9 May
2023
9 May
'23
6:08 p.m.
I see some altairs have a metal escutcheon on the bottom with the stylized words
"MITS ALTAIR 8800 COMPUTER" whereas others, the front panel is just the dark
faceplate top to bottom. What is the difference? Would one have been a kit and the other
sold fully assembled? Or maybe later units vs earlier units?
73 Eugene W2HX
Check out my Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@w2hx/videos
9 May
9 May
6:11 p.m.
Everyone lost the metal strip! It's sandwiched in between the trim of the outer case
and the dress panel. Some folks stuck it to the dress panel with glue, double-sided tape,
etc. Those are usually the machines which still have the metal strip.
Thanks,
Jonathan
------- Original Message -------
On Tuesday, May 9th, 2023 at 14:08, W2HX via cctalk <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote:
I see some altairs have a metal escutcheon on the bottom with the stylized words
"MITS ALTAIR 8800 COMPUTER" whereas others, the front panel is just the dark
faceplate top to bottom. What is the difference? Would one have been a kit and the other
sold fully assembled? Or maybe later units vs earlier units?
73 Eugene W2HX
Check out my Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@w2hx/videos
6:23 p.m.
On 5/9/23 11:11, Jonathan Chapman via cctalk wrote:
Everyone lost the metal strip! It's sandwiched in
between the trim of the outer case and the dress panel. Some folks stuck it to the dress
panel with glue, double-sided tape, etc. Those are usually the machines which still have
the metal strip.
Thanks,
Jonathan
Yup, lost mine sometime in the 1980s. The stickum on the strip dried
out pretty quickly.
--Chuck
6:29 p.m.
On 2023-May-09, at 11:08 AM, W2HX via cctalk wrote:
I see some altairs have a metal escutcheon on the
bottom with the stylized words "MITS ALTAIR 8800 COMPUTER" whereas others, the
front panel is just the dark faceplate top to bottom. What is the difference? Would one
have been a kit and the other sold fully assembled? Or maybe later units vs earlier units?
I'm currently working on restoration of an 8800. On this unit, as Jonathan mentioned,
the strip is glued/stuck on and some could easily be getting lost over the years.
Might note also that the Altair on/in the Pop Electronics issue is physically vastly
different than what shipped, it's not even the same case.
6:47 p.m.
On Tue, May 9, 2023 at 11:29 AM Brent Hilpert via cctalk <
cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote:
Might note also that the Altair on/in the Pop Electronics issue is
physically vastly different than what shipped, it's not even the same case.
Yes. According to lore, that unit got lost in transit to Popular
Electronics.
My theories:
1) It actually did get lost in transit
2) MITS lied and said they sent it, but didn't, because they weren't ready
with the prototype for the photoshoot and needed to buy more time to finish
it
3) The UPS driver, being an aspiring if unscrupulous electronics and
computer nerd, and tipped off as to what was in the package, "lost" it and
took it home for himself
To the extent that prototype is still out there, it would definitely be one
of the few truly "holy grails" of the computer collecting hobby, along with
the missing chunk of the Apple 1 prototype.
Sellam
8:03 p.m.
A mostly similar variation has it that they shipped the unit via Railway
Express Agency (remember REA??) and as the story goes, it was in
transit when REA closed their doors unexpectedly and with no warning,
went bankrupt.
Steve
On 5/9/23 11:47 AM, Sellam Abraham via cctalk wrote:
On Tue, May 9, 2023 at 11:29 AM Brent Hilpert via
cctalk <
cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote:
Might note also that the Altair on/in the Pop
Electronics issue is
physically vastly different than what shipped, it's not even the same case.
Yes. According to lore, that unit got lost in transit to Popular
Electronics.
