Wayne Parham Messages: 18824 Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)
This is an exciting week. If you were into electronics in the 1970s, then you would have been amazed and excited by the issue of "Popular Electronics" that hit the streets 50 years ago this week - the week before Christmas in 1974.
On the cover was the Altair 8800, which most would consider the first commercially available microcomputer.
Popular Electronics January 1975 issue
(Magazine can be downloaded by clicking on the cover image)
If you aren't familiar with this computer, you might be interested in the link below. Or look it up on the internet. Its story is interesting, as are the people that were involved in its creation and expansion.
Most Altairs were sold as kits, and believe it or not, you can still get them. They are no longer sold by the original manufacturer - MITS - but there is an active hobbyist community that supports them. So if you're interested in the history of computers, and especially if you want to know more things about hardware - if you want to be "close to the metal" - I encourage you to investigate the Altair 8800.
gofar99 Messages: 1965 Registered: May 2010 Location: Southern Arizona
Illuminati (5th Degree)
Hi Wayne, I remember them. I probably got that issue as well. My earliest computer was a Timex/Sinclair 1000. I splurged and got the add on 16K memory. It worked fine and at a time when really no one had a computer it was great stuff. I believe I still have it in storage with a few programs.
Would you happen to know if they have archived issues? It sounds like fun to go back in time and revisit all the old equipment. I might even find the first stereo system I ever bought.
Wayne Parham Messages: 18824 Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)
Not sure about each publishers' archive policies. I suppose you could contact the publishers that printed your favorite magazines to see if they make archived copies available.
What I see is the most popular issues are often collected, and those are sometimes scanned and made into PDF files.
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