MITS released the Altair 8800 personal computer in 1975. The Albuquerque company, formally called Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems, developed the machine around Intel’s 8080 microprocessor and sold it primarily as a kit for electronics hobbyists.
The Altair became famous after appearing on the cover of the January 1975 issue of Popular Electronics, which reached newsstands in December 1974. The publicity generated far more orders than MITS expected, forcing the small company to expand production rapidly. Buyers assembled the computer themselves and programmed it through switches and front-panel lights.
The original Altair had no built-in keyboard, monitor, or disk drive. Users could add expansion boards and connect terminals or other peripherals. Its expandable architecture helped establish the S-100 bus as an early industry standard for hobbyist microcomputers.
The Altair also played a major role in the early history of Microsoft. Bill Gates and Paul Allen created Altair BASIC for the machine, giving Microsoft one of its first major products. MITS founder Ed Roberts later sold the company to Pertec in 1977, but the Altair’s influence on personal computing continued long after the original system disappeared from the market.