Altair

MITS Altair 8800 computer. Though technically not the first personal computer, the MITS Altair 8800 is widely recognized as the first microcomputer and the first PC to be commercially successful. In 1975, MITS sold approximately 2,000, which is significantly more than another previous PC. It came equipped with a 2 Mhz Intel 8080 microprocessor with 256 bytes standard RAM and used an 8" floppy disk drive for storage. However, it did not include a keyboard. Instead, output was displayed through a series of patterned flashing LEDs. Programming was also challenging and was created by front panel switches that represented binary digits. The links included herein relate to Altair personal computers.