[quote]The "father of the personal computer" who kick-started the careers of Microsoft founders Bill Gates and Paul Allen has died at the age of 68.[/quote]
Awww shit. :frown:
[quote]Dr Henry Edward Roberts was the inventor of the Altair 8800, a machine that sparked the home computer era.
Gates and Allen contacted Dr Roberts after seeing the machine on the front cover of a magazine and offered to write software for it.
The program was known as Altair-Basic, the foundation of Microsoft's business.
"Ed was willing to take a chance on us - two young guys interested in computers long before they were commonplace - and we have always been grateful to him," the Microsoft founders said in a statement.
"The day our first untested software worked on his Altair was the start of a lot of great things."
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak told technology website CNET that Dr Roberts had taken " a critically important step that led to everything we have today".
'Fond memories'
Dr Roberts was the founder of Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems (MITS), originally set up to sell electronics kits to model rocket hobbyists.
The company went on to sell electronic calculator kits, but was soon overshadowed by bigger firms.
In the mid-1970's, with the firm struggling with debt, Dr Roberts began to develop a computer kit for hobbyists.
The result was the Altair 8800, a machine operated by switches and with no display.
It took its name from the then-cutting edge Intel 8080 microprocessor.
The $395 kit (around £1,000 today) was featured on the cover of Popular Electronics in 1975, prompting a flurry of orders. It was also sold assembled for an additional $100 charge.
Amongst those interested in the machine were Paul Allen and Bill Gates.
The pair contacted Dr Roberts, offering to write software code that would help people program the machine.
The pair eventually moved to Albuquerque - the home of MITS - where they founded Micro-Soft, as it was then known, to develop their software: a variant of the Beginners All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code (Basic).
"We will always have many fond memories of working with Ed in Albuquerque, in the MITS office right on Route 66 - where so many exciting things happened that none of us could have imagined back then," the pair said.
Dr Roberts sold his company in 1977.
He died in hospital on 1 April after a long bout of pneumonia. [/quote]
[url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8600493.stm]**SOURCE**[/url]
[img]http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/47579000/jpg/_47579471_-1.jpg[/img]
:911:
Must of been proud knowing he started the porn revolution.
[QUOTE=Hunterbrute;21124774]Must of been proud knowing he started to porn revolution.[/QUOTE]
That was the internet.
For a moment I thought bill gates died.
Please die, Steve Jobs.
I'm going to shut my computer down for 5 minutes in his honor.
Okay maybe like a minute, i got a life to waste here.
[QUOTE=Bubz;21124796]For a moment I thought bill gates died.[/QUOTE]
He did die.
[QUOTE=Jimmg;21124791]That was the internet.[/QUOTE]
Without personal computers there would be no internet.
[QUOTE=Hunterbrute;21124819]Without personal computers there would be no internet.[/QUOTE]
:gonk:
[QUOTE=Hunterbrute;21124819]Without personal computers there would be no internet.[/QUOTE]
therefor no porn?
[quote]The "father of the personal computer" who kick-started the careers of Microsoft founders Bill Gates and [b][i]Paul Allen[/i][/b] has died at the age of 68.[/quote]
Paul Allen? I killed Paul Allen with an axe to the face, his body is dissolving in a bathtub in Hell's Kitchen.
TRY GETTING A RESERVATION AT DORSIA NOW, YOU FUCKING STUPID BASTARD!!
Everybody shut down your computer for five minutes.
[QUOTE=LinuX;21124815]He did die.[/QUOTE]
He is still alive.
[QUOTE=Hunterbrute;21124774]Must of been proud knowing he started the porn revolution.[/QUOTE]
hey did you know there was porn before the internet
[QUOTE=Odellus;21125487]hey did you know there was porn before the internet[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Hunterbrute;21124774]Must of been proud knowing he started the porn [b][i]revolution[/i][/b].[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Mr. Ambleu;21124991]Paul Allen? I killed Paul Allen with an axe to the face, his body is dissolving in a bathtub in Hell's Kitchen.
TRY GETTING A RESERVATION AT DORSIA NOW, YOU FUCKING STUPID BASTARD!![/QUOTE]
Are you talking about Deus Ex?
[QUOTE=Odellus;21125487]hey did you know there was porn before the internet[/QUOTE]
Ah yes. [url=http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&source=video&oi=video_result&cad=2787962687681527889&ct=res&cd=2&ved=0CE0QtwIwAQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvimeo.com%2F2004773&ei=iFG2S8e_B9CjnweZ5b2KDQ&usg=AFQjCNFmwo9UHAsEhNlLL7QAJK59wJVpbw]Teletype ASCII porn.[/url]
He knew he was a hero, I hope he looked every day in the mirror and smiled about how he changed the world in a good way.
[QUOTE=radioactive;21125700]Are you talking about Deus Ex?[/QUOTE]
Your presence here has been noted, Mr.Denton
:arghfist::frown:
That's one BSOD he can't get fixed.
[img]http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q198/Hezzy88/mojo.jpg[/img]
Shitty puns aside, this is a sad day :frown:
:patriot: God speed Dr. Roberts, God speed...
rip m8.
[QUOTE=LinuX;21124807]Please die, Steve Jobs.[/QUOTE]
He's a vampire, you must kill him with a silver stake.
[editline]08:51PM[/editline]
[QUOTE=pentium;21124745]
[img]http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/47579000/jpg/_47579471_-1.jpg[/img][/QUOTE]
Sexy Beast!
[QUOTE=Odellus;21125487]hey did you know there was porn before the internet[/QUOTE]
But it wasnt free.
RIP :(
[IMG]http://q[/IMG]
This man has my respect, if it wasn't for his great work we wouldn't have the awesome stuff we have today.
RIP. Without you we would all still be having to rely on our imagination for entertainment.
my condolences
This guy changed the world.
R.I.P :angel:
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