4]^[6] The Altair 8800, announced on the January 1975 cover of Popular Electronics magazine, became the first commercially successful personal computer, sparking the home computer revolution and selling approximately 5,000 units in its first year alone, with total sales reaching up to 40,000 before the product's discontinuation.^[4]^[7]^[8]^[9]^[10] MITS's innovation extended to software when Roberts commissioned a BASIC interpreter for the Altair, leading Bill Gates and Paul Allen to develop Altair BASIC in 1975, which not only saved the fledgling Microsoft but also demonstrated the potential of software for personal computing.^[4]^[5] The company's success peaked with annual revenues of approximately $6 million by 1977, but it was acquired that year by Pertec Computer Corporation for $6.5 million, after which MITS operations were integrated, the Altair line was rebranded as the PCC 8800, and production ceased by 1978 amid shifting market dynamics.^[6]^[5] Roberts subsequently left the industry to pursue medicine, leaving a legacy as a pioneer whose work democratized computing and influenced the personal computer era.^[4]^[7]

Founding and Early Operations

Establishment and Founders

Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems (MITS) was founded in December 1969 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, by H. Edward Roberts, Forrest M. Mims III, Stan Cagle, and Bob Zaller.^[11] The company was incorporated in late 1969, with each founder receiving 950 shares and 200 shares allocated to their attorney.^[12] It emerged from the founders' shared interest in electronics and their professional experiences in military research, initially aiming to develop miniaturized telemetry systems for hobbyist applications.^[13] Roberts, who held an electrical engineering degree from Oklahoma State University and had served as a captain in the U.S. Air Force, worked at the Air Force Weapons Laboratory at Kirtland Air Force Base, where he gained expertise in electronics and telemetry systems.^[14] Mims, also employed at the Weapons Laboratory, brought skills in analog and digital devices, along with a passion for model rocketry that influenced the company's early direction.^[14] Cagle, a civilian electrical engineer and college acquaintance of Roberts, contributed technical design capabilities, while Zaller, another Weapons Laboratory colleague and Air Force officer, assisted with initial operations before departing in summer 1970.^[12] The venture began with modest capitalization, including contributions such as a $100 check from Mims dated January 16, 1970, drawn from the founders' personal savings and equipment to cover startup costs.^[12] Operations commenced from the founders' garages and apartments, reflecting the company's humble beginnings as a part-time endeavor among the founders.^[12] The name "Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems" was proposed by Mims during an initial meeting, evoking the Massachusetts Institute of Technology while highlighting the focus on compact devices for remote data transmission.^[12] This setup laid the groundwork for MITS's entry into model rocket telemetry products.^[11]

Initial Products: Model Rocket Telemetry Kits

Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems (MITS) launched its first commercial products in late 1969 with miniaturized telemetry modules designed specifically for model rocketry enthusiasts. The inaugural offering was the TX-1, recognized as the first commercially available model rocket telemetry transmitter, which enabled the wireless transmission of flight data from rockets. Accompanying the TX-1 were accessory modules, including tone beacons for basic signaling, temperature sensors to monitor environmental conditions during flight, roll rate sensors to measure rotational dynamics, and tracking lights such as the TLF-1 for visual location of night-launched rockets. These components were engineered to be lightweight and compact, fitting within the constraints of hobbyist model rockets while adhering to low-power transmission limits to comply with FCC regulations.^[15]^[12] The telemetry kits were initially sold as preassembled units but transitioned to kit form by mid-1970 to appeal to builders and reduce costs, with the first advertisements appearing in the March 1970 issue of Model Rocketry magazine.^[12] Sales channels included direct mail order from MITS's Albuquerque facility and distribution through hobby shops catering to rocketry and electronics hobbyists. Ground station receivers and data reduction systems were also developed as complementary products, allowing users to capture and analyze transmitted signals for post-flight review. This setup provided rocketeers with an accessible entry into electronic instrumentation, leveraging the founders' expertise in telemetry from prior Air Force and engineering experience.^[12]^[16] Despite the innovative design, the products faced limited market adoption due to the niche audience of teenage hobbyists and academic researchers, resulting in only a few hundred units sold annually through 1970. Rapid emergence of competitors offering similar or cheaper alternatives further eroded sales, leading to the discontinuation of the telemetry line by mid-1971. The modest revenue highlighted the challenges of penetrating the specialized model rocketry market, prompting MITS to explore broader consumer electronics opportunities.^[17]^[3]^[12]

