அல்டைர் 8800: திருத்தங்களுக்கு இடையிலான வேறுபாடு

உள்ளடக்கம் நீக்கப்பட்டது உள்ளடக்கம் சேர்க்கப்பட்டது
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[[Image:Altair 8800 Computer.jpg|thumb|right|8 அங் [[நெகிழ் வட்டு]] அமைப்புடன் கூடிய அல்டைர் 8800 கணினி]]
[[Image:Popular Electronics Cover Jan 1975.jpg|thumb|right|அல்டைர் 8800 கணினியுடன் பாப்புலர் எலெக்ட்ரானிக்ஸ் இதழின் சனவரி, 1975 அட்டை]]
''மைக்ரோ இன்ஸ்ட்ருமென்டேசன் அன்ட் டெலிமெட்ரி சிஸ்டம்ஸ்'' (MITS) நிறுவனத்தின் '''அல்டைர் 8800''' (Altair 8800) 1975ஆம் ஆண்டில் இன்டெல் 8080 [[மையச் செயற்பகுதி]]யை அடித்தளமாக கொண்டு வடிவமைக்கப்பட்ட [[நுண்கணிப்பொறி]] ஆகும். சனவரி 1975இல் ''பாப்புலர் எலெக்ட்ரானிக்சு'' இதழின் முகப்பில் சிறப்பாக காட்சிப்படுத்தப்பட்டதால் இதில் மிகுந்த ஆர்வம் எழுந்தது. மேலும் பல பொழுதுபோக்கு இலத்திரனியல் தொழில்முறை இதழ்களிலும் விளம்பரங்கள் வெளியிடப்பட்டன. தாமே உருவாக்கிக் கொள்ளக்கூடிய கலப்பெட்டிகளை வடிவமைப்பாளர்கள் பொழுதுபோக்கு இலத்திரனியலாளர்களுக்கு விற்க முற்பட்டனர். நூறு கலப்பெட்டிகளை விற்கத் தயாரானநிலையில் முதல் மாதத்திலேயே ஆயிரக் கணக்கான கலப்பெட்டிகளுக்கு எழுந்த தேவை வடிவமைப்பாளர்களுக்கே ஆச்சரியமாக இருந்தது.<ref>Newscientist Sept 21 gallery: [http://www.newscientist.com/gallery/dn17805-computer-museums-of-the-world/4 ''March of the outdated machines'']</ref> மேலும் கணினித் தேவைப்பட்ட தனிநபர்களும் வணிக நிறுவனங்களும் தயார்நிலை கணினிகளை வாங்கினர்.<ref name = "Young 1998"> {{cite book | last = Young | first = Jeffrey S. | title = Forbes Greatest Technology Stories: Inspiring Tales of the Entrepreneurs | publisher = John Wiley & Sons | date =1998 | location =New York | isbn = 0-471-24374-4}} Chapter 6 "Mechanics: Kits & Microcomputers"</ref> நுண்கணிப்பொறி புரட்சிக்கான வித்தை அல்டைர் இட்டதாக ஏற்றுக்கொள்ளப்படுகிறது.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Garland|first=Harry|title=Design Innovations in Personal Computers|journal=Computer|publisher=IEEE Computer Society|quote=There is little question that the current enthusiasm in personal computing was catalyzed by the introduction of the MITS Altair computer kit in January 1975.|year=1977|month=March|volume=10|issue=3|page=24 |url=http://www.computer.org/csdl/mags/co/1977/03/01646402-abs.html}}</ref> அல்டைரில் வடிவமைக்கப்பட்ட [[தரவுப் பாட்டை]] [[நடைமுறைப்படி]] சீர்தரமாக ''எஸ்-100 பாட்டை'' என உருவாகியுள்ளது. இதன் முதல் நிரல்மொழியாக [[மைக்ரோசாப்ட்]]டின் துவக்கநிலை மென்பொருளான, ''அல்டைர் பேசிக்'' பயன்படுத்தப்பட்டது.<ref name = "Altair announcement">{{cite book | last = Ceruzzi | first = Paul E. | title = A History of Modern Computing | publisher = MIT Press | date = 2003 | location = Cambridge, MA | page = 226 | isbn = 0-262-53203-4}} "This announcement [Altair 8800] ranks with IBM's announcement of the System/360 a decade earlier as one of the most significant in the history of computing."</ref><ref name = "Altair Impact">{{cite book | last1 = Freiberger | first1 = Paul | authorlink1 = Paul Freiberger | first2 = Michael | last2 = Swaine | authorlink2 = Michael Swaine (author) | title = Fire in the Valley: The Making of the Personal Computer | publisher =McGraw-Hill | date = 2000 | location =New York, NY | isbn =0-07-135892-7}}</ref>
 
== வரலாறு ==
[[File:MITS Rocket Light Flasher.jpg|thumb|right| இந்த "மாதிரி ஏவூர்திகளின் தடங்காட்டி விளக்கு" (Tracking Light for Model Rockets) [[Model Rocketry (magazine)|''மாதிரி ஏவூர்தியியல்'']] திங்களிதழின் செப்டம்பர் 1969 பதிப்பில் வெளிவந்தது; அதுவே மிட்ஸ் (MITS) நிறுவனம் விற்ற முதல் கலப்பெட்டியுமாம்.]]
 
