|
Anche MITS andò in rosso: alla fine del 1973 aveva accumulato 300.000$ di perdite. Roberts decise di ritornare al mercato dei kit con un computer a basso costo e scelse come [[CPU]] il nuovo [[Intel 8080]].<ref> Young (1998), 155–158</ref> Roberts ed il suo capo ingegnere ''Bill Yates'' iniziarono a progettare il computer. Essi presero accordi affinché un prototipo del computer apparisse sul numero di gennaio di ''Popular Electronics''. Roberts e Yates spedirono il prototipo ma questo non arrivò mai a causa di uno sciopero dello spedizioniere. L'editore della rivista, che aveva già in mano la recensione e delle foto, iniziò a preparare l'articolo mentre Roberts si affrettò a produrre un rimpiazzo del computer giusto in tempo per l'impaginazione della rivista: la macchina che si vede sulla copertina del numero di gennaio del [[1975]] di ''Popular Electronics'' non è un computer funzionante ma una semplice scatola vuota con degli interruttori e dei LED sul pannello frontale. Il computer messo in commercio aveva inoltre una circuiteria differente rispetto a quella del prototipo mostrato nella rivista. L'articolo si intitolava ''Il minicomputer '''''[[Altair 8800]]'''.<ref name = "PE Jan 1975">{{cita pubblicazione | autore = H. Edward Roberts | coautori = William Yates | anno = 1975 | mese = gennaio | titolo = Altair 8800 minicomputer | rivista = Popular Electronics | volume = 7 | numero = 1 | pagine = 33–38 | editore = Ziff Davis }}</ref>
L'Altair 8800 era venduto come kit con un pannello frontale, una scheda per la CPU con il microprocessore 8080, 256 byte di [[Random Access Memory|RAM]], una scheda con 4 porte di espansione ed un alimentatore, il tutto a 439$. Una scheda di memoria da 1 kB di RAM era venduta a 176$ mentre quella da 4 kB a 264$; la scheda con l'interfaccia seriale a 124$ e quella per l'interfaccia parallela a 119$.<ref name = "MITS Price List">{{cita pubblicazione | autore = MITS | anno = 1975 | mese = agosto | titolo = Worlds Most Inexpensive BASIC language system | rivista = Popular Electronics | volume = 8 | numero = 2 | pagine = 1 | editore = Ziff Davis}}</ref> PerDa confronto,abbinare ilal Teletypecomputer c'erano la [[telescrivente]] ASR-33, veniva vendutovenduta a 1500$, ed il [[terminale (informatica)|terminale]] ADM-3A, a 795$ (in kit) oppure 895$ (assemblato).<ref name = "ADM-3A">{{cita pubblicazione | cognome = Hawkins | nome = William J. | coautori = Orlando Guerra | titolo = Computer add-ons - kits you build for your home unit | rivista = Popular Science | volume = 212 | numero = 5 | pagine = 64–68 | data = maggio 1978 | url = http://books.google.com/?id=rwAAAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA64 | id=issn 0161-7370 | editore = Bonnier Corporation }}</ref>.
Quando la rivista uscì, il centralino di MITS fu preso d'assalto dalle telefonate. A febbaio del 1975 gli ordini ricevuti erano già 1.000 con tempi di attesa che già arrivavano a 2 mesi e più. Ad agosto erano già stati spediti oltre 5.000 computer.<ref>{{cita pubblicazione | cognome = Green | nome = Wayne | anno = 1975 | mese = ottobre | titolo = From the Publisher .. Are they real? | rivista = BYTE | volume = 1 | numero = 2 | pagine = 61,81,87 | editore = Green Publishing}}</ref>
La prima (e unica) conferenza mondiale sul computer Altair fu tenuta ad Albuquerque nel marzo del 1976. Organizzata da David Bunnell, fu un successo: vi parteciparono 700 persone provenienti da 46 Stati e 7 Paesi differenti.<ref name = "Byte Jun 1976">{{cita pubblicazione | titolo = The Albuquerque Happening | rivista = Byte | volume = 1 | numero = 10 | pagine = 36–37 | editore = Byte Publications | località = Peterborough, NH | data = giugno 1976}}</ref>
=== Clones ===
[[File:Altair 8800b Computer Front.jpg| thumb|right| Many companies made boards that could plug into the Altair / S-100 bus.]]