Calculator Division

Development and Product Line

Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems (MITS) entered the electronic calculator market in 1971 with the introduction of the Model 816, a desktop four-function calculator offered as a kit for hobbyists.^[18] This model utilized the Electronic Arrays S-80 six-chip MOS large-scale integration (LSI) chipset, enabling basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division with an 8-digit vacuum-fluorescent display and internal 16-digit calculation capacity.^[18] Priced at $179 for the kit and $275 fully assembled, the 816 marked MITS's shift from niche telemetry products to mass-market digital electronics, appealing to electronics enthusiasts through its DIY assembly process requiring only basic soldering skills; approximately 5,000 to 10,000 units were sold.^[12] Building on the success of the 816, MITS expanded its product line in 1972 with the 1200 series of handheld four-function calculators, including models like the 1206, 1209, and 1212, which featured compact designs suitable for portable use while maintaining the kit and assembled options.^[19] By 1973, the company introduced the Model 1440 desktop calculator, incorporating scientific functions such as square roots, reciprocals, and trigonometric operations, supported by a revised Electronic Arrays 901-series chipset and a 14-digit LED display for enhanced precision.^[20] In 1974, MITS released the Model 7440, an advanced scientific desktop calculator with expanded capabilities, including the option to pair it with a programmer module for custom operations, further emphasizing the modular, user-customizable approach in its designs.^[2] All models prioritized accessibility for hobbyists, with detailed assembly manuals and in-house production that scaled to thousands of units monthly by late 1972.^[12] MITS handled manufacturing entirely in its Albuquerque, New Mexico facility, where operations grew rapidly to accommodate rising demand through expanded in-house assembly lines.^[12] As market competition grew, MITS adjusted pricing downward to remain viable, though this strained finances.^[12] The calculator line's innovations in LSI integration and kit-based construction laid groundwork for MITS's later ventures in personal computing.

Market Competition and Price Wars

The entry of Japanese manufacturers such as Sharp and Canon into the handheld calculator market in the early 1970s intensified competition, alongside U.S. rivals like Bowmar Instrument Corporation and Texas Instruments (TI).^[21]^[22] Bowmar's introduction of the Bowmar Brain in September 1971, priced at $325, marked a pivotal moment by making pocket calculators more accessible and sparking initial price pressures across the industry.^[23] In response to this competitive landscape, Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems (MITS) adopted aggressive pricing strategies, slashing costs on its basic calculator models from around $150 in 1973 to as low as $50 by 1974 to remain viable.^[24] The company supplemented these cuts with targeted advertising in electronics hobbyist magazines, emphasizing kit-based assembly to appeal to cost-conscious enthusiasts and undercut fully assembled competitors.^[24] TI's market entry in 1972 with the Datamath (TI-2500) at under $150 further escalated the 1972 price war, as the firm leveraged its chip manufacturing dominance to drive down costs industry-wide.^[22] By 1974, widespread price erosion had reduced average calculator prices to around $20–$50, rendering many models unprofitable and leading to MITS's accumulation of over $300,000 in debt.^[25] Despite selling more than 10,000 units and generating over $1 million in annual revenue by 1973, MITS faced imminent bankruptcy as margins collapsed under the onslaught of low-cost imports and scaled production from larger players.^[24] This crisis prompted a strategic pivot toward microcomputers, allowing the company to escape the calculator sector's volatility.^[25]

Media Exposure and Promotion

Coverage in Popular Electronics

The pivotal coverage of Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems (MITS) in Popular Electronics magazine centered on the January 1975 cover story introducing the Altair 8800 microcomputer kit, authored by technical editor Les Solomon. Facing severe financial strain from a brutal price war in the calculator market that had left MITS deeply in debt by 1974, company president Ed Roberts had been introduced to Solomon by MITS consultant and Popular Electronics contributor Forrest Mims earlier that year. Solomon, seeking a follow-up project to the magazine's 1974 Mark-8 computer kit feature, collaborated with Roberts to develop and showcase the Altair as "the world's first minicomputer kit to rival commercial models." The article provided detailed schematics, assembly instructions, and performance descriptions, positioning the $397 kit as an accessible entry into computing for electronics hobbyists.^[26]^[10]^[7] This exposure dramatically amplified MITS's visibility within the burgeoning hobbyist electronics community, as Popular Electronics boasted a circulation exceeding 400,000 readers in the mid-1970s. Orders flooded in immediately after the issue's release on newsstands in late December 1974, overwhelming MITS's Albuquerque headquarters with phone calls and mail; the company, which had projected only 800 total sales, received 1,000 orders in February 1975 alone and built a backlog of 4,000 within three months. By August 1975, cumulative sales had reached 5,000 units, propelling the Altair to become the first commercially successful personal computer and igniting widespread enthusiasm for home computing among amateur builders. MITS scrambled to scale production, hiring additional staff and expanding facilities to fulfill demand, a feat that rescued the company from insolvency and established it as a cornerstone of the microcomputer revolution.^[27]^[4]^[28]^[9]

Features in Radio-Electronics and Other Outlets

In June 1972, Radio-Electronics featured MITS's expanding lineup of desktop calculator kits, including the 816A and 816B models priced at $149.95 and $159.95 respectively, highlighting their use of premium components from manufacturers like National Semiconductor and Texas Instruments, along with "computerizing" interfaces for enhanced functionality.^[29] These kits were positioned as affordable, high-caliber options for hobbyists, with the accompanying 1440 model offered at $199.95 in kit form, emphasizing MITS's role as the pioneering company in DIY calculator assembly.^[29] By 1975, Radio-Electronics continued coverage of MITS products through advertisements and product listings for the Altair 8800, highlighting expansion options such as memory boards and interfaces.^[30] Beyond Radio-Electronics, MITS's early telemetry kits for model rocketry received attention in amateur radio publications, with QST noting their utility for tracking and control in 1970, aligning with the magazine's focus on experimental electronics for ham operators.^[31] In 1975, Byte magazine provided early reviews of the Altair 8800, praising its assembly process and potential as a foundational platform for personal computing, with detailed guides on building and initial programming that underscored its accessibility to non-professionals.^[32] Local Albuquerque outlets, including the Albuquerque Journal, covered MITS's expansion during the mid-1970s, reporting on the company's shift from rocketry to calculators and computers, which boosted employment and positioned Albuquerque as a hub for electronics innovation amid annual sales reaching $6 million by 1977.^[33] This broader media exposure sustained MITS's calculator sales in the pre-Altair era by attracting DIY enthusiasts through technical features and ads, while post-Altair coverage nurtured user communities via shared modifications in reader letters and magazine correspondence sections. MITS reinforced its DIY ethos with full-page advertisements across outlets like Popular Electronics and Radio-Electronics, promoting kit-based construction as an empowering, hands-on approach to technology ownership, as seen in promotions for the Altair starting in early 1975.^[34]