எட்வர்டு ராபர்ட்ஸும் ஃபோரெஸ்ட் மிம்ஸும் அமெரிக்க விமானப்படையின் கர்ட்லாந்து விமானதளத்தில் பணியாற்றிக் கொண்டிருக்கையில் அவர்களுடைய மின்னணுவியல் பின்புலத்தைப் பயன்படுத்தி ஏவூர்தி ஆர்வலர்களுக்குச் சிறு கலப்பெட்டிகளைத் தயாரிக்கத் தீர்மானித்தார்கள். 1969 இல் ராபர்ட்ஸும் மிம்ஸும் சேர்ந்து ஸ்டான் கேகிள், ராபர்ட் ஃசாலர் என்ற கூட்டாளிகளோடு சேர்ந்து ''மைக்ரோ இன்ஸ்ட்ருமென்டேசன் அன்ட் டெலிமெட்ரி சிஸ்டம்ஸ்'' (MITS) நிறுவனத்தை [[ஆல்புகெர்க்கி_(நியூ_மெக்சிகோ)]]யில் இருந்த ராபர்ட்ஸின் வண்டிக் கொட்டகையில் (vehicle garage) துவக்கி மாதிரி ஏவூர்திக்கான அலைபரப்பியையும் அளவைகருவிகளையும் செய்து விற்கத் தொடங்கினார்கள்.
 
===கணிப்பான்கள்===
மாதிரி ஏவூர்திக் கலப்பெட்டிகள் சுமாராக விற்றன. மிட்ஸ் நிறுவனம் ஆர்வலர்களுக்குப் பிடிக்கக்கூடிய இன்னொரு கலப்பெட்டியை விற்க எத்தனித்தது. நவம்பர் 1970 "பாப்புலர் எலெக்ட்ரானிக்ஸ்" இதழில் மிட்ஸ் நிறுவனம் எல்.இ.டி. [[LED]] ஒளிக்கற்றையூடாகக் குரலை அனுப்பும் நுட்பம் கொண்ட ஆப்டிகாம் என்ற கலப்பெட்டி பற்றிய விவரங்களை வெளியிட்டது. மிம்ஸுக்கும் கேகிளுக்கும் கலப்பெட்டி வணிகத்தின் மீதிருந்த விருப்பம் தணியவே ராபர்ட்ஸ் அவரது கூட்டாளிகளின் பங்கைத் தாமே வாங்கிக் கொண்டார். பிறகு கணிப்பான் கலப்பெட்டிகளைப் படைக்கத் தொடங்கினார்.
 
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Electronic Arrays had just announced a set of six [[Integrated circuit#SSI.2C MSI and LSI|large scale integrated]] (LSI) circuit chips that would make a four-function calculator.<ref name = "Calculator Patent">{{US patent reference | number = 3800129 | y = 1974 | m = 03 | d = 26 | inventor = Richard H. Umstattd | title = MOS Desk Calculator}} The Electronic Arrays, Inc. calculator chip set that was used in the MITS 816 calculator.</ref> The [[Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems#Calculators|MITS 816]] calculator kit used the chip set and was featured on the November 1971 cover of ''Popular Electronics''. This calculator kit sold for $175 ($275 assembled).<ref name = "MITS 816">{{cite magazine | author = Ed Roberts |date=November 1971 | title = Electronic desk calculator you can build |magazine= Popular Electronics | volume = 35 | issue = 5 | pages =27–32 | publisher = Ziff Davis}}</ref> Forrest Mims wrote the assembly manual for this kit and many others over the next several years. He often accepted a copy of the kit as payment.
 
