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href="#1975_Homebrew_Computer_Club_and_subsequent_copying_of_Altair_BASIC"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2</span> <span>1975 Homebrew Computer Club and subsequent copying of Altair BASIC</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-1975_Homebrew_Computer_Club_and_subsequent_copying_of_Altair_BASIC-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Open_letter" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Open_letter"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3</span> <span>Open letter</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Open_letter-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Reaction" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Reaction"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4</span> <span>Reaction</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Reaction-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Magazines_that_published_the_letter" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Magazines_that_published_the_letter"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5</span> <span>Magazines that published the letter</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Magazines_that_published_the_letter-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-See_also" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#See_also"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6</span> <span>See also</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-See_also-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Notes" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Notes"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">7</span> <span>Notes</span> </div> </a> <ul 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class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>العربية</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-de mw-list-item"><a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Letter_to_Hobbyists" title="Open Letter to Hobbyists – German" lang="de" hreflang="de" data-title="Open Letter to Hobbyists" data-language-autonym="Deutsch" data-language-local-name="German" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Deutsch</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-es mw-list-item"><a href="https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carta_abierta_a_los_aficionados" title="Carta abierta a los aficionados – Spanish" lang="es" hreflang="es" data-title="Carta abierta a los aficionados" data-language-autonym="Español" data-language-local-name="Spanish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Español</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fr mw-list-item"><a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_Open_Letter_to_Hobbyists" title="An Open Letter to Hobbyists – French" lang="fr" hreflang="fr" data-title="An Open Letter to Hobbyists" data-language-autonym="Français" data-language-local-name="French" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Français</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ko mw-list-item"><a href="https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%EC%95%A0%ED%98%B8%EA%B0%80%EC%97%90%EA%B2%8C_%EB%B3%B4%EB%82%B4%EB%8A%94_%EA%B3%B5%EA%B0%9C_%EC%84%9C%ED%95%9C" title="애호가에게 보내는 공개 서한 – Korean" lang="ko" hreflang="ko" data-title="애호가에게 보내는 공개 서한" data-language-autonym="한국어" data-language-local-name="Korean" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>한국어</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-id mw-list-item"><a href="https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Letter_to_Hobbyists" title="Open Letter to Hobbyists – Indonesian" lang="id" hreflang="id" data-title="Open Letter to Hobbyists" data-language-autonym="Bahasa Indonesia" data-language-local-name="Indonesian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bahasa Indonesia</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-it mw-list-item"><a href="https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lettera_aperta_agli_hobbisti" title="Lettera aperta agli hobbisti – Italian" lang="it" hreflang="it" data-title="Lettera aperta agli hobbisti" data-language-autonym="Italiano" data-language-local-name="Italian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Italiano</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ja mw-list-item"><a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%9B%E3%83%93%E3%82%A4%E3%82%B9%E3%83%88%E3%81%9F%E3%81%A1%E3%81%B8%E3%81%AE%E5%85%AC%E9%96%8B%E7%8A%B6" title="ホビイストたちへの公開状 – Japanese" lang="ja" hreflang="ja" data-title="ホビイストたちへの公開状" data-language-autonym="日本語" data-language-local-name="Japanese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>日本語</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pt mw-list-item"><a href="https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carta_Aberta_aos_Hobbystas" title="Carta Aberta aos Hobbystas – Portuguese" lang="pt" hreflang="pt" data-title="Carta Aberta aos Hobbystas" 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class="mw-redirectedfrom">(Redirected from <a href="/w/index.php?title=Open_Letter_to_Hobbyists&redirect=no" class="mw-redirect" title="Open Letter to Hobbyists">Open Letter to Hobbyists</a>)</span></div></div> <div id="mw-content-text" class="mw-body-content"><div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none">1976 letter by Bill Gates to PC hobbyists</div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1129693374">.mw-parser-output .hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul{margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt,.mw-parser-output .hlist li{margin:0;display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol 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.sidebar-list-title-c{padding:0 