Altair 8800 front panel lamps

From: Rob Kapteyn <kapteynr_at_cboe.com>
Date: Wed May 30 11:46:23 2001

They have LEDs.
I soldered them in myself when I put together my Altair kit :-)

BTW -- a lot of the popular history of the Altair is wrong.
I have seen several "official" source list the original price at $375.

It was MUCH more expensive.
I have my original invoices somewhere ...

-Rob

-----Original Message-----
From: John Honniball [SMTP:John.Honniball_at_uwe.ac.uk]
Sent: Wednesday, May 30, 2001 11:06 AM
To: classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org
Subject: Altair 8800 front panel lamps


I've just been reading "Computer: A History of the
Information Machine", by Martin Campbell-Kelly and WIlliam
Aspray. It mentions the Altair 8800 (on page 240) and
describes the front panel:

When loaded, the program would run; but the only evidence
of its execution was the change in the shifting pattern of
the neon bulbs on the front.

Neon bulbs? Did the Altair really have neon bulbs on the
front panel? I would have expected LEDs -- can anyone
clarify this, please?

--
John Honniball
Email: John.Honniball_at_uwe.ac.uk
University of the West of England
Received on Wed May 30 2001 - 11:46:23 BST

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