The calculator was successful and was followed by several improved models. The MITS 1440 calculator was featured in the July 1973 issues of ''Radio-Electronics''. It had a 14-digit display, memory, and [[square root]] function. The kit sold for $200 and the assembled version was $250.<ref name="MITS 1440">{{cite journal|last=Kellahin|first=James R.|date=July 1973|title=The 1440: A calculator with memory, square root and other new features|journal=Radio-Electronics|publisher=Gernsback Publication|volume=44|issue=7|pages=55–57}} The cover story is for the MITS 1700 waveform generator. An ad for the MITS 1200, a $99 battery operated handheld calculator, is on page 15.</ref> MITS later developed a programmer unit that would connect to the 816 or 1440 calculator and allow programs of up to 256 steps.<ref name = "Calculator Book">{{cite book | last =Roberts | first =H. Edward | authorlink = Ed Roberts (computer engineer) | editor =Forrest M. Mims | title =Electronic Calculators | publisher =Howard W. Sams | year =1974 | pages = 128–143 | isbn = 0-672-21039-8}}</ref>
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===சோதனைக் கருவிகள்===
கணிப்பான்களை மட்டுமல்லாமல் மிட்ஸ் நிறுவனம் வரிசையாகச் சோதனைக்கருவிக் கலப்பெட்டிகள் பலவற்றையும் செய்தது. வாடிக்கையாளர்களின் தேவையைச் சமாளிக்க மிட்ஸ் நிறுவனம் ஒரு பெரிய கட்டடத்துக்குக் குடிபுகுந்தது. பல விலையுயர்ந்த கருவிகளையும் வாங்கிப் புது இடத்தில் நிறுவியது. ஆனால், 1972 இல் டெக்சஸ் இன்ஸ்ட்ருமென்ட்ஸ் நிறுவனம் தானே ஒரு கணிப்பான் சில்லைப் படைத்தது மட்டுமல்லாமல் முழுக் கணிப்பான்களை ஏனைய போட்டியாளர்களின் கணிப்பான்களின் விலையில் பாதிக்கும் குறைவாக விற்கத் தொடங்கியது. மிட்ஸ் நிறுவனமும் மற்ற போட்டி நிறுவனங்களும் இதனால் நிலைகுலைந்து போயின. மிட்ஸ் நிறுவனம் கால் மில்லியன் டாலர் கடன்சுமையைச் சமாளிக்கத் திணறினார்.
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In addition to calculators, MITS made a line of test equipment kits. These included an IC tester, a waveform generator, a digital voltmeter, and several other instruments. To keep up with the demand, MITS moved into a larger building at 6328 Linn NE in Albuquerque in 1973. They installed a [[wave soldering]] machine and an assembly line at the new location. In 1972, [[Texas Instruments]] developed its own calculator chip and started selling complete calculators at less than half the price of other commercial models. MITS and many other companies were devastated by this, and Roberts struggled to reduce his quarter-million-dollar debt.
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===''பாப்புலர் எலெக்ட்ரானிக்ஸ்''===
[[File:Popular Electronics Cover Jan 1975.jpg|thumb|right|ஜனவரி 1975 ''பாப்புலர் எலெக்ட்ரானிக்ஸ்'' அல்டைர் 8800 கணினியுடன். நவம்பர் 29, 1974 பதிப்பு.]] ஜனவரி 1972இல் "பாப்புலர் எலெக்ட்ரானிக்ஸ்" மாத இதழ் "எலெக்ட்ரானிக்ஸ் வோர்ல்டு" என்னும் இன்னொரு ஃசிப்-டேவிஸ் மாத இதழோடு ஒன்றியது. ஆசிரியர் குழு மாற்றத்தால் வருந்திய கட்டுரையாளர்கள் பலர் அதற்குப் போட்டி மாத இதழான "ரேடியோ-எலெக்ட்ரானிக்ஸ்" என்ற இதழுக்கு எழுதத் தொடங்கினார்கள். 1972, 1973 இல் பல சிறந்த கலப்பெட்டிக் கட்டுமானத் திட்டங்கள் "ரேடியோ-எலெக்ட்ரானிக்ஸ்" இதழில் வந்தன.
 
1974 இல் ஆர்ட் சால்ஸ்பெர்க் "பாப்புலர் எலெக்ட்ரானிக்ஸ்" இதழின் ஆசிரியரானார். மின்னணுக் கட்டுத்திட்டங்களில் (electronic construction projects) மீண்டும் முன்னணி வகிக்க வேண்டும் என்பது அவரது குறிக்கோள். அவர் டான் லன்காஸ்டரின் "தொலைக்காட்சித் தட்டச்சுக்கருவி" ("ரேடியோ எலெக்ட்ரானிக்ஸ்", செப்டம்பர் 1973) கட்டுரையைப் படித்து அசந்து போன அவர் தனது "பாப்புலர் எலெக்ட்ரானிக்ஸ்" இதழுக்கும் கணினிக் கட்டுத்திட்டங்கள் (computer construction projects) வேண்டுமென்று விரும்பினார். ஏப்ரல் 1974 "பாப்புலர் எலெக்ட்ரானிக்ஸ்" இதழில் டான் லன்காஸ்டர் ஒரு ஆஸ்கி (ASCII) விசைப்பலகைத் திட்டத்தை விவரித்தார்.
 
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They were evaluating a computer trainer project by Jerry Ogdin when the [[Mark-8]] [[Intel 8008|8008]]-based computer by Jonathan Titus appeared on the July 1974 cover of ''Radio-Electronics''. The computer trainer was put on hold and the editors looked for a real computer system. (''Popular Electronics'' gave Jerry Ogdin a column, ''Computer Bits'', starting in June 1975.)<ref name ="Computer Bits">{{cite magazine | last =Ogdin | first =Jerry | title =Computer Bits |magazine=Popular Electronics | volume =7 | issue =6 | page =69 | publisher =Ziff-Davis | location =New York | date =June 1975 }} "The break through in low-cost microprocessors occurred just before Christmas 1974, when the January issue of Popular Electronics reached readers … "</ref>
 
One of the editors, Les Solomon, knew MITS was working on an Intel 8080 based computer project and thought Roberts could provide the project for the always popular January issue. The TV Typewriter and the Mark-8 computer projects were just a detailed set of plans and a set of bare printed circuit boards. The hobbyist faced the daunting task of acquiring all of the integrated circuits and other components. The editors of ''Popular Electronics'' wanted a complete kit in a professional-looking enclosure.<ref name="Creative Computing">{{cite magazine | last = Mims | first = Forrest M. |date=November 1984 | title = The Altair story; early days at MITS |magazine= Creative Computing | volume = 10 | issue = 11 | page =17 | publisher = Creative Computing | url = http://www.atarimagazines.com/creative/v10n11/17_The_Altair_story_early_d.php | accessdate = 2007-03-17| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20070408035039/http://www.atarimagazines.com/creative/v10n11/17_The_Altair_story_early_d.php| archivedate= 8 April 2007 | deadurl= no}}</ref>
 