0.4em;text-align:center;margin:0 3.3em}@media(max-width:640px){body.mediawiki .mw-parser-output .sidebar{width:100%!important;clear:both;float:none!important;margin-left:0!important;margin-right:0!important}}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .sidebar a>img{max-width:none!important}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .sidebar:not(.notheme) .sidebar-list-title,html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .sidebar:not(.notheme) .sidebar-title-with-pretitle{background:transparent!important}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .sidebar:not(.notheme) .sidebar-title-with-pretitle a{color:var(--color-progressive)!important}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .sidebar:not(.notheme) .sidebar-list-title,html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .sidebar:not(.notheme) .sidebar-title-with-pretitle{background:transparent!important}html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .sidebar:not(.notheme) .sidebar-title-with-pretitle a{color:var(--color-progressive)!important}}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .sidebar{display:none!important}}</style><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1257614269">.mw-parser-output .bill-gates-series .sidebar-title{font-size:110%;padding:0;line-height:150%}.mw-parser-output .bill-gates-series .sidebar-content{padding:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .bill-gates-series .sidebar-navbar{text-align:center}</style><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239334494">@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output div:not(.notheme)>.tmp-color,html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output p>.tmp-color,html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output table:not(.notheme) .tmp-color{color:inherit!important}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output div:not(.notheme)>.tmp-color,html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output p>.tmp-color,html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output table:not(.notheme) .tmp-color{color:inherit!important}}</style><table class="sidebar nomobile nowraplinks bill-gates-series vcard hlist"><tbody><tr><th class="sidebar-title"><table><tbody><tr> <td style="background:lavender; vertical-align:middle; padding:5px;"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Bill_Gates_-_2023_-_P062021-967902_(cropped).jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="Bill Gates in 2023" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/Bill_Gates_-_2023_-_P062021-967902_%28cropped%29.jpg/75px-Bill_Gates_-_2023_-_P062021-967902_%28cropped%29.jpg" decoding="async" width="75" height="113" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/Bill_Gates_-_2023_-_P062021-967902_%28cropped%29.jpg/113px-Bill_Gates_-_2023_-_P062021-967902_%28cropped%29.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/Bill_Gates_-_2023_-_P062021-967902_%28cropped%29.jpg/150px-Bill_Gates_-_2023_-_P062021-967902_%28cropped%29.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1393" data-file-height="2091" /></a></span></td> <td style="background:lavender; vertical-align:middle; padding:6px; width:100%;"><span class="tmp-color" style="color:#000000">This article is part of <br />a series about</span> <br /><span class="vcard"><span class="fn"><a href="/wiki/Bill_Gates" title="Bill Gates">Bill Gates</a></span></span></td> </tr></tbody></table></th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Bill_Gates#Recognition" title="Bill Gates">Awards and honors</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bill_Gates#Philanthropy" title="Bill Gates">Philanthropy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bill_Gates#Political_positions" title="Bill Gates">Political positions</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bill_Gates#Public_image" title="Bill Gates">Public image</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bill_Gates%27s_house" title="Bill Gates's house">Residence</a></li></ul> <hr /> <div style="font-weight: bold;line-height:normal;">Companies</div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Traf-O-Data" title="Traf-O-Data">Traf-O-Data</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft" title="Microsoft">Microsoft</a> (<a href="/wiki/Criticism_of_Microsoft" title="Criticism of Microsoft">criticism</a>)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/BENlabs" title="BENlabs">BENlabs</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cascade_Investment" title="Cascade Investment">Cascade Investment</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/TerraPower" title="TerraPower">TerraPower</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gates_Ventures" title="Gates Ventures">Gates Ventures</a></li></ul> <hr /> <div style="font-weight: bold;line-height:normal;">Charitable organizations</div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Bill_%26_Melinda_Gates_Foundation" title="Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation">Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Match_for_Africa" title="Match for Africa">Match for Africa</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/The_Giving_Pledge" title="The Giving Pledge">The Giving Pledge</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/OER_Project" title="OER Project">OER Project</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Breakthrough_Energy" title="Breakthrough Energy">Breakthrough Energy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mission_Innovation" title="Mission Innovation">Mission Innovation</a></li></ul> <hr /> <div style="font-weight: bold;line-height:normal;">Writings</div> <ul><li>"<a class="mw-selflink selflink">An Open Letter to Hobbyists</a>"</li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/The_Road_Ahead_(Gates_book)" title="The