My theories:
1) It actually did get lost in transit
2) MITS lied and said they sent it, but didn't, because they weren't ready
with the prototype for the photoshoot and needed to buy more time to finish
it
3) The UPS driver, being an aspiring if unscrupulous electronics and
computer nerd, and tipped off as to what was in the package, "lost" it and
took it home for himself
To the extent that prototype is still out there, it would definitely be one
of the few truly "holy grails" of the computer collecting hobby, along with
the missing chunk of the Apple 1 prototype.
Sellam
8:52 p.m.
On Tue, May 9, 2023 at 1:03 PM steve shumaker via cctalk <
cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote:
A mostly similar variation has it that they shipped
the unit via Railway
Express Agency (remember REA??) and as the story goes, it was in
transit when REA closed their doors unexpectedly and with no warning,
went bankrupt.
I don't believe I ever heard that story. Then again, I'm not sure where I
got "UPS" from. Perhaps just an assumption on my part.
I'm too young to remember REA, let alone having ever even heard of it.
Interestingly, there is a tidbit in the REA Stupidpedia article about the
Altair 8800 prototype:
*In November 1975, REA Express terminated operations and filed for
bankruptcy. During the railroad strike of October 1974, the first Altair
8800 microcomputer was lost. It had been shipped from Albuquerque to
Popular Electronics magazine in New York via REA and never arrived.*
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railway_Express_Agency
Very interesting. So it's now more plausible that a former REA employee
might have the prototype stuffed away in their garage somewhere.
Sellam
8:57 p.m.
On Tue, 9 May 2023 at 16:53, Sellam Abraham via cctalk <
cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote:
*In November 1975, REA Express terminated operations and filed for
bankruptcy. During the railroad strike of October 1974, the first Altair
8800 microcomputer was lost. It had been shipped from Albuquerque to
Popular Electronics magazine in New York via REA and never arrived.*
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railway_Express_Agency
Very interesting. So it's now more plausible that a former REA employee
might have the prototype stuffed away in their garage somewhere.
I know that it's fun to believe that the prototype might still exist almost
50 years later, but given my experience with package shipping services I'd
say that it's infinitely more probable that it somehow ended up so damaged
that the shipping service just claimed that they "lost" it. After all,
what's the probability that someone working for a small-time shipping
service in the mid-'70s was going to have any idea about the value of a
hobbyist computer, let alone any inclination to save it for 50 years?
-Henry
11:01 p.m.
On Tue, May 9, 2023 at 1:03 PM steve shumaker via
cctalk <
cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote:
> A mostly similar variation has it that they shipped the unit via Railway
> Express Agency (remember REA??) and as the story goes, it was in
> transit when REA closed their doors unexpectedly and with no warning,
> went bankrupt.
On Tue, 9 May 2023, Sellam Abraham via cctalk wrote:
I don't believe I ever heard that story. Then
again, I'm not sure where I
got "UPS" from. Perhaps just an assumption on my part.
I'm too young to remember REA, let alone having ever even heard of it.
Interestingly, there is a tidbit in the REA Stupidpedia article about the
Altair 8800 prototype:
*In November 1975, REA Express terminated operations and filed for
bankruptcy. During the railroad strike of October 1974, the first Altair
8800 microcomputer was lost. It had been shipped from Albuquerque to
Popular Electronics magazine in New York via REA and never arrived.*
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railway_Express_Agency
Very interesting. So it's now more plausible that a former REA employee
might have the prototype stuffed away in their garage somewhere.
Think of a big brown UPS step-van, but GREEN.
One more hypothesis: :-)
It's still awaiting dellivery, but REA's deliveries are running a little
late. They sent an email just last year, asking for delivery address
confirmation, but the recipient assumed that it was phishing. :-)
I don't know REA's late package algorithm.
Back when REA was active (early 1970s),
If UPS was unable to deliver a package on time, they would do it next,
risking making all subsequent packages alsobe a day late.