[[Ed Roberts (computer engineer)|Ed Roberts]] and his head engineer, Bill Yates, finished the first prototype in October 1974 and shipped it to ''Popular Electronics'' in New York via the [[Railway Express Agency]]. However, it never arrived due to a strike by the shipping company. Solomon already had a number of pictures of the machine and the article was based on them. Roberts got to work on building a replacement. The computer on the magazine cover is an empty box with just switches and LEDs on the front panel. The finished Altair computer had a completely different circuit board layout than the prototype shown in the magazine.<ref name = "PE Jan 1975">{{cite magazine | author = H. Edward Roberts |author2= William Yates |date=January 1975 | title = Altair 8800 minicomputer |magazine= Popular Electronics | volume = 7 | issue = 1 | pages =33–38 | publisher = Ziff Davis }}</ref> The January 1975 issues appeared on newsstands a week before Christmas of 1974 and the kit was officially (if not yet practically) available for sale.<ref name ="Computer Bits"/><ref name="Creative Computing"/>
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===பெயர்க்காரணம்===
மிட்ஸ் நிறுவனத்தின் வழக்கமான படைப்புகள் "[[:File:MITS Calculator Model 1440 1972.jpg|மாடல் 1440 கால்குலேட்டர்]]" அல்லது "[[:File:MITS Test Equipment Nov 1973.jpg|மாடல் 1600 டிஜிட்டல் வோல்ட்மீட்டர்]]" என்பது போன்ற பொதுப்படையான பெயர்களைத்தான் கொண்டிருந்தன. தனது புதிய படைப்பை வடிவமைப்பதில் முனைப்பாக இருந்த எட் ராபர்ட்ஸ் தன் கணினிக்குப் பெயர் வைக்கும் பொறுப்பை "பாப்புலர் எலெக்ட்ரானிக்ஸ்" இதழின் ஆசிரியர் குழுவிடமே விட்டிருந்தார். இதற்கும் பெயரை PE-8 (பாப்புலர் எலெக்ட்ரானிக்ஸ் - 8 பிட்டு) என்ற பெயரை வைக்கலாமா என்று நினைத்த ஆசிரியர் குழு, அது மிகவும் சலிப்பூட்டும் பெயர் என்று அதைக் கைவிட்டுவிட்டு, ஒரு தனிக்கணினியைப் படைப்பது ஒரு நட்சத்திர நிகழ்வு என்று கருதி விண்ணில் ஒளிரும் வெளிச்சமான தாரகைகளில் 12 வது இடத்திலிருக்கும் அல்டைர் நட்சத்திரத்தின் பெயரைத் தேர்ந்தெடுத்தார்கள்.
 
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The typical MITS product had a generic name like the "[[:File:MITS Calculator Model 1440 1972.jpg|Model 1440 Calculator]]" or the "[[:File:MITS Test Equipment Nov 1973.jpg|Model 1600 Digital Voltmeter]]". Ed Roberts was busy finishing the design and left the naming of the computer to the editors of ''Popular Electronics''.
One explanation of the Altair name, which editor Les Solomon later told the audience at the first Altair Computer Convention (March 1976), is that the name was inspired by Les's 12-year-old daughter, Lauren. "She said why don't you call it Altair - that's where the Enterprise is going tonight."<ref name="Computer Notes">{{cite journal|title=Computer Power of the Future - The Hobbyists |journal=Computer Notes |last=Milford |first=Annette |volume=1 |issue=11 |page=7 |publisher=Altair Users Group, MITS Inc. |date=April 1976 |url=http://startup.nmnaturalhistory.org/gallery/notesViewer.php?ii=76_4&p=7 |accessdate=2007-12-01 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120323162008/http://startup.nmnaturalhistory.org/gallery/notesViewer.php?ii=76_4&p=7 |archivedate=March 23, 2012 }}"Les Solomon entertained a curious audience with anecdotes about how it all began for MITS, The name for MITS' computer, for example, was inspired by his 12-year-old daughter. She said why don't you call it Altair -- that's where the Enterprise is going tonight."</ref> The ''[[Star Trek]]'' episode is probably ''[[Amok Time]]'', as this is the only one from ''The Original Series'' which takes the Enterprise crew to Altair (Six).
 
A more probable version is that the Altair was originally going to be named the PE-8 (Popular Electronics 8-bit), but Les Solomon thought this name to be rather dull, so Les, Alexander Burawa (associate editor), and John McVeigh (technical editor) decided that: "It's a stellar event, so let's name it after a star." McVeigh suggested "[[Altair]]", the twelfth brightest star in the sky.<ref name="Creative Computing"/><ref name = "Salsberg 1984">{{cite magazine | last = Salsberg | first = Arther | title = Jaded Memory |magazine= InfoWorld | volume = 6 | issue = 46 | page =7 | date = November 12, 1984 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=oy4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA7 | issn = 0199-6649 | publisher = InfoWorld Media Group, Inc.}} Salsberg states that the Altair was named by John McVeigh</ref>
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===இன்டெல் 8080===
 