Owners of mainframe systems and minicomputers could purchase additional memory, interface boards and peripherals from third party suppliers; so it was predictable that owners of the Altair 8800 computer would do the same. MITS's delays in delivery of systems and accessories accelerated the formation of Altair compatible suppliers. The first ones started appearing in mid 1975 and by July 1976 complete computers systems were readily available.<ref name = "Byte July 1976">{{cite journal | journal = Byte | volume =0 1 | issue = 11 | publisher = Byte Publications | ___location = Peterborough NH | date = July 1976}} Numerous advertisers in the issue claim Altair compatibility.</ref> The technical manuals for the Altair 8800 provided electrical schematics of the 100 pin computer bus allowing others to design compatible boards. There was not a proper technical standard at the time and some "compatible" boards did not work with other "compatible" boards. Later, the industry developed the [[S-100 bus]] standard.<ref name = "S100 Bus">{{cite journal | last = Morrow | first = George | authorlink = George Morrow (computers) | coauthors = Howard Fullmer | title = Microsystems Proposed Standard for the S-100 Bus Preliminary Specification, IEEE Task 696.1/D2 | journal = Computer | volume = 11 | issue = 5 | pages = 84–90 | publisher = IEEE | date = May 1978 | doi = 10.1109/C-M.1978.218190}}</ref>
[[Bill Godbout]] Electronics in Oakland, CA was the parts supplier to many of the hobbyists and students from [[University of California, Berkeley | Berkeley]]. [[George Morrow (computers) | George Morrow]] approached Godbout with several Altair compatible designs that Godbout agreed to produce and sell.<ref name = "George Morrow 1979">{{cite journal | last = Williams | first = Tom | title = Hazards & Opportunities in the Micro Market: Interview with Thinker Toy's George Morrow | journal = Intelligent Machine Journal | volume = 1 | issue = 3 | page = p. 2 | date = February 14, 1979 | url = http://books.google.com/?id=Ez4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA2 | issn = 0199-6649 | publisher = InfoWorld Media Group, Inc.}}</ref><ref name = "Altair clones">{{cite book | last = Freiberger | first = Paul | coauthors = Michael Swaine | title = Fire in the Valley | publisher = McGraw-Hill | date = 2000|edition= 2nd | pages = 123–129 | isbn = 0071358927}}</ref> The October 1975 Byte magazine carried an advertisement headlining "Get your MITTS on a Godbout RAM kit." <!-- The ad actuality use "MITtS" --> <!--The 4K byte Altair compatible board was $131.07.
