Altair 8800

Released in 1975
Developed by Ed Roberts and Les Solomon
Original price: $500

Named after the destination for the Star Ship Enterprise in an episode of the original "Star Trek" TV series in the 1970s, the Altair desktop personal computer enjoyed a brief, yet passionate fling with the hearts and minds of computer hobbyists.



The project's genesis came in late 1974, when Popular Electronics technical editor Les Soloman reviewed plans for personal computers from readers around the nation. Dissatisfied with their proposals, he contacted his friend Ed Roberts, president of MITS, in Albuquerque, N.M.