இன்டெல் 8080
 
Ed Roberts had designed and manufactured programmable calculators and was familiar with the microprocessors available in 1974. He thought the [[Intel 4004]] and [[Intel 8008]] were not powerful enough (in fact two microcomputers based on the Intel 8008 were already on the market: The [[Micral]] marketed in January 1973 by the French company [[R2E]] and the [[MCM/70]] marketed in 1974 by the Canadian company Micro Computer Machines); the National Semiconductor IMP-8 and [[IMP-16]] required external hardware; the [[Motorola 6800]] was still in development. So he chose the 8-bit [[Intel 8080]].<ref name = "73 Magazine">{{cite magazine | last = Green | first = Wayne | title = Believe Me - I'm No Expert! |magazine=73 Magazine | issue = 184 | page =89 | publisher = 73, Inc | location = Peterborough, NH | date = February 1976}} Wayne Green visited MITS in August 1975 and interviewed Ed Roberts. Article has several paragraphs on the design of the Altair 8800.</ref> At that time, Intel's main business was selling memory chips by the thousands to computer companies. They had no experience in selling small quantities of microprocessors. When the 8080 was introduced in April 1974, Intel set the single unit price at $360 (About $1,700 in 2014 dollars). "That figure had a nice ring to it," recalled Intel's Dave House in 1984. "Besides, it was a computer, and they usually cost thousands of dollars, so we felt it was a reasonable price."<ref>{{cite book | last = Intel Corporation | editor = Glynnis Thompson Kaye | title = A Revolution in Progress - A History to Date of Intel | publisher = Intel Corporation | year = 1984 | page = 14 | url = http://www.intel.com/museum/archives/brochures/brochures.htm | id = Order number:231295}}</ref> Ed Roberts had experience in buying [[Original equipment manufacturer|OEM]] quantities of calculator chips and he was able to negotiate a $75 price (about $350 in 2014 dollars) for the 8080 microprocessor chips.<ref>{{cite book | last1 = Freiberger | authorlink = Paul Freiberger | first1 = Paul | first2 = Michael | last2 = Swaine | authorlink2 = Michael Swaine (technical author) | title = Fire in the Valley: The Making of the Personal Computer | publisher = McGraw-Hill | year = 2000 | location = New York, NY | page = 42 | isbn = 0-07-135892-7}} "Roberts was sure he could get the chip price much cheaper, and he did. Intel knocked the price down to $75."</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last = Mims | first = Forrest |date=January 1985 | title = The Tenth Anniversary of the Altair 8800 | journal = Computers & Electronics | volume = 23 | issue = 1 | pages =58–62, 81–82 | publisher = Ziff Davis}}"But because the 8080 sold for $360 in single quantities, few people could afford it. Ed Roberts bought the chips in large quantities and was able to get a substantial discount…"</ref>
 
Intel made the [[Intellec-8]] Microprocessor Development System that typically sold for a very profitable $10,000. It was functionally similar to the Altair 8800 but it was a commercial grade system with a wide selection of peripherals and development software.<ref name = "Intellec-8">{{cite book | last = Ceruzzi | first = Paul E. | title = A History of Modern Computing | publisher = MIT Press | year = 2003 | location = Cambridge, MA | pages = 222–224 | isbn = 0-262-53203-4}}</ref><ref name = "New Products Oct 1976">{{cite journal | last = Michalopoulos | first = Demetrios A. | title = New Products | journal = Computer | volume = 9 | issue = 10 | pages =59–64 | publisher = IEEE | date = October 1976 | doi = 10.1109/C-M.1976.218414}} "Intel Corporation has announced that an interactive display console and highspeed line printer are now available for the Intellec MDS microcomputer development system. … The display console costs $2240 and the printer $3200 in quantities of 1 to 9. Delivery is in 30 days. Price of the basic Intellec MDS with 16K bytes of RAM memory, including interfaces and resident software for operating the peripherals, is $3950."</ref> Customers would ask Intel why their Intellec-8 was so expensive when that Altair was only $400. Some salesmen said that MITS was getting cosmetic rejects or otherwise inferior chips. In July 1975, Intel sent a letter to its sales force stating that the MITS Altair 8800 computer used standard Intel 8080 parts. The sales force should sell the Intellec system based on its merits and that no one should make derogatory comments about valued customers like MITS. The letter was reprinted in the August 1975 issue of MITS Computer Notes.<ref name="Computer Notes - Intel">{{cite journal|title=Across the Editor's Desk |journal=Computer Notes |last=Bunnell |first=David |volume=1 |issue=3 |page=2 |publisher=Altair Users Group, MITS Inc. |date=August 1975 |url=http://startup.nmnaturalhistory.org/gallery/notesViewer.php?ii=75_8&p=2 |accessdate=2007-12-26 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120323162008/http://startup.nmnaturalhistory.org/gallery/notesViewer.php?ii=75_8&p=2 |archivedate=March 23, 2012 }} Intel letter to its sales force. "We wish to clarify any misconception that may exist in your minds regarding the MITS ALTAIR system. This product is designed around the Intel Standard Data Sheet 8080 family."</ref> The "cosmetic defect" rumor has appeared in many accounts over the years although both MITS and Intel issued written denials in 1975.<ref name = "Stan Veit">{{cite book | last = Veit | first = Stan | title = Stan Veit's History of the Personal Computer | publisher = WorldComm Press | year = 1993 | location = Alexander, North Carolina | page = 283 | isbn = 1-56664-030-X }} "Ed Roberts was able to get around this problem by obtaining a supply of cosmetic reject chips for about 1/3 the retail price."</ref>
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===வெளியீடு===
 
[[File:Altair Computer Ad May 1975.jpg|thumb|right|A May 1975 advertisement for the Altair 8800 Computer]]
 
