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== Calculators ==
[[File:MITS Calculator 1200 Series 1973 advertisement.jpg|thumb|right| Sales had reached $100,000 per month when this advertisement ran in March 1973.]]
Ed Roberts' interest in computers began in high school when he built a simple digital computer from relays. His first real experience with computers came while at [[Oklahoma State University]] where engineering students had free access to an [[IBM 1620]] computer. Roberts' office at Weapons Laboratory had the state of the art [[Hewlett-Packard 9100A]] programmable calculator in 1968. In July 1970, a semiconductor company, [[Electronic Arrays]], announced a set of six LSI ICs that would make a four-function calculator.<ref name = "EAS100">{{cite journal | title = New Products: Do-it-yourself Electronic Calculator | journal = Computer | volume = 3 | issue = 6 | pages =38–41 | publisher = IEEE | date = November 1970 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=GJ2wAAAAIAAJ&q=%22Electronic+Arrays%22+Calculator | doi = 10.1109/C-M.1970.216730 | quote = Electronic Arrays has developed the EAS100, a set of MOS LSI circuits for a 16 digit calculator with 8 digit display capability.| url-access = subscription }}</ref><ref name = "Calculator Patent">{{US patent reference | number = 3800129 | y = 1974 | m = 03 | d = 26 | inventor = Richard H. Umstattd | title = MOS Desk Calculator}} The Electronic Arrays, Inc. calculator chip set that was used in the MITS 816 calculator.</ref> Roberts was determined to design a calculator kit.
To fund the new project, Roberts sold 15% of MITS to fellow Air Force officer, Lieutenant William Yates. He also got an investment from another Weapons Laboratory officer, Major Ed Laughlin. Several other officers and scientists at the lab were interested in this state of the art calculator kit and helped with the design. Forrest Mims wrote the assembly manual in return for a calculator kit.
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By the end of 1977 Roberts left MITS and returned to Georgia to be a gentleman farmer. He studied medicine at [[Mercer University]] in Macon, Georgia and graduated with a [[M.D.]] in 1986. Roberts practiced medicine in [[Cochran, Georgia]] until his death in 2010.<ref name = "NYTimes obit">{{Cite news | last = Lohr | first = Steve | title = H. Edward Roberts, PC Pioneer, Dies at 68 | newspaper = The New York Times | date = April 2, 2010 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/03/business/03roberts.html}}</ref>
== Works cited ==
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