Editing Altair 8800 (section)

===The launch===
[[File:Altair Computer Ad May 1975.jpg|thumb|right|A May 1975 advertisement for the Altair 8800 Computer appeared in ''Popular Electronics'', ''Radio-Electronics'', and other magazines.]]
For a decade, colleges had required science and engineering majors to take a course in computer programming, typically using the [[FORTRAN]] or [[BASIC]] languages.<ref name = "Brillinger 1970">{{cite journal | last = Brillinger | first = P. C. |author2=D. D. Cowan | title = A complete package for introducing computer science | journal = SIGCSE Bulletin | volume = 2 | issue = 3 | pages =118–126 | publisher = ACM | date = November 1970 | doi = 10.1145/873641.873659| s2cid = 16270182 }} Describes the introductory computer science courses at the University of Waterloo.</ref><ref name = "Ceruzzi education">{{cite book | last = Ceruzzi | first = Paul E. | title = A History of Modern Computing | publisher = MIT Press | year = 2003 | location = Cambridge, MA | pages = [https://archive.org/details/historyofmodernc00ceru_0/page/201 201–206] | isbn = 0-262-53203-4 | url = https://archive.org/details/historyofmodernc00ceru_0/page/201 |url-access=registration}}</ref> This meant there was a sizable customer base who knew about computers. In 1970, electronic calculators were not seen outside of a laboratory, but by 1974 they were a common household item. Calculators and video games like ''[[Pong]]'' introduced computer power to the general public. Electronics hobbyists were moving on to digital projects such as digital voltmeters and frequency counters. The Altair had enough power to be actually useful, and was designed as an expandable system that opened it up to all sorts of applications.

Ed Roberts optimistically told his banker that he could sell 800 computers, while in reality they needed to sell 200 over the next year just to break even. When readers got the January issue of ''Popular Electronics'', MITS was flooded with inquiries and orders. They had to hire extra people just to answer the phones. In February MITS received 1,000 orders for the Altair 8800. The quoted delivery time was 60 days but it was months before they could meet that. Roberts focused on delivering the computer; all of the options would wait until they could keep pace with the orders. MITS claimed to have delivered 2,500 Altair 8800s by the end of May.<ref name = "Computer Design Ad">{{cite journal | last =MITS | title = MITS advertisement | journal =Digital Design | volume = 4 | issue = 6 | publisher = CMP Information | date = June 1975 | url =http://altair.ftldesign.com/ | access-date =2008-01-01| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071210115832/http://altair.ftldesign.com/| archive-date= 10 December 2007 | url-status= live}} "There was a subsequent article in February's Popular Electronics and the MITS people knew the Altair was here to stay. During that month alone, over 1,000 mainframes were sold. Datamation, March 1975." "By the end of May, MITS had shipped over 2,500 Altair 8800's"</ref> The number was over 5,000 by August 1975.<ref>{{cite journal | last = Green | first = Wayne |date=October 1975 | title = From the Publisher .. Are they real? | journal = BYTE | volume = 1 | issue = 2 | pages =61, 81, 87 | publisher = Green Publishing}} In August 1975 Wayne Green visited several personal computer manufacturers. A photo caption in his trip report says; "Meanwhile, at MITS, over 5,000 Altair 8800's have been shipped. Here is a view of part of the production line."</ref> MITS had under 20 employees in January but had grown to 90 by October 1975.<ref name="Computer Notes - Employees">{{cite journal|title=Letter from the President |journal=Computer Notes |last=Roberts |first=H. Edward |volume=1 |issue=5 |page=3 |publisher=Altair Users Group, MITS Inc. |date=October 1975 |url=http://startup.nmnaturalhistory.org/gallery/notesViewer.php?ii=75_10&p=3 |access-date=2008-07-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120323162008/http://startup.nmnaturalhistory.org/gallery/notesViewer.php?ii=75_10&p=3 |archive-date=March 23, 2012 }} "We had less than 20 employees when we introduced the Altair and now we have grown to 90 as a result of our Altair customers." Roberts also discussed the problems with the 4K dynamic RAM boards. Customers got a $50 refund.</ref>

The Altair 8800 computer was a break-even sale for MITS. They needed to sell additional memory boards, I/O boards and other options to make a profit. The system came with a "1024 word" (1024 byte) memory board populated with 256 bytes. The BASIC language was announced in July 1975 and required a serial interface board and at least one or two 4096 word memory boards, depending on the language variant.

