Note
Here’s a brief overview of Altair BASIC’s origin and development:
Founders: Altair BASIC was developed by Microsoft founders Paul Allen and Bill Gates.
Emulator: They used a self-written Intel 8080 emulator running on a PDP-10 minicomputer to create the interpreter.
Language Features: The initial version of Altair BASIC supported integer math only, but later versions added floating-point arithmetic, string variables, and additional statements.
Memory Usage: The original Altair BASIC fit in just 4 KB of memory, making efficient use of limited resources.
Impact: Altair BASIC played a crucial role in making the Altair 8800 more attractive to hobbyists and helped establish Microsoft’s presence in the software industry2.Note
Many hobbyists began sharing this product which generated the famous "An Open Letter to Hobbyists" and "A Second and Final Letter" by Bill Gates in Altair's Computer Notes, April 1976
