The Computer That Changed Everything (Altair 8800) - Computerphile

Arguably the first personal computer, the Altair 8800 is the machine that inspired Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. Jason Fitzpatrick from the Centre for Computing History explains.

Sinclair ZX81: COMING SOON

This video was filmed and edited by Sean Riley.

[HennerZeller]

Correction: Steve Jobs didn't build anything, Steve Wozniak did. Steve Jobs was the sales person.

[igooog]

Using switches as the primary interface for a computer is a feel that you just can't match

[AndersJackson]

I have coded on one like this around 1980. I friends father had one, and we played with it.
At Uppsala University Computer Club we made the back plane of a PDP 11 play some AM music too. This was around 1992-1993 though. Lots of fun. :-)

[tombrannan]

I love this channel.  I would love to play with an Altair some day.  Thanks for making these videos, Brady.

[zuzusuperfly]

I wonder if Brady understands that he's going to end up something of a legend in Youtube history. I mean, he's been bombing Youtube with mini documentaries for years now.

[adityakhanna]

I really like the...
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[Tsaukpaetra]

3:40 I get those buzzing noises when I put my phone next to my TV and access 3g data!

[luisdanielmesa]

I think he meant Steve Wozniak not Jobs

[RMoribayashi]

Popular Electronics was the big magazine for makers in the '70s. In the Jan. '75 issue they featured the Altair 8800 and soon computers were its main topic. In '82 it was renamed Computers and Electronics. The Jan. '85 issue was a commemorative duplicate of the historic '75 issue with a faux gold foil cover. They went under 3 months later.

[SamueleZanella]

This guy sounds so amusingly like Wheatley from Portal 2 :)

[jaybrown]

You almost got the Gates story correct. Bill and Paul wrote a BASIC interpreter to enter a contest for the contract.

[homejonny]

Since it has no keyboard or screen monitor, should it be called a electronic abacus instead of a computer??

[matteofalduto]

Gotta love the Dutch angle in this video

[tricitiesair]

Back when America actually invented things for the hell of it.

[ebutuoy]

Before coming out with the Altair 8800 MITS was selling calculator kits. They were doing ok I think. They said they were coming out with a programmable calculator but then came out with the Altair instead.

[Formulka]

looks in remarkably good shape for something 40 years old

[batlin]

Great stuff! This chap's voice reminds me if the snooker player Steve Davis; perhaps from the same neck of the woods?

[MrGridStrom]

There is another video on youtube, showing how small programs could be saved, and re-loaded using paper tap. Paper tape being one of the predecessors of punch-cards.

[azumanguy]

"You programmed in binary and you got your answers back in binary" yoo that's hardcore. Skull emoji

[DataCabe]

Oh boy... Sinclair zx81 upcoming.  My first computer!  (The 'Murrican version of it, the Timex Sinclair 1000)