MITS Price List, ''Popular Electronics'', August 1975.<ref name = "MITS Price List">{{cite magazine | author = MITS |date=August 1975 | title = Worlds Most Inexpensive BASIC language system |magazine= Popular Electronics | volume = 8 | issue = 2 | page =1 | publisher = Ziff Davis}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Description !! Kit price !! Assembled
|-
| Altair 8800 Computer ||align="right"| $439 ||align="right"| $621
|-
| 1024-word Memory Board ||align="right"| $176 ||align="right"| $209
|-
| 4096-word Memory Board ||align="right"| $264 ||align="right"| $338
|-
| Parallel Interface Board ||align="right"| $92 || style="text-align:right;"| $114
|-
| Serial Interface Board (RS-232) ||align="right"| $119 || style="text-align:right;"| $138
|-
| Serial Interface Board (Teletype) ||align="right"| $124 || style="text-align:right;"| $146
|-
| Audio Cassette Interface Board ||align="right"| $128 || style="text-align:right;"| $174
|-
| [[Teletype Model 33]] ASR || {{N/A}} || style="text-align:right;" | $1,500
|}
* 4K BASIC language (when purchased with Altair, 4096 words of memory and interface board): $60
* 8K BASIC language (when purchased with Altair, two 4096-word memory boards and interface board): $75

MITS had no competition in the US for the first half of 1975. Their 4K memory board used dynamic RAM and it had several design problems.<ref name="Computer Notes - Employees"/> The delay in shipping optional boards and the problems with the 4K memory board created an opportunity for outside suppliers. 

An enterprising Altair owner, Robert Marsh, designed a 4K static memory that was plug-in compatible with the Altair 8800 and sold for $255.<ref name = "Marsh">{{cite journal |last = Moore | first = Fred | title = Hardware | journal = Homebrew Computer Club Newsletter | volume = 1 | issue = 5 | pages =2, 5 | date = July 1976 | url = http://www.digibarn.com/collections/newsletters/homebrew/V1_05/index.html | access-date = 2007-12-30}}</ref> His company was [[Processor Technology]], one of the most successful Altair compatible board suppliers. Their advertisement in the July 1975 issue of ''Popular Electronics'' promised interface and PROM boards in addition to the 4K memory board. They would later develop a popular video display board that would plug directly into the Altair.

A consulting company in San Leandro, California, [[IMS Associates, Inc.]], wanted to purchase several Altair computers, but the long delivery time convinced them that they should build their own computers. In the October 1975 issue of ''Popular Electronics'', a small advertisement announced the [[IMSAI 8080]] computer. The ad noted that all boards were "[[plug compatible]]" with the Altair 8800. The computer cost $439 as a kit. The first 50 IMSAI computers shipped in December 1975.<ref name = "ComputerLand">{{cite book | last = Littman | first = Jonathan | title = Once Upon a Time in ComputerLand: The Amazing, Billion-Dollar Tale of Bill Millard | publisher = Price Stern Sloan | date =1987 | page = 18 | location = Los Angeles | isbn = 0-89586-502-5 | url=https://archive.org/details/onceupontimeinco0000litt/ |url-access=registration}} "Later that day, December 16 [1975], United Parcel Service picked up the first shipment of 50 IMS computer kits for delivery to customers."</ref> The IMSAI 8080 computer improved on the original Altair design in several areas. It was easier to assemble: The Altair required 60 wire connections between the front panel and the motherboard ([[backplane]]). The IMSAI required only two soldered connections between the front panel and power supply. The MITS motherboard consisted of 4 slot segments that had to be connected together with 100 wires. The IMSAI motherboard implemented 22 slots on a single segment. The IMSAI replaced the Altair's [[Multivibrator|one-shot]] clock generator with the Intel 8224. The IMSAI also had a larger power supply to handle the increasing number of expansion boards used in typical systems. The IMSAI advantage was short lived because MITS had recognized these shortcomings and developed the Altair 8800B, which was introduced in June 1976.

In 1977, [[Pertec Computer Corporation]] purchased MITS and began to market the computer, without changes (except for branding), as the PCC 8800 in 1978.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=34  | title = MITS - ALTAIR COMPANY IS SOLD TO PERTEC (MAY 1977) | website = OldComputers.Com | access-date = October 14, 2015 }}</ref>