Road Ahead (Gates book)">The Road Ahead</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Business_@_the_Speed_of_Thought" title="Business @ the Speed of Thought">Business @ the Speed of Thought</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/How_to_Avoid_a_Climate_Disaster" title="How to Avoid a Climate Disaster">How to Avoid a Climate Disaster</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/How_to_Prevent_the_Next_Pandemic" title="How to Prevent the Next Pandemic">How to Prevent the Next Pandemic</a></i></li></ul> <hr /> <div style="font-weight: bold;line-height:normal;">Related</div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Bill_Gates%27_flower_fly" title="Bill Gates' flower fly">Bill Gates' flower fly</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Codex_Leicester" title="Codex Leicester">Codex Leicester</a></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Lost_on_the_Grand_Banks" title="Lost on the Grand Banks">Lost on the Grand Banks</a></i></li> <li><a href="/wiki/History_of_Microsoft" title="History of Microsoft">History of Microsoft</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Timeline_of_Microsoft" title="Timeline of Microsoft">Timeline of Microsoft</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Paul_Allen" title="Paul Allen">Paul Allen</a></li></ul> <hr /></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-navbar"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239400231">.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:inline;font-size:88%;font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .navbar-collapse{float:left;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .navbar-boxtext{word-spacing:0}.mw-parser-output .navbar ul{display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;line-height:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::before{margin-right:-0.125em;content:"[ "}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::after{margin-left:-0.125em;content:" ]"}.mw-parser-output .navbar li{word-spacing:-0.125em}.mw-parser-output .navbar a>span,.mw-parser-output .navbar a>abbr{text-decoration:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-mini abbr{font-variant:small-caps;border-bottom:none;text-decoration:none;cursor:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-full{font-size:114%;margin:0 7em}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-mini{font-size:114%;margin:0 4em}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}@media(prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}}@media print{.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:none!important}}</style><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Bill_Gates_series" title="Template:Bill Gates series"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Bill_Gates_series" title="Template talk:Bill Gates series"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Bill_Gates_series" title="Special:EditPage/Template:Bill Gates series"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div></td></tr></tbody></table> <p>"<b>An Open Letter to Hobbyists</b>" is a 1976 <a href="/wiki/Open_letter" title="Open letter">open letter</a> written by <a href="/wiki/Bill_Gates" title="Bill Gates">Bill Gates</a>, the co-founder of <a href="/wiki/Microsoft" title="Microsoft">Microsoft</a>, to early <a href="/wiki/Personal_computer" title="Personal computer">personal computer</a> hobbyists, in which Gates expresses dismay at the rampant <a href="/wiki/Copyright_infringement" title="Copyright infringement">software piracy</a> taking place in the hobbyist community, particularly with regard to his company's software. </p><p>In the letter, Gates expressed frustration with most computer hobbyists who were using his company's <a href="/wiki/Altair_BASIC" title="Altair BASIC">Altair BASIC</a> software without having paid for it. He asserted that such widespread <a href="/wiki/Copyright_infringement" title="Copyright infringement">unauthorized copying</a> in effect discouraged <a href="/wiki/Software_developer" class="mw-redirect" title="Software developer">developers</a> from investing time and money in creating high-quality software. He cited the unfairness of gaining the benefits of software authors' time, effort, and capital without paying them as a rationale for refusing to publish the source code for his company's flagship product, thereby making it unavailable to lower-income hobbyists who could have borrowed such program blueprints from their local library and entered the program into their hobby computer by data entry. </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Altair_BASIC">Altair BASIC</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=An_Open_Letter_to_Hobbyists&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Altair BASIC"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236090951">.mw-parser-output .hatnote{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output div.hatnote{padding-left:1.6em;margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .hatnote i{font-style:normal}.mw-parser-output .hatnote+link+.hatnote{margin-top:-0.5em}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .hatnote{display:none!important}}</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Altair_BASIC" title="Altair BASIC">Altair BASIC</a></div> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Computer_Notes_July_1975_pg1.png" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="A low-resolution scan of the 1975 edition of Computer Notes." src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/de/Computer_Notes_July_1975_pg1.png/220px-Computer_Notes_July_1975_pg1.png" decoding="async" width="220" height="216" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/de/Computer_Notes_July_1975_pg1.png 1.5x" data-file-width="319" data-file-height="313" /></a><figcaption>Gates was impressed with Steve Dompier's Altair music.