An unknown pioneer of computing
Ed Roberts is a forgotten person in the history of home computing but played a huge role in getting us to where we are today.
I got into computers in the early days of the home computer.
One of the most famous early computers was the Altair 8800 that was advertised in Popular Electronics in January 1975 (before my time). It was a kit that was sold by mail order.
I recently read an excellent article about the man behind this, Ed Roberts, and how he got it to market. It tells of how he funded it, the loss of the original prototype and the lead up to the publication of the article. It goes on to document how it became a success, a run in with Bill Gates and his prescience for what became the laptop computer. Disagreements about the latter led to him leaving the company he built.
He decided to step away and do something he had always wanted to do, become a doctor.
Well worth a read.
Links