History of Science & Technology

MITS Altair 8800 Computer

1974 8-Bit Microcomputer

Cryptocurrency Accepted

Live auction begins on:

July 15, 06:00 PM GMT

Estimate

8,000 - 12,000 USD

Bid

7,000 USD

Lot Details

Description

8-bit microcomputer by MITS, c.1974, metal case with removable top, face panel with 36 LEDs, 25 switches, cooling fan, power supply and interface adapters at back, containing 7 modules:

1. MITS 8800 CPU BD, Rev 0

2. MITS Disc No 2, Rev 1

3. MITS Inc 8800 Disc 801 rev 0.4, 1976

4. MITS 88-2 SIO, Rev 0

5-7. MITS 16 MCD 16K Dynamic RAM

WITH: Original MITS Altair Documentation binder

AND WITH: Original MITS-branded mailing box.

THE MODEL THAT LED TO THE FORMATION OF MICROSOFT.

MITS Altair 8800 was the first microcomputer popular with the hobbyist market. It was originally offered in kit form for $439 or assembled for $621. Bill Gates, then in his Sophomore year at Harvard, and Paul Allen came across the December 1974 issue of Popular Electronics which featured the Altair on the cover and decided to join the computer revolution by writing a BASIC interpreter that would run on Altair's Intel 8080 microprocessor. "It would become the first commercial native high-level programming language for a microprocessor. And it would launch the personal computer software industry" (Isaacson p 332).

This example with the extremely rare original mailing MITS-branded mailing box. Confirmed as operational in May 2026.

Isaacson, Walter. The Innovators. NY: [2014].