Godbout also sold components to [[Processor Technology]] for their 4K Static RAM board and serial / parallel interface board. [[Lee Felsenstein]] designed an Altair compatible video board that provided 16 lines of 64 upper and lower case characters on a black and white television. This $160 board became very popular and led to the Processor Technology Sol-20 Computer in 1976.<ref name = "VDM-1">{{cite journal | month = February 1976 | title = Introducing VDM-1| journal = Popular Electronics | volume = 9 | issue = 2 | page = p. 100}} Processor Technology Video Display advertisement. Features 16 lines, 64 characters, upper and lower case. $160 </ref>
The [[ IMSAI 8080]], the first "clone" of the Altair computer, was released 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" | pages = 18 | ___location = Los Angeles | isbn = 0-89586-502-5}} "Later that day, December 16 [1975], United Parcel Service picked up the first shipment of 50 IMSAI computer kits for delivery to customers." </ref> It corrected many shortcomings of the original Altair 8800 by providing a larger power supply, a 22 slot motherboard, and easier wiring of the front panel. Ed Roberts reviewed the IMSAI in his April 1976 column in ''Computer Notes'', and agreed that the IMSAI was in some ways better than the original Altair. Roberts also pointed out that the new Altair 8800B was superior to the IMSAI 8080 and the upgraded Altair 8800A fixed the same issues that the IMSAI did.<ref name = "CN April 1976">{{cite journal | last = Roberts | first = Ed | title = Ramblings from Ed Roberts | journal = Computer Notes | volume = 1 | issue = 11 | pages = 3| publisher = MITS | ___location = Albuquerque NM | date = April 1976 | url = http://www.startupgallery.org/gallery/notesViewer.php?ii=76_4&p=3}}</ref>
Altair computers were only available from the 20 or so authorized Altair computer dealers, but the IMSAI 8080, Processor Technology Sol and many other clones were sold by hundreds of newly opening computer stores.
The S-100 bus was used throughout the 1980's until it was overtaken by the IBM PC [[Industry Standard Architecture | ISA]] bus. [[Seattle Computer Products]] (SCP) was a manufacturer of S-100 memory boards. The company's engineer, [[Tim Paterson]], designed an [[Intel 8086]] [[Central Processing Unit|CPU]] system on two S-100 boards in 1979. [[Microsoft]], then in nearby Bellevue, Washington, used the prototype machine to test their 8086 version of BASIC. Digital Research had promised to deliver an 8086 version their [[CP/M]] operating system by December 1979 but missed that date. SCP needed a disk operating system to sell its 8086 products so Patterson wrote [[86-DOS|QDOS]], a "Quick and Dirty Operating System" in three months. Microsoft would later purchase QDOS from SCP for $50,000 and use it as the basis for the [[IBM PC-DOS]].<ref>Manes (1994), 134–136</ref><ref name = "InfoWorld Sep 1981">{{cite journal | last = Hogan | first = Thom | title = IBM Announces New Microcomputer System | journal = InfoWorld | volume = 3 | issue = 18 | pages = pp. 1, 14 | date = September 14, 1981 | url = http://books.google.com/?id=Mj0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA14 | issn = 0199-6649 | publisher = InfoWorld Media Group, Inc.}}</ref>
{{Main|Altair BASIC}}
[[File:Altair Computer Ad August 1975.jpg |thumb|right| AnUn Altair 8800 in kit withcon 8 KBkB ofdi memorymemoria ande l'Altair BASIC costcosta onlysolo 995$995 in August(agosto 1975).]]
Alla fine del 1974 Bill Gates e Paul Allen videro la pubblicità dell'Altair 8800 sulla rivista ''Popular Electronics'' e pensarono che fosse abbastanza potente per poter supportare un [[interprete (informatica)|interprete]] [[BASIC]]. Essi si misero al lavoro sfruttando l'accesso che Gates aveva come studente al [[PDP-10]] dell'università di Harvard: Allen scrisse per quel computer un emulatore dell'Intel 8080 su cui poi Gates scrisse l'interprete. <ref>Manes (1994), 50–54. Gates e Allen lavorarono al TRW dove avevano un accesso illimitato ad un PDP-10.</ref><ref name="harddrive PDP-10">{{cita libro | cognome=Wallace | nome =James | coautori =Jim Erickson | titolo=Hard Drive: Bill Gates and the Making of the Microsoft Empire | editore=John Wiley & Sons | anno=1992 | pagine= 81–83 | id=isbn 0-471-56886-4}}</ref> Gates a Allen reclutarono un altro studente, [[Monte Davidoff]], per scrivere le [[routine]] matematiche. <ref>Manes (1994), 50–54.</ref> Una versione preliminare dell'interprete fu completata per marzo 1975 e Gates contattò Roberts per una dimostrazione. Allen volò quindi ad Albuquerque per mostrare il loro BASIC.