</figcaption></figure> <p>In December 1974, Gates, a student at <a href="/wiki/Harvard_University" title="Harvard University">Harvard University</a>, alongside Microsoft co-founder <a href="/wiki/Paul_Allen" title="Paul Allen">Paul Allen</a>, who worked at <a href="/wiki/Honeywell" title="Honeywell">Honeywell</a> in Boston, both saw the <a href="/wiki/Altair_8800" title="Altair 8800">Altair 8800</a> computer in the January 1975 issue of <i><a href="/wiki/Popular_Electronics" title="Popular Electronics">Popular Electronics</a></i> for the first time. They had both written <a href="/wiki/BASIC" title="BASIC">BASIC</a> language programs since their days at <a href="/wiki/Lakeside_School_(Seattle,_Washington)" class="mw-redirect" title="Lakeside School (Seattle, Washington)">Lakeside School in Seattle</a>, and knew the Altair computer was powerful enough to support a BASIC interpreter.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>a<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Both Gates and Allen wanted to be the first to offer BASIC for the Altair computer, and expected the software development tools they had previously created for their <a href="/wiki/Intel_8008" title="Intel 8008">Intel 8008</a> microprocessor-based <a href="/wiki/Traf-O-Data" title="Traf-O-Data">Traf-O-Data</a> computer to give them a head start.<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>By early March of the following year, Allen, Gates and <a href="/wiki/Monte_Davidoff" title="Monte Davidoff">Monte Davidoff</a>, a fellow Harvard student, had created a BASIC interpreter that worked under simulation on a <a href="/wiki/PDP-10" title="PDP-10">PDP-10</a> mainframe computer at Harvard. Allen and Gates had been in contact with <a href="/wiki/Ed_Roberts_(computer_engineer)" title="Ed Roberts (computer engineer)">Ed Roberts</a> of <a href="/wiki/Micro_Instrumentation_and_Telemetry_Systems" title="Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems">MITS</a>, and in March 1975, Allen visited Albuquerque, New Mexico, to test the software on an actual machine. To both Allen and Roberts' surprise, the software worked.<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> MITS agreed to license the software from Allen and Gates. Allen left his job at Honeywell, and became the Vice President and Director of Software at MITS with a salary of $30,000 (equivalent to $169,870 in 2023) a year;<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>b<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Gates remained a student at Harvard, and worked under MITS as a contractor instead, with the October 1975 company newsletter giving his title at the company as "Software Specialist".<sup id="cite_ref-Computer_Notes_Oct_1975_7-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Computer_Notes_Oct_1975-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>On July 22, 1975, MITS signed the contract with Allen and Gates, who would receive $3000 at the signing and a royalty for each copy of BASIC sold; $30 for the 4K version, $35 for the 8K version and $60 for the expanded version. The contract had a cap of $180,000, with MITS retaining an exclusive worldwide license to the program for 10 years. MITS would supply the computer time necessary for development on a PDP-10 owned by the Albuquerque school district.<sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The April 1975 issue of MITS's <i>Computer Notes</i> had the banner headline "Altair Basic – Up and Running". The Altair 8800 computer was a break-even sale for MITS, who would need to sell additional memory boards, I/O boards, and other add-on options to make a profit. When purchased with two 4K memory boards and an I/O board, the 8K BASIC cost just $75, the initial standalone price for BASIC being $500.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template" style="margin-left:0.1em; white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Please_clarify" title="Wikipedia:Please clarify"><span title="The text near this tag may need clarification or removal of jargon. (March 2024)">clarification needed</span></a></i>]</sup> To promote the computer, MITS purchased a camper van and outfitted it with the complete product line, dubbed the "MITS-Mobile"; the company used this van to tour the United States, giving seminars featuring the Altair Computer and Altair BASIC. </p> <div style="clear:both;" class=""></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="1975_Homebrew_Computer_Club_and_subsequent_copying_of_Altair_BASIC">1975 Homebrew Computer Club and subsequent copying of Altair BASIC</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=An_Open_Letter_to_Hobbyists&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: 1975 Homebrew Computer Club and subsequent copying of Altair BASIC"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The <a href="/wiki/Homebrew_Computer_Club" title="Homebrew Computer Club">Homebrew Computer Club</a> was an early computer hobbyist club in Palo Alto, California. At the first meeting in March 1975, Steve Dompier gave an account of his visit to the MITS factory in Albuquerque, where he had attempted to pick up his order for one of everything.<sup id="cite_ref-9" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> He left with a computer kit with 256 bytes of memory. At the April 16, 1975 club meeting, Dompier keyed in a small program that played the song "<a href="/wiki/The_Fool_on_the_Hill" title="The Fool on the Hill">The Fool on the Hill</a>" on a nearby AM radio, through the use of <a href="/wiki/Radio_frequency_interference" class="mw-redirect" title="Radio frequency interference">radio frequency interference</a> or static controlled by the timing loops in the program.