MITS Altair 8800a Microcomputer

Not long after Intel introduced its 8080 chip, a small firm in Albuquerque, New Mexico, named MITS (Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems) announced a computer kit called the Altair, which met the social as well as technical requirements for a small personal computer. MITS succeeded where other, more established firm had failed, and it was their machine that inaugurated the personal computer age. MITS got its start in computing in 1971, when it introduced an electronic calculator kit. Several thousand sold before 1974, when the sharp reduction in calculator prices drove the company out of that market. It then introduced the Altair 8800 in early 1975. By October of 1976 it was offering two improved models - the Altair 8800a (this machine) and the Altair 8800b. The 8800a was a minor upgrade, including a better power supply and a different shape to the toggle switches used to program the machine.

Reference:

"Altair 8800a Technical Information," Byte, issue 14, October, 1976, pp. 23-24. the Altair 8800b is discussed in ad ad on pp. 39-40 of the same issue. The 8800b is also mentioned in theSeptember 1976 issue.

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