In December 1974 Bill Gates was a student at [[Harvard University]] and Paul Allen worked for [[Honeywell]] in Boston. They saw the Altair 8800 computer in the January 1975 issue of ''Popular Electronics'' and knew it was powerful enough to support a [[BASIC]] interpreter.<ref>The January 1975 issue of ''Popular Electronics'' was published on November 29, 1974. [[:File:Copyright_Popular_Electronics_1975.jpg | Copyright record.]]</ref> They wanted to be the first to offer BASIC for the Altair computer, and the software development tools they had previously created for their [[Intel 8008]] microprocessor based [[Traf-O-Data]] computer would give them a head start.<ref>Manes (1994), 68–70.</ref> While their friend, Paul Gilbert, was building the computer, Allen wrote a program that ran on a DEC [[PDP-10]] [[time-sharing]] computer that simulated the 8008 system. He also modified DEC's [[Assembly language |macro assembler]] to produce the machine code for the 8008 microprocessor. The Traf-O-Data software could be written and debugged before the computer hardware was complete.<ref>Manes (1994), 50–54. Gates and Allen worked at TRW where they had unlimited access to a PDP-10.</ref>
TheNel Aprilnumero 1975di issueaprile of1975 the Altair Newsletter,di ''Computer Notes ,'' hadapparve al'annuncio bannerdella headlinedisponibilità "dell'Altair BASIC , -in Upconsegna anda Running".partire Thedal software23 was to begin shipping on June 23,giugno 1975.<ref name = "CN April 1975">{{ citecita journalpubblicazione | titletitolo = Altair BASIC - Up and Running | journalrivista = Computer Notes | volume = 1 | issuenumero = 1 | pagespagine = pp. 1, 3 | publishereditore = MITS | ___locationlocalità = Albuquerque , NM | datedata = Aprilaprile 1975 | url = http://www.startupgallery.org/gallery/notesViewer.php?ii=75_4&p=00}} The publication date was April 7, 1975</ref> TheIl software price wascostava 500$ 500, butma discountedveniva toofferto a $75 $ withcon thel'acquisto purchasedi of anun Altair computer8800 withcon 8k8 byteskB ofdi memorymemoria anded auna serial I/Oscheda cardseriale. ▼Harvard had a [[Digital Equipment Corporation|DEC]] [[PDP-10]] that was available for student use. They would use it to develop BASIC.<ref name="harddrive PDP-10">{{cite book | last=Wallace | first =James | coauthors =Jim Erickson | title=Hard Drive: Bill Gates and the Making of the Microsoft Empire | publisher=John Wiley & Sons | date=1992 | pages= 81–83 | isbn =0-471-56886-4}}"When Harvard officials found out that he (Gates) and Allen had been making extensive use of the university's PDP-10 to develop a commercial product, they were not pleased." The computer was funded by the Department of Defense and was under the control of Professor Thomas Cheatham. "Although DARPA was funding the PDP-10 at Harvard, there was no written policy regarding its use."</ref> While Allen modified their development software for the new 8080 microprocessor, Gates began writing 8080 assembly language by hand on yellow legal pads. They enlisted another Harvard student, [[Monte Davidoff]], to write the math routines.<ref>Manes (1994), 50–54.</ref>
Il 22 giugno 1975 MITS firmò con Gates e Allen un contratto per l'Altair BASIC. Ai programmatori andavano 3.000$ in contanti ed una [[royalty]] per ogni copia dell'interprete venduto: 30$ per la versione da 4K, 35$ per quella da 8K e 60$ per la versione espansa. Il contratto aveva un tetto massimo di 180.000$ di royalty. A MITS andava una licenza mondiale di esclusiva sul programma per 10 anni accettando di usare i "migliori sforzi" per dare in licenza, promuovere e commercializzare il programma. MITS fornì a Gates e Allen l'accesso ad un PDP-10 per completare lo sviluppo dell'interprete.