<sup id="cite_ref-DDJ_Feb_1976_10-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-DDJ_Feb_1976-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Gates, who could not figure out how the computer could broadcast to the radio, described this in the July 1975 edition of <i>Computer Notes</i> as "the best demo program I've seen for the Altair".<sup id="cite_ref-Computer_Notes_July_1975_11-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Computer_Notes_July_1975-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The June 1975 <i>Homebrew Computer Club Newsletter</i> carried this item written by <a href="/wiki/Fred_Moore_(activist)" title="Fred Moore (activist)">Fred Moore</a>, Editor: </p> <blockquote><p>The MITS MOBILE came to Rickey's Hyatt House in Palo Alto June 5th & 6th. The room was packed (150+) with amateurs and experimenters eager to find out about this new electronic toy.<sup id="cite_ref-Homebrew_June_1975_12-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Homebrew_June_1975-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p></blockquote> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-left" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Altair_BASIC_Paper_Tape.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="An aged roll of paper tape perhaps 1–2 inches (2.5–5.1 cm) wide; on the outside is written "BASIC 8K without cassette" and "July 2" in blue biro pen." src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9a/Altair_BASIC_Paper_Tape.jpg/220px-Altair_BASIC_Paper_Tape.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="165" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9a/Altair_BASIC_Paper_Tape.jpg/330px-Altair_BASIC_Paper_Tape.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9a/Altair_BASIC_Paper_Tape.jpg/440px-Altair_BASIC_Paper_Tape.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3264" data-file-height="2448" /></a><figcaption>Altair 8K BASIC on paper tape. This was a popular storage medium before the invention of the low-cost floppy disk.</figcaption></figure> <p>At the same June seminar, a <a href="/wiki/Punched_tape" title="Punched tape">paper tape</a> containing a pre-release version of Altair BASIC disappeared. The tape was given to Dompier, who passed it on to Dan Sokol, who had access to a high speed tape punch. At the next Homebrew Computer Club meeting, 50 copies of Altair BASIC on paper tape appeared in a cardboard box.<sup id="cite_ref-13" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-13"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>MITS offered a complete Altair system with two MITS 4K Dynamic RAM boards, a serial interface board and Altair BASIC for $995.<sup id="cite_ref-MITS_Aug_1975_Ad_14-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-MITS_Aug_1975_Ad-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> However, the $264 MITS RAM boards were unreliable, due to several component and design problems. An enterprising Homebrew Computer Club member, Robert Marsh, designed a 4K static memory that was plug-in compatible with the Altair 8800, and sold it for $255.<sup id="cite_ref-Homebrew_July_1975_15-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Homebrew_July_1975-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> His company, <a href="/wiki/Processor_Technology" title="Processor Technology">Processor Technology</a>, became one of the most successful Altair compatible board suppliers. As a result of Dompier's copying of Altair BASIC and Marsh's third-party 4K static memory plug-in, many Altair 8800 computer owners came to skip purchasing the bundled package from MITS directly, instead purchasing their memory boards from a third-party supplier and using a "borrowed" copy of Altair BASIC. </p><p>Ed Roberts acknowledged the 4K Dynamic RAM board problems in the October 1975 <i>Computer Notes</i>. The price was reduced from $264 to $195, and existing purchasers got a $50 rebate; the full price for 8K Altair BASIC was reduced to $200, though Roberts declined a customer's request that MITS give BASIC to customers for free, noting that MITS had made a "$180,000 royalty commitment to Micro Soft". Roberts also wrote that "Anyone who is using a stolen copy of MITS BASIC should identify himself for what he is, a thief", and described third-party hardware suppliers as "parasite companies".<sup id="cite_ref-Computer_Notes_-_DRAM_16-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Computer_Notes_-_DRAM-16"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The newly released Processor Technology static RAM board drew more current than the MITS dynamic RAM board, with the addition of two or three boards taxing the Altair 8800's power supply. As a consequence, Howard Fullmer began selling a power supply upgrade for the Altair, naming his company <a href="/wiki/Parasitic_Engineering" title="Parasitic Engineering">Parasitic Engineering</a> as a nod to Roberts' comments.<sup id="cite_ref-17" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-17"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>15<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-19" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-19"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>c<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Fullmer would later help define the industry standard for Altair compatible boards, the <a href="/wiki/S-100_bus" title="S-100 bus">S-100 bus</a> standard.<sup id="cite_ref-S100_Bus_20-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-S100_Bus-20"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>17<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The next year, 1976, would see many Altair bus computer clones such as the <a href="/wiki/IMSAI_8080" title="IMSAI 8080">IMSAI 8080</a> and the Processor Technology <a href="/wiki/Sol-20" title="Sol-20">Sol-20</a>. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Open_letter">Open letter</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=An_Open_Letter_to_Hobbyists&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Open letter"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Bill_Gates_Letter_to_Hobbyists_ocr.pdf" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="A scan of an A4 typewritten letter, dated February 3, 1976, and signed by Bill Gates (as "General Partner, Micro-Soft"). It is titled "An Open Letter to Hobbyists"." src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f9/Bill_Gates_Letter_to_Hobbyists_ocr.pdf/page1-400px-Bill_Gates_Letter_to_Hobbyists_ocr.pdf.jpg" decoding="async" width="400" height="518" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f9/Bill_Gates_Letter_to_Hobbyists_ocr.pdf/page1-600px-Bill_Gates_Letter_to_Hobbyists_ocr.pdf.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f9/Bill_Gates_Letter_to_Hobbyists_ocr.pdf/page1-800px-Bill_Gates_Letter_to_Hobbyists_ocr.pdf.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1275" data-file-height="1650" /></a><figcaption>Homebrew Computer Club Newsletter Volume 2, Issue 1, January 31, 1976</figcaption></figure> <p>At the end of 1975, MITS was shipping a thousand computers a month, but copies of BASIC were selling in the low hundreds.<sup id="cite_ref-21" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-21"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>18<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Additional software projects<sup class="noprint Inline-Template" style="margin-left:0.1em; white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Vagueness" title="Wikipedia:Vagueness"><span title="This information is too vague. (January 2021)">vague</span></a></i>]</sup> required more resources; the MITS 8-inch floppy disk system was about to be released, as was the MITS 680B computer based on the <a href="/wiki/Motorola_6800" title="Motorola 6800">Motorola 6800</a>. A high school friend of Allen and Gates, <a href="/wiki/Ric_Weiland" title="Ric Weiland">Ric Weiland</a>, was hired to convert the 8080 BASIC to the 6800 microprocessor. <a href="/wiki/David_Bunnell" title="David Bunnell">David Bunnell</a>, <i>Computer Notes</i> Editor, was sympathetic to Gates' position. He wrote in the September 1975 issue that "customers have been ripping off MITS software". </p> <blockquote><p>Now I ask you--does a musician have the right to collect the royalty on the sale of his records or does a writer have the right to collect the royalty on the sale of his books? Are people who copy software any different than those who copy records and books?<sup id="cite_ref-Computer_Notes_-_Bunnell_22-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Computer_Notes_-_Bunnell-22"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p></blockquote> <p>Gates, keen to attempt to explain the cost of developing software to the hobbyist community, restated much of what Bunnell had written in September and what Roberts had written in October; however, the tone of his letter was different, instead emphasising Gates' view that hobbyists were stealing from him personally, and not from a corporation. </p> <blockquote><p>Why is this? As the majority of hobbyists must be aware, most of you steal your software. Hardware must be paid for, but software is something to share. Who cares if the people who worked on it get paid?</p></blockquote> <p>One of the principal targets of the letter was the Homebrew Computer Club, with a copy sent to the club directly. The letter also appeared in <i>Computer Notes</i>. To ensure the letter would be noticed, Bunnell sent the letter via special delivery mail to every major computer publication in the country.<sup id="cite_ref-23" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-23"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>20<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>In the letter, Gates also mentioned the development of the <a href="/wiki/APL_(programming_language)" title="APL (programming language)">APL programming language</a> for the 8080 and 6800 microprocessors, a programming language in vogue with some other computer scientists in the 1970s. The language, which used a character set based on the <a href="/wiki/Greek_alphabet" title="Greek alphabet">Greek alphabet</a>, required special terminals to implement that most hobbyist terminals did not have; as well as not displaying symbols from the Greek alphabet, most hobbyist terminals did not even display lowercase letters. Though Gates was enamored with APL, Allen did not believe it could be sold as a product; interest in the project soon faded, and the software itself was never completed.<sup id="cite_ref-24" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-24"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>21<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Reaction">Reaction</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=An_Open_Letter_to_Hobbyists&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Reaction"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-left" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Apple_1_Advertisement_Oct_1976.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="A 1976 advert for the Apple I computer, titled "Apple Introduces the First Low Cost Microcomputer System with a Video Terminal and 8K Bytes of RAM on a Single PC Card"." src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/48/Apple_1_Advertisement_Oct_1976.jpg/220px-Apple_1_Advertisement_Oct_1976.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="285" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/48/Apple_1_Advertisement_Oct_1976.jpg/330px-Apple_1_Advertisement_Oct_1976.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/48/Apple_1_Advertisement_Oct_1976.jpg/440px-Apple_1_Advertisement_Oct_1976.