Altair 8800 Microcomputer

Design and Core Products

The Altair 8800 microcomputer, introduced in 1975 by Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems (MITS), featured a minimalist design centered on the Intel 8080 microprocessor operating at 2 MHz. This 8-bit CPU utilized a 16-bit address bus and an 8-bit data bus, forming the core of the system mounted on a motherboard with four expansion slots. The initial configuration included only 256 bytes of dynamic RAM, which could be expanded up to 64 KB through additional memory boards connected via the S-100 bus—a 100-line parallel interface that became a de facto standard for early microcomputers. Input and output were handled exclusively through a front panel equipped with 25 toggle switches for entering data and addresses in binary and 36 LEDs for displaying register contents and status, reflecting the machine's reliance on manual operation without integrated peripherals.^[35] The Altair 8800 was offered primarily as a hobbyist kit, priced at $397 for assembly by the user or $498 fully assembled and tested. Assembly of the kit required soldering components onto the printed circuit boards, a process estimated to take 8 to 10 hours for experienced builders, and resulted in a basic system lacking built-in input/output ports, storage devices, or a keyboard. The design emphasized expandability, with the S-100 bus enabling the addition of peripherals to address these limitations, though the base unit provided no facilities for mass storage or high-speed communication out of the box. In 1976, MITS released the Altair 8800b as an updated variant, incorporating a more robust metal enclosure for improved durability and ventilation compared to the original's wooden case, along with a larger motherboard supporting up to 18 expansion slots. Key expansions included 4K and 8K dynamic RAM boards to boost memory capacity beyond the initial 256 bytes, a cassette interface board for low-cost program storage and loading using audio tapes, and a CRT terminal adapter to connect video displays for more practical user interaction. Production of the Altair 8800 ramped up at MITS's facility in Albuquerque, New Mexico, following the overwhelming response to its debut; by August 1975, over 5,000 units had been sold, with monthly production reaching approximately 1,000 by late that year, exceeding 10,000 total units by the end of 1976.

Marketing and Sales Strategies

MITS employed direct mail-order sales as its core marketing approach for the Altair 8800, leveraging advertisements in hobbyist publications like Popular Electronics to reach enthusiasts nationwide. This model allowed customers to purchase kits for $397 or assembled units for $498, capitalizing on the growing interest in affordable computing among radio amateurs and electronics hobbyists. To build excitement and provide hands-on demonstrations, company founder Ed Roberts organized nationwide bus tours showcasing operational Altair systems, offering potential buyers their first interactive experience with personal computers.^[36] Complementing these efforts, MITS participated in key trade shows, including the inaugural World Altair Computer Convention held in Albuquerque in March 1976, which drew hundreds of attendees and solidified the product's visibility within the emerging microcomputer community.^[37] The Altair's popularity led to rapid sales growth, with orders peaking at around 1,000 units per month by mid-1975 and total revenue rising from approximately $4 million in 1975 to $12 million in 1976.^[38] However, overwhelming demand created significant challenges, including production backlogs that delayed shipments by up to six months, frustrating early customers despite the company's small initial staff of fewer than 20 employees.^[39] To address support needs, MITS offered customer assistance through phone consultations and regular newsletters such as Computer Notes, which provided troubleshooting tips, updates, and user group information to foster loyalty amid the supply constraints.^[40] In response to the surge, the firm expanded operations dramatically, increasing its workforce to over 230 employees by 1976 and initiating international distribution agreements to extend reach beyond the United States.^[38]