By early February the program coding switched from legal pads to the PDP-10 and a preliminary version was completed by March 1975.<ref>Manes (1994), 71. "A much later version of the source code memorializes the date as February 9, 1975, but the project almost certainly began earlier - during Harvard's January 'reading period' …" [[:File:Altair Basic Sign.jpg | Source code display in museum]]</ref> Gates and Allen had been in contact with Roberts and MITS and the older looking Paul Allen would travel to Albuquerque in March. MITS needed more time to get a computer with 7k bytes of memory working, and they needed more time to get the software finished. When Allen arrived at MITS it took a day to get the software running; Allen remembers this being caused by computer memory problems<ref>Manes (1993), 75.</ref> while Roberts remembers the delay was due to software problems.<ref>Young (1998), 163.</ref>
Allen lasciò il suo lavoro presso [[Honeywell]] e divenne il Vice-presidente e Direttore del Reparto Software di MITS con un salario annuo di 30.000$<ref>Young (1998), 164.</ref>.
▲The April 1975 issue of the Altair Newsletter, Computer Notes, had a banner headline "Altair BASIC - Up and Running". The software was to begin shipping on June 23, 1975.<ref name = "CN April 1975">{{cite journal | title = Altair BASIC - Up and Running | journal = Computer Notes | volume = 1 | issue = 1 | pages = pp. 1, 3 | publisher = MITS | ___location = Albuquerque NM | date = April 1975 | url = http://www.startupgallery.org/gallery/notesViewer.php?ii=75_4&p=00}} The publication date was April 7, 1975</ref> The software price was $500, but discounted to $75 with the purchase of an Altair computer with 8k bytes of memory and a serial I/O card.
On July 22, 1975 MITS signed a contract for the Altair BASIC with Bill Gates and Paul Allen. They received $3000 at signing and a royalty for each copy of BASIC sold; $30 for the 4K version, $35 for the 8K version and $60 for the expanded version. The contract had a cap of $180,000. MITS received an exclusive worldwide license to the program for 10 years. They also had exclusive rights to sub-license the program to other companies and agreed to use its "best efforts" to license, promote and commercialize the program. MITS would supply the computer time necessary for development; a PDP-10 owned by the Albuquerque school district.<ref>Manes (1994), 82–83.</ref> Paul Allen left his job at Honeywell and became the Vice President and Director of Software at MITS with a salary of $30,000 per year.<ref>Young (1998), 164.</ref><!-- Also Manes, pg 76. Allen left MITS in Nov 1976. Manes, pg 103 --><!-- Bill Gates was still a student at Harvard and just a contractor with MITS. The October 1975 company newsletter gives his title as "Software Specialist".<ref name = "Computer Notes Oct 1975">{{cite journal | title = Contributors | journal = Computer Notes | volume = 1 | issue = 5 | page = p.13 | publisher = MITS | ___location = Albuquerque NM | date = October 1975 | url = http://www.startupgallery.org/gallery/notesViewer.php?ii=75_10&p=13}}</ref>
The price of Altair BASIC to customers who purchased additional memory and I/O boards from MITS was $75. Users may have gone along with that if the memory board were reliable. Customers bought the computer from MITS, and working memory from companies like Processor Technology. Rather than pay $500 for BASIC, they would acquire bootleg copies of the software. Only about ten percent of the early customers actually purchased BASIC.<ref>Manes (1994), 90. "Roughly 900 copies had been accounted for between July and year's end." "MITS was shipping maybe a thousand machines a month, yet BASIC was selling in the low hundreds."</ref> With a royalty due of $30 per copy, Gates felt that the computer hobbyist were stealing money from him. In February 1976 Bill Gates, "General Partner, Micro-Soft", wrote an "[[Open Letter to Hobbyists]]" that was sent to every computer publication inferring that the hobbyists were thieves.
|
