Today, 50 year ago

[Stefan Ram]

Today [2024-11-27], 50 years ago [1974-11-27]:

Popular Electronics features the Altair 8800.

My date is actually a bit early! Only few sources say it was the
December issue, while most say it was the January issue. Subscribers
then might have gotten the December issue at the end of November.
So, that's how "1974-11-27" is somewhat possible, but probably
something like "1974-12-27" is more correct.

From the SERPs: The Altair 8800 was promoted on the cover of
Popular Electronics and became the first commercially successful
microprocessor-based computer. Ed Roberts and Bill Yates finished
the first prototype in October 1974 and shipped it to Popular
Electronics in New York via the Railway Express. Bill Gates and
Paul Allen saw the Altair 8800 on the cover of the January 1975
issue of Popular Electronics, and they approached the MITS.

[Bob Eager]

Post by Stefan Ram
Popular Electronics features the Altair 8800.
My date is actually a bit early! Only few sources say it was the
December issue, while most say it was the January issue. Subscribers
then might have gotten the December issue at the end of November. So,
that's how "1974-11-27" is somewhat possible, but probably something
like "1974-12-27" is more correct.

https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Poptronics/70s/1975/
Poptronics-1975-01.pdf

[Scott Lurndal]

Post by Bob Eager

Post by Stefan Ram
Popular Electronics features the Altair 8800.
My date is actually a bit early! Only few sources say it was the
December issue, while most say it was the January issue. Subscribers
then might have gotten the December issue at the end of November. So,
that's how "1974-11-27" is somewhat possible, but probably something
like "1974-12-27" is more correct.

https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Poptronics/70s/1975/
Poptronics-1975-01.pdf

Hmm. About $2500 in 2024 dollars. No wonder I didn't get one
back in the day...

[Peter Flass]

Post by Scott Lurndal

Post by Bob Eager

Post by Stefan Ram
Popular Electronics features the Altair 8800.
My date is actually a bit early! Only few sources say it was the
December issue, while most say it was the January issue. Subscribers
then might have gotten the December issue at the end of November. So,
that's how "1974-11-27" is somewhat possible, but probably something
like "1974-12-27" is more correct.

https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Poptronics/70s/1975/
Poptronics-1975-01.pdf

Hmm. About $2500 in 2024 dollars. No wonder I didn't get one
back in the day...

Yes. I REALLY wanted one, but that was out of my league.

[Rich Alderson]

Post by Peter Flass

Post by Scott Lurndal

Post by Bob Eager

Post by Stefan Ram
Popular Electronics features the Altair 8800.
My date is actually a bit early! Only few sources say it was the
December issue, while most say it was the January issue. Subscribers
then might have gotten the December issue at the end of November. So,
that's how "1974-11-27" is somewhat possible, but probably something
like "1974-12-27" is more correct.

https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Poptronics/70s/1975/
Poptronics-1975-01.pdf

Hmm. About $2500 in 2024 dollars. No wonder I didn't get one
back in the day...

Yes. I REALLY wanted one, but that was out of my league.

I was applying to graduate schools. My wife pointed out that I could go to
grad school, or buy a toy computer, but not both.

Maybe should have bought the computer? Nah.