Clones and Third-Party Expansions

The IMSAI 8080, released in late 1975 by IMSAI Manufacturing Corporation, emerged as the first prominent clone of the Altair 8800, utilizing the same Intel 8080 microprocessor and S-100 bus for full compatibility with existing expansion cards while incorporating enhancements such as a more robust power supply and an improved front panel with better switch reliability and LED indicators.^[41]^[42] This design addressed common Altair complaints about build quality and expandability, quickly gaining popularity among hobbyists for its 22-slot backplane that supported larger configurations.^[41] In 1976, Processor Technology introduced the Sol-20, an S-100 compatible system that integrated a video display module and keyboard directly into the chassis, reducing the need for external terminals and making it more user-friendly for text-based applications compared to the basic Altair setup.^[43] Vector Graphic followed in 1977 with boards and systems like the Vector 1, which adopted the S-100 bus and offered Z80 CPU options for enhanced performance while maintaining backward compatibility with Altair peripherals.^[41] These clones proliferated due to the open nature of the S-100 bus standard, originally developed for the Altair, which encouraged third-party adoption without proprietary restrictions.^[44] Third-party expansions flourished around these systems, with companies like Cromemco and Processor Technology producing S-100 cards for storage, communication, and specialized functions; notable examples include Cromemco's floppy disk controllers and TU-ART serial/parallel interfaces, Northstar's hard-sectored floppy controllers, modem boards for remote access, and speech synthesizers such as the Computalker CT1 for phonetic output.^[45] By 1977, the ecosystem had grown to encompass dozens of such peripherals from multiple vendors, enabling users to add mass storage, networking, and multimedia capabilities that transformed the Altair platform into versatile computing setups.^[45] MITS, while initially frustrated by the copying—particularly with the IMSAI—prioritized compatibility over litigation, fostering market expansion rather than pursuing major lawsuits against cloners during 1975–1977.^[41] Hobbyist communities, including the Homebrew Computer Club formed in 1975, played a key role in driving these innovations through meetings where members exchanged schematics, prototypes, and troubleshooting tips for Altair-compatible hardware, accelerating the development of custom expansions and clones.^[46] This collaborative environment not only democratized access to personal computing but also spurred rapid iteration on S-100 designs, contributing to the platform's widespread adoption among early enthusiasts.^[47]

Software Developments, Including Altair BASIC

The Altair 8800 launched with limited software support, primarily consisting of a basic monitor program that users entered manually via the front panel switches, along with simple paper tape loaders to facilitate program input from punched tape readers. These early tools, developed by MITS engineers, allowed rudimentary interaction but required significant user effort, such as toggling addresses and data bits to load code, highlighting the machine's initial focus on hardware experimentation over accessible programming. By mid-1975, MITS introduced 4K and 8K BASIC interpreters developed by Microsoft, limited versions optimized for the Altair's memory constraints, distributed on paper tape and requiring at least 4 KB or 8 KB of RAM respectively; these enabled basic arithmetic and simple control structures but lacked advanced features like string handling.^[48] A pivotal advancement came with Altair BASIC, developed by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in early 1975 while they were students at Harvard University. Inspired by the Altair's announcement in Popular Electronics, the pair adapted a Dartmouth BASIC interpreter for the Intel 8080 processor using a simulator on a PDP-10 mainframe, completing a functional demo without access to actual Altair hardware.^[49] In July 1975, they demonstrated it to MITS founder Ed Roberts in Albuquerque, securing a licensing agreement that provided an initial payment of $3,000 plus royalties of $30 per 4K BASIC copy and $35 per 8K BASIC copy sold.^[50] This deal marked the founding of Microsoft (initially Micro-Soft) and transformed Altair BASIC into the system's flagship software, available in 4K and 8K tape versions that supported floating-point arithmetic, subroutines, and user-defined functions, thereby enabling high-level programming for hobbyists without assembly language expertise.^[51] Subsequent software developments expanded the Altair ecosystem. In 1977, Microsoft released FORTRAN-80, a compiler for the 8080 processor that supported structured programming elements from the emerging FORTRAN 77 standard, allowing scientific computations on Altair systems with sufficient memory and peripherals.^[52] Adaptations of Gary Kildall's CP/M operating system emerged around 1976, coinciding with the introduction of MITS floppy disk controllers, providing file management and multitasking capabilities that facilitated more complex applications on S-100 bus expansions.^[53] Users also contributed extensively, creating utilities like debuggers and assemblers, as well as games such as text-based adventures and simulations (e.g., a Lunar Lander variant), shared through hobbyist newsletters and clubs.^[54] Software distribution evolved from paper tapes to more practical media. By late 1975, Altair BASIC and related programs were bundled on cassette tapes with kits equipped with the 88-ACR interface, offering slower but cheaper storage than paper tape for loading at 300-1200 baud rates. MITS formalized offerings in its 1976 software catalog, listing BASIC variants, monitors, and utilities for $45 per package on tape, alongside emerging disk-based options, which broadened accessibility as the hobbyist community grew.^[55]

Acquisition by Pertec and Decline

The 1977 Sale

In 1977, Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems (MITS) faced mounting financial pressures from intense competition in the microcomputer market and the strains of rapid expansion, despite reporting profits in 1976. Although Altair sales had generated significant revenue—reaching approximately $6 million annually by that year—the company's cash flow was strained, limiting funds for new product development and exacerbating operational challenges.^[24]^[33] To address these issues, MITS was acquired by Pertec Computer Corporation, a prominent manufacturer of computer peripherals such as tape drives, for $6.5 million in stock.^[56] The transaction was finalized in May 1977, with founder Ed Roberts receiving approximately $2–3 million in Pertec shares, providing him a substantial stake in the acquiring company.^[24]^[57] The acquisition was strategically motivated on both sides: Pertec aimed to leverage MITS's position in the burgeoning microcomputer sector to expand beyond peripherals into complete systems, capitalizing on the Altair's market success. For MITS, the deal offered critical financial stability and enhanced resources for research and development amid growing rivals.^[58]^[24] Following the sale, MITS's operations were partially relocated from Albuquerque, New Mexico, to Pertec's facilities in California to integrate with the larger entity. Ed Roberts was appointed vice president, overseeing the transition, though he later expressed dissatisfaction with the shift away from innovative engineering toward corporate priorities.^[24]^[59]

