Virtual Altair 8800 For Sale
The word "Virtual" in the site name
refers to the large numbers of images plus web and PDF technical
information. Everyone is invited to browse this site
to view images and information for each Altair system and
component.
This site specializes in images and information about equipment that is being prepared for sale. The information provided should help anyone building a working Altair system. If you don't own hardware, please enjoy the images and technical information.
Visit the Virtual Altair Museum for more Altair information. The Virtual Altair
Museum and this site provide information useful to Altair owners and enthusiasts.
Contact Us,
if
you have technical questions about Altair system integration.
The components and systems on this website are for sale unless labeled as sold. The price of systems is high because of of the amount of labor required to integrate a working system.
In general, components are being reserved for integration into a WORKING systems for sale. Contact Us,
if
you need a component to get your system working. Make me an offer I can't resist for anything on this site.
The goal is to increase WORKING Altair systems, the system does not have to be mine. The price of components is one reason the price of systems is high.
The MITS altair is the FIRST S-100 system and MUCH HARDER to work with than newer hardware. If you want something easy, try Vector Graphic Systems.
Both MITS and Vector Graphic systems use hard-sectored floppy controllers. Floppy drives for MITS and Vector Graphic Systems are very rare and have problems with aging plastic and non-mainstream specifications.
Floppy integration problems are one reason why the price of systems are high.
Due to the difficulty of integrating MITS floppy controllers and drives, some systems will have:
- Cassette Boards
- ROM BASIC
- Serial Boot
- Soft-Sectored Drives
- 5.25-inch Drives (8-inch replacement configuration)
- Other non-MITS drives
- PROM software
- Anything else that will work
- CP/M, not MITS software
This website is part of the owners manual for each
system. One goal of this website is to provide support of anyone restoring and Altair.
Contact Us, if
you are interested is purchasing an Altair System.
Status June 29, 2010:
New Virtual Altair 680 Website
Restoration of the custom Altair 8800b systems is in progress.
Software is the current focus:
- Ten different boot disks are available.
- More MITS 1702A PROM software is available.
- File transfer, Modem, and Remote CP/M (RCP/M), and BBS software is being used and developed
Three mainframes are up and running:
Attache Serial
Number 100-0000828800b SN 300-000104
8800b-dm
SN 700-000037
Two Vector Graphic S-100 Kits are available.
These mainframes are being restored to working systems by adding software and documentation.
Web pages for these systems are being enhanced as the systems are tested and restored.
This website is part of the owners manual for each system. Components and system sold have their own web page. Owners may use the web content to support or sell their system. Web site creation services are available to all Altair owners.
Restoration includes several processes:
- Images of components are made and published on web pages. This process allows everyone to see components from an Altair system.
- Components are being inspected, cleaned, enhanced, and if necessary repaired. Solutions to common Altair issues are being documented.
- Documents are being collected and links to PDF versions are included on web pages.
- Technical information is added to web pages as components are integrated into working systems.
- Components are being purchased.The price of systems is high because of the time and cost of locating WORKING componemts.
- Evaluation and repair of aging power supply components.
An iCOM Attache is being used for test and development. Altair 8800b SN 300-000104 is being restored for use with a 3202 dual disk drive. These two systems support restoration of other Altair systems.
Contact Us,
if
you are and Altair owner and are looking for information about integrating Altair components.
The final configuration of each system is to be determined by the buyer and parts availability. The difficulty
Contact us and specify what features to would like to have in a functional Altair 8800b system. The following options are possible:
Contact Us,
if
you would like to discuss the configurations of an Altair systems.
Contact Us to list your Altair equipment for sale on this website.
Altair 8800 equipment for sale by others:
Use the links below to go to the Virtual Altair Museum to find more information about Altairs.
The links below take you away from this website. You may return using the "For Sale" link. Use the navagition links on the upper left of this page for this "Altair For Sale Website".
Introduction to the Virtual Altair Museum