If Fedex was unable to deliver a package on time, they would put it at the
END of the queue! That way, all of the subsequent packages would be on
time, with just one package being horribly late. Their advertising was
what PERCENTAGE OF THEIR packages were on time. I had something that
really had to be on time, so I had it shipped to me Fedex. It was a WEEK
late! (so that only one package was late)
Both UPS and Fedex will sometimes falsely claim that they had made a
delivery attempt. Does REA claim to have delivered the Altair?
--
Grumpy Ol' Fred
10 May
10 May
1:43 a.m.
On Tue, May 9, 2023 at 4:01 PM Fred Cisin via cctalk <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org>
wrote:
Both UPS and Fedex will sometimes falsely claim that they had made a
delivery attempt.
I've experienced this.
Does REA claim to have delivered the Altair?
I don't know that anyone can ever know at this point.
I'm thinking to put out a small bounty for any verifiable information
leading to knowledge of the fate of the shipment, and a larger bounty
leading to the prototype itself. Anonimity guaranteed, no questions asked.
Sellam
2:33 a.m.
Not to complicate the haunt for the first Altair, but there is no guarantee that it ever
existed. Maybe it was an urban legend that it was shipped. If it did, did it work? Might
just buy the remaining issue of Popular Electronics featuring the fake Altair.
Regards,
Tarek Hoteit
On May 9, 2023, at 6:43 PM, Sellam Abraham via cctalk
<cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote:
On Tue, May 9, 2023 at 4:01 PM Fred Cisin via cctalk <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org>
wrote:
Both UPS and Fedex will sometimes falsely claim that they had made a
delivery attempt.
I've experienced this.
Does REA claim to have delivered the Altair?
I don't know that anyone can ever know at this point.
I'm thinking to put out a small bounty for any verifiable information
leading to knowledge of the fate of the shipment, and a larger bounty
leading to the prototype itself. Anonimity guaranteed, no questions asked.
Sellam
4:11 p.m.
Sellam, I hope you do turn it up!Much cooler than an apple 1!Ed#
Sent from AOL on Android
On Tue, May 9, 2023 at 6:43 PM, Sellam Abraham via cctalk<cctalk(a)classiccmp.org>
wrote: On Tue, May 9, 2023 at 4:01 PM Fred Cisin via cctalk
<cctalk(a)classiccmp.org>
wrote:
Both UPS and Fedex will sometimes falsely claim that they had made a
delivery attempt.
I've experienced this.
Does REA claim to have delivered the Altair?
I don't know that anyone can ever know at this point.
I'm thinking to put out a small bounty for any verifiable information
leading to knowledge of the fate of the shipment, and a larger bounty
leading to the prototype itself. Anonimity guaranteed, no questions asked.
Sellam
9 May
9 May
6:51 p.m.
Ok thanks everyone for the clarification.
73 Eugene W2HX
Subscribe to my Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@w2hx/videos
-----Original Message-----
From: Brent Hilpert via cctalk <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org>
Sent: Tuesday, May 9, 2023 2:29 PM
To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org>
Cc: Brent Hilpert <bhilpert(a)shaw.ca>
Subject: [cctalk] Re: Altair 8800 question
On 2023-May-09, at 11:08 AM, W2HX via cctalk wrote:
I see some altairs have a metal escutcheon on the
bottom with the stylized words "MITS ALTAIR 8800 COMPUTER" whereas others, the
front panel is just the dark faceplate top to bottom. What is the difference? Would one
have been a kit and the other sold fully assembled? Or maybe later units vs earlier units?
I'm currently working on restoration of an 8800. On this unit, as Jonathan mentioned,
the strip is glued/stuck on and some could easily be getting lost over the years.
Might note also that the Altair on/in the Pop Electronics issue is physically vastly
different than what shipped, it's not even the same case.
564
days inactive
565
days old
12 comments
10 participants
participants (10)
-
Brent Hilpert -
Chuck Guzis -
ED SHARPE -
Fred Cisin -
Henry Bent -
Jonathan Chapman -
Sellam Abraham -
steve shumaker -
Tarek Hoteit -
W2HX