Post-Acquisition Products and Operations

Following the 1977 acquisition, Pertec integrated MITS into its PCC MicroSystems Division, where the Altair line was maintained and expanded alongside Pertec's core peripherals business, including disc drives and tape systems designed for mainframe compatibility. This merger aimed to leverage MITS's microcomputer expertise to bolster Pertec's entry into personal computing, but the focus quickly shifted toward storage solutions like the Pertec FD400 floppy disc system, which had been used in Altair configurations since 1976.^[7]^[60] New products under Pertec included the Altair 680b, released in August 1977, which updated the earlier Altair 680 with the Motorola 6800 CPU, 1 KB RAM, and support for expanded memory boards, sold as both kits and assembled units for $299 to $420. The Altair 8800b turnkey model was also introduced in June 1977, offering a pre-assembled version with reduced front-panel functionality for dedicated software applications, often paired with iCOM peripherals acquired concurrently by Pertec. In 1978, Pertec rebranded the Altair 8800 as the PCC 8800, preserving the original Intel 8080-based design while integrating it into the PCC lineup without major hardware changes.^[61]^[54]^[60] Operations emphasized compatibility with Pertec's disc drives, such as the dual 8-inch Pertec 3202 system, to position the Altair as a robust platform for data storage in small business and hobbyist settings. However, sales declined sharply as the market transitioned to more user-friendly systems like the Apple II, introduced in 1977, which featured built-in keyboards, color graphics, and easier expandability, overshadowing the kit-based Altair's appeal.^[62]^[7] Challenges arose from frequent management changes within the PCC MicroSystems Division, which reportedly altered names and leadership every six months, leading to inconsistent strategy and internal clashes between Pertec's peripheral-focused executives and MITS's microcomputer engineers. Pertec's broader financial losses in the early 1980s, exacerbated by the personal computer market's rapid evolution, prompted the closure of the MITS division by 1982, with assets sold off and manufacturing in Albuquerque ending as the plant shut down.^[60]^[63]^[64]

Legacy and Impact

Influence on Personal Computing

The introduction of the Altair 8800 by Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems (MITS) in 1975 marked a pivotal moment in making microprocessors accessible to individual consumers, transforming computing from a domain of large institutions to one of hobbyists and enthusiasts. Priced at $397 in kit form, the Altair utilized the Intel 8080 microprocessor, offering an affordable entry point into personal computing that previously required multimillion-dollar mainframes. This democratization spurred widespread experimentation, as users assembled and expanded the system, fostering a culture of innovation among non-professionals.^[49] The Altair's S-100 bus architecture further amplified its influence, establishing an open standard for expansion cards that became the IEEE 696 standard and shaped subsequent personal computer designs. This bus enabled third-party peripherals and compatibility across systems, directly inspiring the Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus in the IBM PC released in 1981, which facilitated the modular growth of the PC ecosystem. By promoting interoperability, the S-100 bus laid the groundwork for scalable hardware development in consumer computing.^[65] The Altair ignited the personal computer industry by inspiring key founders and communities, including the formation of Microsoft and Apple. Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft in 1975 specifically to develop Altair BASIC software for the machine, marking the birth of the commercial software industry tailored to personal use. Similarly, the Altair prompted Steve Wozniak to design the Apple I after attending meetings of the Homebrew Computer Club, a Silicon Valley group established in 1975 to share Altair-related projects, which evolved into a hub for the regional tech boom and the rise of entrepreneurial ventures.^[66]^[49] Economically, the Altair's success—selling over 10,000 units in its first year—catalyzed a burgeoning market, enabling the software sector's expansion through compatible programming tools and peripherals. This momentum contributed to the personal computer industry's growth to an estimated $1.8 billion in sales by 1980, with revenues traceable to the Altair's role in spawning clones, add-ons, and software ecosystems.^[67] The Altair's legacy is preserved in the National Museum of American History, where multiple examples, including the original 8800 model and related artifacts, are exhibited as foundational to computing history. Ed Roberts, MITS founder, received posthumous recognition for his contributions, including induction into the Miami-Dade County Public Schools Alumni Hall of Fame in 2014 for inventing the first personal computer.^[4]^[68]