 
For a decade, colleges had required science and engineering majors to take a course in computer programming, typically using the [[FORTRAN]] or [[BASIC]] languages.<ref name = "Brillinger 1970">{{cite journal | last = Brillinger | first = P. C. |author2=D. D. Cowan | title = A complete package for introducing computer science | journal = SIGCSE Bulletin. | volume = 2 | issue = 3 | pages =118–126 | publisher = ACM | location = | date = November 1970 | doi = 10.1145/873641.873659}} Describes the introductory computer science courses at the University of Waterloo.</ref><ref name = "Ceruzzi education">{{cite book | last = Ceruzzi | first = Paul E. | title = A History of Modern Computing | publisher = MIT Press | year = 2003 | location = Cambridge, MA | pages = 201–206 | isbn = 0-262-53203-4}}</ref> This meant there was a sizable customer base who knew about computers. In 1970, electronic calculators were not seen outside of a laboratory, but by 1974 they were a common household item. Calculators and video games like [[Pong]] introduced computer power to the general public. Electronics hobbyists were moving on to digital projects such as digital voltmeters and frequency counters. The Altair had enough power to be actually useful, and was designed as an expandable system that opened it up to all sorts of applications.
 
Ed Roberts optimistically told his banker that he could sell 800 computers, while in reality they needed to sell 200 over the next year just to break even. When readers got the January issue of ''Popular Electronics'', MITS was flooded with inquiries and orders. They had to hire extra people just to answer the phones. In February MITS received 1,000 orders for the Altair 8800. The quoted delivery time was 60 days but it was months before they could meet that. Roberts focused on delivering the computer; all of the options would wait until they could keep pace with the orders. MITS claimed to have delivered 2,500 Altair 8800s by the end of May.<ref name = "Computer Design Ad">{{cite journal | last =MITS | title = MITS advertisement | journal =Digital Design | volume = 4 | issue = 6 | publisher = CMP Information | date = June 1975 | url =http://altair.ftldesign.com/ | accessdate =2008-01-01| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20071210115832/http://altair.ftldesign.com/| archivedate= 10 December 2007 | deadurl= no}} "There was a subsequent article in February's Popular Electronics and the MITS people knew the Altair was here to stay. During that month alone, over 1,000 mainframes were sold. Datamation, March 1975." "By the end of May, MITS had shipped over 2,500 Altair 8800's"</ref> The number was over 5,000 by August 1975.<ref>{{cite journal | last = Green | first = Wayne |date=October 1975 | title = From the Publisher .. Are they real? | journal = BYTE | volume = 1 | issue = 2 | pages =61, 81, 87 | publisher = Green Publishing}} In August 1975 Wayne Green visited several personal computer manufacturers. A photo caption in his trip report says; "Meanwhile, at MITS, over 5,000 Altair 8800's have been shipped. Here is a view of part of the production line."</ref> MITS had under 20 employees in January but had grown to 90 by October 1975.<ref name="Computer Notes - Employees">{{cite journal|title=Letter from the President |journal=Computer Notes |last=Roberts |first=H. Edward |volume=1 |issue=5 |page=3 |publisher=Altair Users Group, MITS Inc. |date=October 1975 |url=http://startup.nmnaturalhistory.org/gallery/notesViewer.php?ii=75_10&p=3 |accessdate=2008-07-12 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120323162008/http://startup.nmnaturalhistory.org/gallery/notesViewer.php?ii=75_10&p=3 |archivedate=March 23, 2012 }} "We had less than 20 employees when we introduced the Altair and now we have grown to 90 as a result of our Altair customers." Roberts also discussed the problems with the 4K dynamic RAM boards. Customers got a $50 refund.</ref>
 
The Altair 8800 computer was a break-even sale for MITS. They needed to sell additional memory boards, I/O boards and other options to make a profit. The system came with a "1024 word" memory board populated with 256 bytes. The BASIC language was announced in July 1975 and it required one or two 4096 word memory boards and an interface board.
 
MITS Price List, ''Popular Electronics'', August 1975.<ref name = "MITS Price List">{{cite magazine | author = MITS |date=August 1975 | title = Worlds Most Inexpensive BASIC language system |magazine= Popular Electronics | volume = 8 | issue = 2 | page =1 | publisher = Ziff Davis}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Description !! Kit Price !! Assembled
|-
| Altair 8800 Computer ||align="right"| $439 ||align="right"| $621
|-
| 1024-word Memory Board ||align="right"| $176 ||align="right"| $209
|-
| 4096-word Memory Board ||align="right"| $264 ||align="right"| $338
|-
| Parallel Interface Board ||align="right"| $92 || style="text-align:right;"| $114
|-
| Serial Interface Board (RS-232) ||align="right"| $119 || style="text-align:right;"| $138
|-
| Serial Interface Board (Teletype) ||align="right"| $124 || style="text-align:right;"| $146
|-
| Audio Cassette Interface Board ||align="right"| $128 || style="text-align:right;"| $174
|-
| Teletype Model 33 ASR ||align="right"| N.A.|| style="text-align:right;"| $1500
|}
*4K BASIC language (when purchased with Altair, 4096 words of memory and interface board) $60
*8K BASIC language (when purchased with Altair, two 4096-word memory boards and interface board) $75
 
MITS had no competition in the USA for the first half of 1975. Their 4K memory board used dynamic RAM and it had several design problems.<ref name="Computer Notes - Employees"/> The delay in shipping optional boards and the problems with the 4K memory board created an opportunity for outside suppliers. An enterprising Altair owner, Robert Marsh, designed a 4K static memory that was plug-in compatible with the Altair 8800 and sold for $255.<ref name = "Marsh">{{cite journal |last = Moore | first = Fred | title = Hardware | journal = Homebrew Computer Club Newsletter | volume = 1 | issue = 5 | pages =2, 5 | date = July 1976 | url = http://www.digibarn.com/collections/newsletters/homebrew/V1_05/index.html | accessdate = 2007-12-30}}</ref> His company was [[Processor Technology]], one of the most successful Altair compatible board suppliers. Their advertisement in the July 1975 issue of ''Popular Electronics'' promised interface and PROM boards in addition to the 4K memory board. They would later develop a popular video display board that would plug directly into the Altair.
 
