Systems

Altair 8800

Microcomputer

Citation Formats

General Reference

Computing Atlas. "Altair 8800." Accessed August 30, 2026. https://computing.interactiveatlas.org/systems/altair-8800.

APA Style

Computing Atlas. (n.d.). Altair 8800. Retrieved August 30, 2026, from https://computing.interactiveatlas.org/systems/altair-8800

BibTeX

@misc{computingatlas-altair-8800,
  author = {Computing Atlas},
  title = {Altair 8800},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://computing.interactiveatlas.org/systems/altair-8800},
  note = {Accessed August 30, 2026}
}

The Altair 8800 is a microcomputer introduced in 1974 by MITS, Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems, built around the Intel 8080 processor. It was operated via a front panel of toggle switches and LEDs and typically required external peripherals, such as a teletype, for practical use; it is widely regarded as the first commercially successful personal computer.

Facts

Year

1974 1

Significance

Its exposure on the January 1975 cover of Popular Electronics drove a surge in adoption credited with catalyzing the microcomputer revolution, and the demand for software for it led directly to the founding of Microsoft, formed to supply a BASIC interpreter for the machine. 1

Cross-Tradition Connections