Later Careers of Key Figures

After the acquisition of MITS by Pertec in 1977, H. Edward Roberts left the company in 1979 to enroll in medical school at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, from which he graduated in 1986. He then established a general medical practice in the rural town of Cochran, Georgia, where he worked as a family physician, including making house calls to patients in remote areas, until his retirement in the early 2000s. Roberts maintained an interest in computing throughout his medical career, occasionally keeping abreast of technological advances while focusing primarily on healthcare. He passed away on April 1, 2010, at age 68 due to complications from pneumonia while hospitalized in Macon, Georgia.^[69]^[70]^[71]^[72]^[73] Forrest M. Mims III, a co-founder of MITS and early contributor to its electronics kits, departed the company in the mid-1970s to embark on a distinguished career as an amateur scientist, author, and inventor. He authored over 60 books on electronics, science, and environmental topics from the 1970s through the 2020s, with sales exceeding 7.5 million copies worldwide, including influential titles like Getting Started in Electronics (1983), which became a staple for hobbyists through its distribution via Radio Shack. Mims also developed educational electronics kits and hand-drawn "Engineer's Mini-Notebook" series, which democratized circuit design and inspired countless careers in engineering and technology. In recognition of his contributions, he received the Rolex Awards for Enterprise in 1993 for advancing science education and atmospheric monitoring techniques.^[74]^[75]^[74] From the late 1980s onward, Mims shifted focus to environmental science, pioneering low-cost instruments for monitoring atmospheric phenomena. He established and operated a USDA-designated UV-B monitoring site at Texas Lutheran University in Seguin, Texas, beginning in 2004, and conducted daily solar noon measurements of ozone, ultraviolet radiation, water vapor, and aerosols. By February 4, 2025, these observations marked 35 continuous years of data collection, contributing to global climate and environmental research programs like GLOBE. Mims detailed his methodologies and findings in books such as Hawai'i's Mauna Loa Observatory: Fifty Years of Monitoring the Atmosphere (2023), underscoring his enduring impact on citizen science.^[76]^[77]^[78]^[79] Among other key figures associated with MITS, Bill Gates and Paul Allen's work on Altair BASIC in early 1975 directly catalyzed the founding of Microsoft. Having developed the interpreter to run on the Altair 8800, they demonstrated it successfully to Roberts in March 1975 and formalized their partnership as "Micro-Soft" by April 4, 1975, initially operating out of Albuquerque to support MITS before relocating and expanding into a global software powerhouse. Their initial contract to license BASIC to MITS for $10,000 marked the company's first revenue, laying the groundwork for Microsoft's dominance in operating systems and applications from the late 1970s onward. Stan Cagle, an electrical engineer and MITS co-founder who collaborated on early product designs, left the company in the early 1970s to pursue other professional interests. Robert Zaller, another MITS co-founder and Air Force officer, was bought out by Roberts shortly after the company's founding and left early, with limited information available on his subsequent career.^[80]^[81]^[82]^[11]