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1700" data-file-height="2200" /></a><figcaption>Ad for the Apple I computer, noting Apple's policy of providing free or inexpensive software for its computers.</figcaption></figure> <p>Following the difficulties with receiving piecemeal royalties, Microsoft switched to a fixed-priced contract with MITS, who would pay $31,200 for a non-exclusive license of 6800 BASIC.<sup id="cite_ref-25" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-25"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>22<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The future sales of BASIC for the <a href="/wiki/Commodore_PET" title="Commodore PET">Commodore PET</a>, the <a href="/wiki/Apple_II" title="Apple II">Apple II</a>, the Radio Shack <a href="/wiki/TRS-80" title="TRS-80">TRS-80</a> and others were all fixed-price contracts.<sup id="cite_ref-27" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-27"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>d<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>In early 1976 ads for its <a href="/wiki/Apple_I" title="Apple I">Apple I</a> computer, <a href="/wiki/Apple_Inc" class="mw-redirect" title="Apple Inc">Apple Inc</a> made the claims that "our philosophy is to provide software for our machines free or at minimal cost",<sup id="cite_ref-28" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-28"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>24<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> emphasising that Apple BASIC was free.<sup id="cite_ref-29" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-29"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>25<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Microsoft's software development was done on a DEC <a href="/wiki/PDP-10" title="PDP-10">PDP-10</a> mainframe computer system, with Allen having developed a program that could completely simulate a new microprocessor system. This allowed Microsoft to write and debug software before the new computer hardware was complete. The company was charged by the hour and by the amount of resources (such as storage and printing) used,<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (June 2013)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> the "$40,000 of computer time" mentioned in the letter. As a result of these software developments, the 6800 BASIC was complete before the Altair 680 was finished, with the 680 hardware arriving months late.<sup id="cite_ref-CN_Mar_1976_30-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-CN_Mar_1976-30"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>26<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Hal Singer of the <i>Micro-8 Newsletter</i> published an open letter to Roberts, pointing out that MITS promised a computer for $395, but that the price for a working system was $1000. He suggested a class action lawsuit or a Federal Trade Commission investigation into false advertising was in order. Hal also noted that rumors were circulating that Gates had developed BASIC on a Harvard University computer funded by the US government, and that customers should not pay for software already paid for by the taxpayer.<sup id="cite_ref-Micro-8_Mar_1976_31-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Micro-8_Mar_1976-31"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>27<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Gates, Allen and Davidoff had used a PDP-10 at Harvard's Aiken Computer Center, the computer system of which had been funded by the Department of Defence through its <a href="/wiki/DARPA" title="DARPA">Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency</a>; Harvard officials were not pleased that Gates and Allen (who was not a student) had used the PDP-10 to develop a commercial product, but determined that the computer itself, which technically belonged to the military, was not covered by any Harvard policy; the PDP-10 was controlled by Professor <a href="/w/index.php?title=Thomas_Cheatham&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Thomas Cheatham (page does not exist)">Thomas Cheatham</a>, who felt that students could use the machine for personal use. Harvard placed restrictions on the computer's use, and Gates and Allen had to use a commercial time share computer in Boston to finalize the software.<sup id="cite_ref-32" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-32"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>28<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>In 2008, Homebrew member <a href="/wiki/Lee_Felsenstein" title="Lee Felsenstein">Lee Felsenstein</a> recalled similar doubts about Gates' $40,000 number: "Well, we all knew [that] the evaluation of computer time was the ultimate in funny money. You never pay that much for the computer time and I think that research will show that they were using someone else's computer time; someone else was paying for that. It could have been Honeywell where Paul Allen was working. So we all knew this to be a spurious argument."<sup id="cite_ref-fels08_33-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-fels08-33"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>29<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>According to Felsenstein, Gates' letter "delineated a rift [between] the actual industry where there's trying to make money and there's those hobbyist where we're trying to make things happen"; </p> <blockquote><p>The industry needs the hobbyists and this was illustrated by what happened eventually. When National Semiconductor, which made their own microprocessor chips in '77 or '78, decided they needed a BASIC ... they asked, 'What's the most popular BASIC?' And the answer was Microsoft BASIC because everybody had copied it and everybody was using it. So we made Microsoft the standard BASIC. National Semiconductor went to Microsoft and bought a license, they were in business that way. This was the marketing function and the hobbyists did the marketing with a complete antipathy of the company in question. There were other BASICs and, you know, some of them might even have been better. ... [Gates' later success] was in a certain measure because of what we did, that he said we shouldn't do, we were thieves to do it, and all.