A consulting company in San Leandro, California, IMS Associates Inc., wanted to purchase several Altair computers but the long delivery time convinced them that they should build their own computers. In the October 1975 ''Popular Electronics'', a small advertisement announced the [[IMSAI 8080]] computer. The ad noted that all boards were "[[plug compatible]]" with the Altair 8800. The computer cost $439 for a kit. The first 50 IMSAI computers shipped in December 1975.<ref name = "ComputerLand">{{cite book | last = Littman | first = Jonathan | title = Once Upon a Time in ComputerLand: The Amazing, Billion-Dollar Tale of Bill Millard | publisher = Price Stern Sloan | date =1987 | page = 18 | location = Los Angeles | isbn = 0-89586-502-5}} "Later that day, December 16 [1975], United Parcel Service picked up the first shipment of 50 IMS computer kits for delivery to customers."</ref> The IMSAI 8080 computer improved on the original Altair design in several areas. It was easier to assemble: The Altair required 60 wire connections between the front panel and the mother board ([[backplane]].) The IMSAI motherboard had 18 slots. The MITS motherboard consisted of 4 slots segments that had to be connected together with 100 wires. The IMSAI also had a larger power supply to handle the increasing number of expansion boards used in typical systems. The IMSAI advantage was short lived because MITS had recognized these shortcomings and developed the Altair 8800B which was introduced in June 1976.
 
In 1977, [[Pertec Computer Corporation]] purchased MITS and began to market the computer, without changes (except for branding), as the PCC 8800 in 1978.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=34 | title = MITS - ALTAIR COMPANY IS SOLD TO PERTEC (MAY 1977) | website = OldComputers.Com | access-date = October 14, 2015 }}</ref>
 
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==விளக்கம்==
[[File:Altair 8800 at the Computer History Museum, cropped.jpg|thumb|Altair 8800 front panel]]
[[File:Altair Computer Front Panel.jpg|thumb|Altair 8800b computer front panel]]
 
விளக்கம்
 
 
In the first design of the Altair, the parts needed to make a complete machine would not fit on a single [[motherboard]], and the machine consisted of four boards stacked on top of each other with stand-offs. Another problem facing Roberts was that the parts needed to make a truly useful computer weren't available, or wouldn't be designed in time for the January launch date. So during the construction of the second model, he decided to build most of the machine on removable cards, reducing the [[motherboard]] to nothing more than an interconnect between the cards, a [[backplane]]. The basic machine consisted of five cards, including the [[Central processing unit|CPU]] on one and memory on another. He then looked for a cheap source of connectors, and came across a supply of 100-pin [[edge connector]]s. The [[S-100 bus]] was eventually acknowledged by the professional computer community and adopted as the [[IEEE-696]] computer bus standard.
 
The [[Altair bus]] consists of the pins of the [[Intel 8080]] run out onto the backplane. No particular level of thought went into the design, which led to such disasters as [[Short circuit|shorting]] from various power lines of differing [[voltage]]s being located next to each other. Another oddity was that the system included two unidirectional [[8-bit]] [[Bus (computing)|data buses]], but only a single bidirectional 16-bit [[address bus]]. A deal on power supplies led to the use of +8[[volt|V]] and +18V, which had to be locally regulated on the cards to [[transistor-transistor logic|TTL]] (+5V) or [[RS-232]] (+12V) standard voltage levels.
 
The Altair shipped in a two-piece case. The backplane and power supply were mounted on a base plate, along with the front and rear of the box. The "lid" was shaped like a C, forming the top, left and right sides of the box. The [[front panel]], which was inspired by the [[Data General Nova]] minicomputer, included a large number of [[toggle switch]]es to feed [[binary numeral system|binary]] data directly into the memory of the machine, and a number of red [[light-emitting diode|LED]]s to read those values back out.<ref name="Nova 2">{{cite journal | last = Greelish | first = David | title = Ed Roberts Interview with Historically Brewed magazine | journal = Historically Brewed | issue =9| publisher =Historical Computer Society| year = 1996 | url = http://www.virtualaltair.com/virtualaltair.com/mits0011.asp | accessdate = 2007-11-22}} Ed Roberts said: "We had a Nova 2 by Data General in the office that we sold time share on …The front panel on an Altair essentially models every switch that was on the Nova 2. We had that machine to look at. The switches are pretty much standard of any front panel machine. It would have taken forever if we would have had to re-decide where every switch had to go. "</ref>
 