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[18]
Pre-Altair MITS Calculators
MITS 1200-series calculator (1206, 1209, 1212) manual cover; A sample MITS 1200-series schematic; MITS 1440 sales flyer/advertisement; MITS 1440 manual cover ...Missing: 1211 3450<|control11|><|separator|>
[19]
WANTED - MITS 1440 Desktop Calculator
MITS' second desktop electronic calculator, introduced in early 1973, the 1440 used a revised version of the six-chip chip-set used in MITS' first electronic ...Missing: models 1211 3450
[20]
From Desktops to Handhelds - CHM Revolution
The first mass market handheld, the Bowmar Brain, cost $245 in 1971. Within a decade, similar calculators sold for $10! Texas Instruments and the Marketing of ...Missing: wars 1972-1974
[21]
TI enters calculator market, September 21, 1972 - EDN Network
TI's company timeline puts the TI-2500 retail price at $149.95, while other sources suggest it was released at a market price below $120. The TI-3000 and TI ...
[22]
https://www.edn.com/ti-enters-calculator-market-september-21-1972/
[23]
Remembering Ed Roberts - Classic Computing
Oct 10, 2010 · By 1973, MITS sold over $1 million in calculators a year. Ed Roberts had developed over a dozen different models, some programmable, moved the ...
[24]
None
### Summary of MITS Calculator Market, Competition, Price Wars, Sales, and Debt (1972-1974)
[25]
Cover of January 1975 issue of Popular Electronics - CHM Revolution
... MITS Altair 8800 excited thousands of geeks eager to own computers. The computer hadn't been finished or even named when editor Les Solomon solicited the ...
[26]
https://www.computerhistory.org/revolution/personal-computers/17/312/1141
[27]
Popular Electronics Magazine - World Radio History
The circulation was 240,000 by 1957 and exceeded 400,000 by 1963. Rival "Electronics World" (click to view) was merged into "Popular Electronics" in 1972.
[28]
MITS launches the Altair 8800 on the cover of Popular Electronics ...
Dec 18, 1974 · Ed Roberts had originally forecasted total sales of 800 machines, but in February 1975 alone MITS received 1,000 orders. Related information ...
[29]
Altair 8800, the first personal computer to make it big - EL PAÍS English
Aug 31, 2025 · By August 1975, 5,000 copies of the Altair 8800 had been sold. It had been more than half a year since the machine had gone on sale, ...
[30]
[PDF] Radio-Electronics-1972-06.pdf
Jun 2, 1972 · ... MITS - the original kit calculator company -- in order to answer the need for a high caliber calculator at an easily affordable price, has ...
[31]
[PDF] Radio-Electronics-1975-11.pdf
Nov 30, 1975 · LET US Tii &E CARE OF YOUR TUNER PROBLEMS... PTS will repair any tuner -no matter how old or new. Fastest Service -8 hour -in and out the same ...
[32]
[PDF] QST-1970-03.pdf - World Radio History
Mar 24, 1970 · Kit is simple to build and easy to operate. Kit with coil for any 1 band, including tubes $24.95. Extra coil kit for any 1 band, CK-1 ..
[33]
[PDF] Byte Dec 1975 - Vintage Apple
Dec 4, 1975 · Byte for byte, Altair 8800 BASIC language software is the most powerful BASIC ever written. Thanks to the success of the. Altair 8800, building ...
[34]
DigiBarn Stories: Ed Roberts Memorial Page & MITS@40
In 1971, Roberts redirected the company into the electronic calculator market and the MITS 816 desktop calculator kit was featured on the cover of Popular ...<|control11|><|separator|>
[35]
Popular Electronics January 1975 and February 1975 MITS Altair ...
There were 6 integrated circuits ("ROMS") but Bob replaced the one marked FDY 360B-7006 with a modern equivalent he made himself(!). He also replaced at ...
[36]
What The Dormouse Said: How The 60s Counterculture Shaped ...
... Ed Roberts at the National Computer Conference in Anaheim, California ... MITS planned a nationwide bus tour for its Altair 8800, giving many people ...<|separator|>
[37]
First PC Convention - by Gil Press
Mar 26, 2024 · Today in 1976, the World Altair Computer Convention, was held at the Airport Marina Hotel near Albuquerque, New Mexico.
[38]
Personal Computers -- 1973-1988
The January 1975 cover of Popular Electronics displayed the Altair 8800 ... 1975, MITS's revenues soared to $13 million in 1976.276 IMSAI Manufacturing ...
[39]
Altair 8800 kits went on sale December 19, 1974
Dec 19, 2024 · On December 19, 1974, MITS started selling kits for its computer, the Altair 8800. It was the first commercially successful personal computer.
[40]
[PDF] Computer Notes MITS .pdf
Nov 8, 1975 · World Altair Computer Convention, tentatively scheduled for March,. 1976. All Altair owners will be in- vited to attend this convention.
[41]
PC Pioneers: The Forgotten World of S-100 Bus Computers - PCMag
Feb 1, 2019 · This is the machine that started the PC revolution, the MITS Altair 8800, designed in 1974 by Ed Roberts and sold as a kit, then fully assembled ...Missing: synthesizers | Show results with:synthesizers
[42]
DAVES OLD COMPUTERS - IMSAI 8080
Having the Altair design to study gave IMS a big advantage, and IMSAI 8080 featured a number of improvements: The power supply is stronger, and a large 22 slot ...
[43]
Processor Technology Corporation and the SOL-20
May 14, 2025 · Their first product was a 4K byte RAM board that was compatible with the MITS Altair 8800 computer but more reliable than the MITS board.
[44]
Origins of S-100 computers
The term "S-100 bus" refers to the bus architecture of the MITS Altair 8800 computer of January 1975, and subsequent variations of bus-compatible computers of ...
[45]
S100 Computers
Other popular floppy disk controller S-100 boards were those by CompuPro and Cromemco. ... These included modem boards, math processor boards, speech synthesis ...Boards For Sale · S-100 Boards · New Boards · ForumMissing: third- peripherals
[46]
https://www.computerhistory.org/blog/the-homebrew-computer-club-2013-reunion/
[47]
The Homebrew Computer Club and the Dawn of the Personal ...
Nov 28, 2023 · Major advances in personal computing can be traced back to a 1970s group of hobbyists and aficionados who shared knowledge, circuits, and good times.Missing: 1975-1977 | Show results with:1975-1977
[48]
Original software for Altair8800 - emuStudio
Original software for Altair8800 includes CP/M v2.2 and 3, Altair DOS v1.0, and various versions of BASIC programming language.
[49]
The Homebrew Computer Club - CHM Revolution
Popular Electronics featured the MITS Altair 8800 microcomputer kit in January 1975. Under $500, Altair became the leading "homebrew" computer, inspiring Bill ...
[50]
MITS licenses Altair BASIC from Bill Gates and Paul Allen - Event
