Roberts, H.Edward

The introduction of the first microprocessor in 1971 stimulated efforts to design and build a personal computer-one that anyone could own and use. In 1974, Roberts, head of Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems (MITS) of Albuquerque, New Mexico, invented a computer he named the Altair 8800, after a “Star Trek” episode. It had 256 bytes (¼ K) of memory, no keyboard, no monitor, and no storage device. Users entered programs into the computer via switches on the front panel. The computer responded with a display of blinking lights.

When the Altair was introduced in January 1975 as a do-it-yourself kit for hobbyists, Roberts hoped to sell 800 machines a year. Within three months, he had a backlog of 4,000 orders.

In addition to being the first mass-produced personal computer, the Altair was the first computer with an open architecture. This allowed inventors to design add-on devices such as memory cards and printers.

Roberts sold MITS in 1977 and went on to become a physician. Altair’s success inspired people to design competitive machines. It launched the personal computer industry, which has transformed almost every aspect of modern life.