Ed Roberts
Creator of the Altair 8800, which sparked the personal-computer revolution
- Lived
- 68 yrs
- 1941 – 2010
- Works listed
- 1
- Computer
- Honours
- 0
- Awards & distinctions
- Profile views
- 2
- 0 followers
Ed Roberts was an American engineer and entrepreneur whose company MITS sold the Altair 8800 kit computer in 1975. Featured on the cover of Popular Electronics, it launched the personal-computer industry and gave Bill Gates and Paul Allen their first product. He later became a country doctor and died in 2010.
Biography
MITS
Roberts trained in electronics in the US Air Force and founded MITS in Albuquerque in 1970, selling model-rocket electronics and calculators.
The Altair
Facing debts as calculator prices fell, he designed a kit computer based on Intel’s 8080. The Altair 8800 appeared on the January 1975 cover of Popular Electronics, sold for $439 as a kit, and sold thousands.
Microsoft
Gates and Allen offered BASIC for the Altair, moving to Albuquerque to found Micro-Soft. Allen worked for MITS as software director.
Doctor
Roberts sold MITS in 1977, farmed in Georgia and earned a medical degree in 1986, practising as a rural doctor. Gates visited him on his deathbed in 2010.
Timeline
-
1941
Born in Miami, Florida, United States
-
1970
Founds MITS
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1975
Altair 8800
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1975
Microsoft writes Altair BASIC
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1977
Sells MITS
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1986
Medical degree
-
2010
Dies
-
2010
Died, aged 68
Notable works
-
1975
Altair 8800 Computer
Did you know?
-
1
The name Altair came from a Star Trek episode, according to the magazine’s editor’s daughter.
-
2
The Altair had no keyboard or screen, just switches and lights.
-
3
Bill Gates called him the father of the personal computer.
Connections
Frequently asked
Who is Ed Roberts?
Ed Roberts was an American engineer and entrepreneur whose company MITS sold the Altair 8800 kit computer in 1975. Featured on the cover of Popular Electronics, it launched the personal-computer industry and gave Bill Gates and Paul Allen their first product. He later became a country doctor and died in 2010.
When did Ed Roberts die?
Ed Roberts died on 1 April 2010 at the age of 68.
Where is Ed Roberts from?
Ed Roberts was born in Miami, Florida, United States.
What is Ed Roberts known for?
Ed Roberts is best known for Founding MITS; the Altair 8800 (1975); giving Microsoft its first customer.
References
- Ed Roberts (computer engineer) — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Ed Roberts (computer engineer) — Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Ed Roberts (computer engineer) — IMDb. IMDb. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Ed Roberts (computer engineer) (Q446839) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Ed Roberts (computer engineer)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more
External links
About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editorial team; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal under our editorial policy
- First published 4 November 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Ed Roberts.” TrackFame, last updated 5 November 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/ed-roberts
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