MITS Altair 680 Microcomputer Kit
date: label: Date made
content: 1976
name: label: maker
content: Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems
notes: label: Description
content: The Altair 680 appeared about a year after Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems (MITS) had introduced the Altair 8800, which many historians credit as the beginning of the home computer industry. In the Altair 680, MITS offered an update of the Altair 8800 that was based on the Motorola 6800 processor.
label: Description
content: Like the Altair 8800, the Altair 680 was a kit. For $293, users received circuit boards, capacitors, resistors, transistors, diodes, a power supply, an instruction manual, and a case in which to assemble it. Also like the 8800, the 680 had switches on the front that could be used to enter computer instructions, bit by bit. If customers were willing to pay $420, they could buy the computer already assembled. Neither the kit nor the assembled computer came with display, keyboard, or external storage device.
label: Description
content: The Motorola 6800 microprocessor ran at 500 KHZ, and the computer had a 1 KB of RAM and 1 KB of ROM, as well as support for a serial terminal and punch reader.
label: Description
content: The Altair 680 did not meet with the success that the 8800 had. Most users were now interested in buying computers that came with displays and keyboards, and were willing to pay more for them. This Altair 680 kit was never assembled. For an assembled version, see 1991.0891.03.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: New Mexico, Albuquerque
topic: label: Subject
content: Entertainment
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Computers
label: See more items in
content: Computers & Business Machines
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of James S. Hodsdon
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1990.0653.01
label: catalog number
content: 1990.0653.01
label: accession number
content: 1990.0653
objectType: label: Object Name
content: microcomputer
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: plastic (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: average spatial: 12.1 cm x 27.8 cm x 27.8 cm; 4 3/4 in x 10 15/16 in x 10 15/16 in