Jul 22, 1975 · In January 1975 Paul Allen showed Bill Gates a copy of Popular Electronics magazine that included plans to build the Altair 8800 computer.
[51]
1975 | Timeline of Computer History
MITS Altair 8800 kit appears in Popular Electronics · Computers. For its January issue, hobbyist magazine Popular Electronics runs a cover story of a new ...<|control11|><|separator|>
[52]
Microsoft FORTRAN -80 3.0 - WinWorld
(Note: -80 refers to the 8080/Z80 platform, not the language specification version) ... Release date: 1977; Minimum CPU: 8080/Z80; User interface: Text; Platform ...
[53]
The first floppy controller for CP/M and S-100?
Dwight Elvey and I debated during 2007 and '08, who was "first" to offer an S-100 compatible floppy disk controller; specificaly, the first with CP/M.
[54]
Altair/MITS - DeRamp
The Altair 8800b is the second generation of the Altair 8800 computer. It provided a much higher capacity power supply and a larger motherboard with more slots.Missing: core variants
[55]
[PDF] Bits and Pieces Aitair Software Distribution ... - Altair 8800 Clone
all MITS software on paper tape and cassette is available for $45. When used in conjunction with an. 88-PMC, the MBL PROM Memory Card.
[56]
Total share: 30 years of personal computer market share figures
Dec 14, 2005 · The Altair ultimately failed in the marketplace, but it sold thousands of units and jump-started the entire personal computer industry. The ...
[57]
Pertec's New Owner Hopes to Revitalize High-Tech Pioneer
Nov 18, 1986 · But Pertec also made miscues, such as its 1977 purchase of Micro Instrumentation Telemetry Systems, or MITS, a New Mexico company that was a ...
[58]
MITS/Pertec Altair 8800/680b/MITS 300 - PCmuseum
Pertec bought MITS and Icom and formed the Microsystems Division. MITS stands for Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems and started the Micro-Computer ...
[59]
The MITS Altair
A brief MITS Altair Product Timeline ; May 1977, Pertec buys MITS and iCOM ; June 1977, (iCOM) mini-disk intro'd. Altair 8800b turnkey intro'd ; August 1977 ...
[60]
Pertec 3202 Dual 8-inch Disk Drive - The Centre for Computing History
The Pertec 3202 is a dual 8-inch floppy disk drive system produced by Pertec Computer Corporation. Designed for use with the Altair 8800b, with case styling ...Missing: focus | Show results with:focus
[61]
Post-War Economy
Construction began in January 1988 on Albuquerque Plaza, a 22- story office tower and neighboring 20-story Hyatt Regency Hotel. The office tower remains the ...<|control11|><|separator|>
[62]
https://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/40921/Pertec-3202-Dual-8-inch-Disk-Drive/
[63]
[PDF] Department of Economics Working - University of Connecticut
Jul 12, 2021 · Indeed, the 100-wire bus of the Altair, the S-100 bus, would eventually be enshrined as the IEEE 696 bus by the Institute of Electrical and.
[64]
Microsoft is born - Stories
Friends Bill Gates and Paul Allen started Microsoft – sometimes Micro-Soft, for microprocessors and software – to develop software for the Altair 8800, an ...
[65]
Personal Computer Market Share: 1975-2004 - Pegasus3D
In 1980 some two dozen firms sold 724,000 personal computers for $1.8 billion. The following year 20 more companies joined the stampede, including giant IBM ...<|separator|>
[66]
M-DCPS Alumni Hall of Fame: Tribute to Henry Edward Roberts
Dec 2, 2014 · For sparking a technological revolution and transforming civilization with his invention of the world's first personal computer; ...
[67]
A real life success story in Ed Roberts and the Altair 8800 - i2E
The machine was sold by mail as a kit for $395 and assembled for $103 more. Popular Electronics featured the Altair on its January cover in 1975 with the ...<|control11|><|separator|>
[68]
[PDF] Ed Roberts in coversation with David Greelish; 1995
Greelish: That time-- sure. Roberts: And so we built a calculator. And it was the cover article in Popular Electronics, which actually came out before I got ...
[69]
Early Computer Developer Roberts Dies - CBS News
Apr 1, 2010 · Dr. Henry Edward Roberts, a developer of an early personal computer that inspired Bill Gates to found Microsoft, died Thursday in Georgia.
[70]
H. Edward Roberts, PC Pioneer, Dies at 68 - The New York Times
Apr 2, 2010 · Dr. Roberts had made an early and enduring contribution to modern computing. He created the MITS Altair, the first inexpensive general-purpose microcomputer.Missing: career | Show results with:career
[71]
Henry Roberts Obituary (2010) - Atlanta, GA - San Francisco Chronicle
Roberts, an ex-military man, later went on to careers as a farmer and a physician, but continued to keep up with computer advances: He ...
[72]
Biography - Forrest M. Mims III
MITS offered a kit version of the 816 for $179 and an assembled machine for $275. Subsections of the machine and the circuit boards could also be purchased. For ...
[73]
Forrest M. Mims III: Books - Amazon.com
4.5 17K · 30-day returnsGetting Started in Electronics · Getting Started in Electronics. Spiral-bound. Paperback ; Timer, Op Amp, and Optoelectronic Circuits & Projects · Timer, Op Amp, ...
[74]
Forrest M. Mims III
Feb 2, 2020 · Forrest M. Mims III is the site operator of the USDA UV-B monitoring site at Texas Lutheran University, Seguin, Texas (March 2004 to present).
[75]
Forrest M. Mims III - Facebook
Forrest M. Mims III. 1530 likes · 4 talking about this. I make daily atmospheric measurements (35 years on 4 Feb 2025) and write science books and articles.Missing: environmental | Show results with:environmental
[76]
Forrest MIMS III | B.A., Texas A&M University | Geronimo Creek
The Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Program is an international network of schools in 71 countries that monitors up to 20 ...Missing: activities | Show results with:activities<|separator|>
[77]
physical science - UH Press
Hawaii's Mauna Loa Observatory: Fifty Years of Monitoring the Atmosphere, by Forrest M. Mims III, tells the story of the men and women who made these and ...
[78]
The History of Microsoft - 1975
Feb 4, 2009 · February 1, 1975 Bill Gates and Paul Allen complete Altair BASIC and sell it to Microsoft's first customer, MITS of Albuquerque, New Mexico. ...
[79]
Celebrating 50 years of Microsoft | Bill Gates
Apr 2, 2025 · Celebrate 50 years of Microsoft with the company's original source code. Before there was Office or Windows 95 or Xbox or AI, there was Altair BASIC.
[80]
April 4, 1975: Bill Gates, Paul Allen Form a Little Partnership - WIRED
Apr 4, 2008 · Allen was 22; Gates was 19. Altair Basic was functioning by March. The "Micro-soft" partnership was sealed in April, but wouldn't get its name ...