Programming the Altair via the front panel could be a tedious and time consuming process. Programming required the toggling of the switches to positions corresponding to the desired 8080 microprocessor instruction or [[opcode]] in binary, then used the 'DEPOSIT NEXT' switch to load that instruction into the next address of the machine's memory. This step was repeated until all the opcodes of a presumably complete and correct program were in place. The only output from the programs was the patterns of lights on the panel. Nevertheless, many were sold in this form. Development was already underway on additional cards, including a [[paper tape]] reader for storage, additional [[Random Access Memory|RAM]] cards, and an [[RS-232]] interface to connect to a proper Teletype [[Computer terminal|terminal]].
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==மென்பொருள்==
 
===அல்டைர் பேசிக் (Altair BASIC)===
{{Main|அல்டைர் பேசிக்(Altair BASIC)}}
 
ஒரு நாள் எட் ராபர்ட்ஸுக்கு உங்கள் கணினிக்கு பேசிக் கணிமொழி [[BASIC programming language]] வாங்க விருப்பமா என்று ஒரு கடிதம் வந்தது. அந்தக் கடிதத்தில் இருந்த தொலைபேசி எண்ணை அழைத்தால் அழைப்பு ஒரு தனியார் வீட்டுக்குச் சென்றது. அங்கே யாருக்கும் பேசிக் கணிமொழி பற்றி ஏதும் தெரியவில்லை. உண்மையில் அந்தக் கடிதத்தை அனுப்பியவர்கள் பில் கேட்ஸும் [[Bill Gates]] பால் ஆலனும் [[Paul Allen]]. உண்மையில் அவர்களிடமும் அப்போது பேசிக் கணிமொழி ஏதுமில்லை. தாங்கள் அனுப்பிய கடிதத்தைத் தொடர்ந்து மிட்ஸின் ராபர்ட்ஸை அவர்கள் அழைத்துப் பேசியபோது ராபர்ட்ஸ் விருப்பம் தெரிவித்தார். அப்போதுதான் பேசிக் கணிமொழியை உருவாக்கத் தொடங்கினார்கள். ஒரு மாதத்துக்குள் முடிக்காவிட்டால் வேறு யாராவது அதை முடித்து விடுவார்கள் என்று சுறுசுறுப்பாக வேலை செய்யத் தொடங்கினார்கள். அவர்களிடம் அல்டைர் கணினி இல்லாவிட்டாலும், அதன் இன்டெல் 8080 மையச்செயற்பகுதியைத் தம் பிடிபி-10 சிறுகணினியில் நிகர்நிலைச் செயலியை வடித்து அதில் தங்கள் பேசிக் கணிமொழியை ஓட வைத்தார்கள். ஓரளவுக்கு அது வேலை செய்யத் தொடங்கியதும் ஆலன் [[ஆல்புகெர்க்கி_(நியூ_மெக்சிகோ)]]க்குப் பறந்து சென்று ஒரு காகிதச் சுருளில் பதிவு செய்த பேசிக் கணிமொழியைக் கொடுத்தார். அதில் 2+2 கணக்கைச் செய்து காட்டினார். லூனர் லேண்டர் '[[Lunar Lander (video game series)|Lunar Lander]]'' விளையாட்டையும் ஆடிக் காட்டினார். இந்த வெற்றியைத் தொடர்ந்து பில் கேட்ஸும் ஹார்வர்ட் பல்கலையில் படிப்பதை நிறுத்தித் தம் கூட்டாளியான பால் ஆலனுடன் சேர்ந்து மைக்ரோசாப்ட் நிறுவனத்தை நிறுவினார். பின்னால் அது இன்டெல் சில்லுகளுக்கு மென்பொருள் எழுதி உலகின் மிகப்பெரும் மென்பொருள் நிறுவனமாக உயர்ந்தது வரலாறு.
 
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[[Ed Roberts (computer engineer)|Ed Roberts]] received a letter from [[Traf-O-Data]] asking if he would be interested in buying its [[BASIC programming language]] for the machine. He called the company and reached a private home, where no one had heard of anything like BASIC. In fact the letter had been sent by [[Bill Gates]] and [[Paul Allen]] from the [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]] area, and they had no BASIC yet to offer. When they called Roberts to follow up on the letter he expressed his interest, and the two started work on their BASIC [[interpreter (computing)|interpreter]] using a self-made [[Simulator#Computer science|simulator]] for the 8080 on a [[PDP-10]] minicomputer. They figured they had 30 days before someone else beat them to the punch, and once they had a version working on the simulator, Allen flew to Albuquerque to deliver the program, [[Altair BASIC]] (aka MITS 4K BASIC), on a [[paper tape]]. The first time it was run, it displayed "READY"<ref name="NM Interview">{{cite web|last=Gates|first=Bill|title=NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY Bill Gates interview|url=http://americanhistory.si.edu/comphist/gates.htm#tc12}}</ref> then Allen typed "PRINT 2+2" and it immediately printed the correct answer: "4". The game ''[[Lunar Lander (video game series)|Lunar Lander]]'' was entered in and this worked as well. Gates soon joined Allen and formed [[Microsoft]], then spelled "Micro-Soft".
 
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=== அல்டைர் வட்டு இயங்குதளம் (Altair DOS) ===
1975 இன் இறுதியில் அறிவிக்கப்பட்டு ஆகஸ்டு 1977 இல் விற்பனைக்கு வந்தது.
 
 
==மேற்சான்றுகள்==
"https://ta.wikipedia.org/wiki/அல்டைர்_8800" இலிருந்து மீள்விக்கப்பட்டது