Flashback Friday: Altair 8800

Remember the days when we used to type away on clunky old keyboards and wait patiently as our chunky monitors flickered to life? Let's take a trip down memory lane this Flashback Friday and reminisce about the glory days of old computers! When personal computers were first introduced, they were nothing like the sleek, portable laptops we use today. Early personal computers had limited capabilities and were large, clunky machines. They were also quite expensive, which made them inaccessible to most people. It wasn't until the 1980s that personal computers began to take off, and even then, they were still quite inefficient by today's standards.

The first commercially available personal computer was the Altair 8800. In January 1975, Popular Electronics magazine unveiled the Altair 8800, the first personal computer that was commercially available for purchase. The computer was designed as a kit for electronics enthusiasts who enjoyed building their own radios and other devices. The Altair 8800 is a microcomputer designed by MITS and based on the Intel 8080 CPU. They sold by mail order through advertisements there, in Radio-Electronics, and in other hobbyist magazines.The Altair 8800 is a microcomputer designed in 1974 by MITS and based on the Intel 8080 CPU. It was sold by mail order through advertisements there, in Radio-Electronics, and in other hobbyist magazines. It became the first commercially successful personal computer and was the beginning of the microcomputer revolution. Its popularity soon led to the development of other microcomputers and the personal computer industry as we know it today.