<sup id="cite_ref-fels08_33-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-fels08-33"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>29<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></p></blockquote> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1224211176">.mw-parser-output .quotebox{background-color:#F9F9F9;border:1px solid #aaa;box-sizing:border-box;padding:10px;font-size:88%;max-width:100%}.mw-parser-output .quotebox.floatleft{margin:.5em 1.4em .8em 0}.mw-parser-output .quotebox.floatright{margin:.5em 0 .8em 1.4em}.mw-parser-output .quotebox.centered{overflow:hidden;position:relative;margin:.5em auto .8em auto}.mw-parser-output .quotebox.floatleft span,.mw-parser-output .quotebox.floatright span{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .quotebox>blockquote{margin:0;padding:0;border-left:0;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit}.mw-parser-output .quotebox-title{text-align:center;font-size:110%;font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .quotebox-quote>:first-child{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .quotebox-quote:last-child>:last-child{margin-bottom:0}.mw-parser-output .quotebox-quote.quoted:before{font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;font-weight:bold;font-size:large;color:gray;content:" “ ";vertical-align:-45%;line-height:0}.mw-parser-output .quotebox-quote.quoted:after{font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;font-weight:bold;font-size:large;color:gray;content:" ” ";line-height:0}.mw-parser-output .quotebox .left-aligned{text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .quotebox .right-aligned{text-align:right}.mw-parser-output .quotebox .center-aligned{text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .quotebox .quote-title,.mw-parser-output .quotebox .quotebox-quote{display:block}.mw-parser-output .quotebox cite{display:block;font-style:normal}@media screen and (max-width:640px){.mw-parser-output .quotebox{width:100%!important;margin:0 0 .8em!important;float:none!important}}</style><div class="quotebox pullquote floatright" style="width:30em; ; color: #202122;background-color: #c6dbf7;"> <blockquote class="quotebox-quote left-aligned" style=""> <p>There is a viable alternative to the problems raised by Bill Gates in his irate letter to computer hobbyists concerning "ripping off" software. When software is free, or so inexpensive that it's easier to pay for it than to duplicate it, then it won't be "stolen". </p> </blockquote> <p style="padding-bottom: 0;"><cite class="left-aligned" style="">—Jim Warren, July 1976<sup id="cite_ref-Warren_1976_34-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Warren_1976-34"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>30<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></cite></p> </div> <p><a href="/wiki/Jim_Warren_(computer_specialist)" title="Jim Warren (computer specialist)">Jim Warren</a>, Homebrew Computer Club Member and editor of <i><a href="/wiki/Dr._Dobb%27s_Journal" title="Dr. Dobb's Journal">Dr. Dobb's Journal</a></i>, wrote in the July 1976 <a href="/wiki/Association_for_Computing_Machinery" title="Association for Computing Machinery">ACM</a> Programming Language newsletter about the successful <a href="/wiki/Tiny_BASIC" title="Tiny BASIC">Tiny BASIC</a> project.<sup id="cite_ref-Warren_1976_34-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Warren_1976-34"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>30<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The goal was to create BASIC language interpreters for microprocessor based computers. The project had started in late 1975, but the "Open Letter" motivated many hobbyists to participate. Computer clubs and individuals from all parts of the United States and the world soon created Tiny BASIC interpreters for the <a href="/wiki/Intel_8080" title="Intel 8080">Intel 8080</a>, the <a href="/wiki/Motorola_6800" title="Motorola 6800">Motorola 6800</a> and <a href="/wiki/MOS_Technology_6502" title="MOS Technology 6502">MOS Technology 6502</a> processors. The assembly language source code was published or the software was sold for five or ten dollars. </p> <div style="clear:both;" class=""></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Magazines_that_published_the_letter">Magazines that published the letter</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=An_Open_Letter_to_Hobbyists&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Magazines that published the letter"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite id="CITEREFGates1976" class="citation journal cs1"><a href="/wiki/Bill_Gates" title="Bill Gates">Gates, Bill</a> (January 1976). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.digibarn.com/collections/newsletters/homebrew/V2_01/index.html">"An Open Letter To Hobbyists"</a>. <i>Homebrew Computer Club Newsletter</i>. <b>2</b> (1). Mountain View, California: Homebrew Computer Club: 2.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Homebrew+Computer+Club+Newsletter&rft.atitle=An+Open+Letter+To+Hobbyists&rft.volume=2&rft.issue=1&rft.pages=2&rft.date=1976-01&rft.aulast=Gates&rft.aufirst=Bill&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.digibarn.com%2Fcollections%2Fnewsletters%2Fhomebrew%2FV2_01%2Findex.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAn+Open+Letter+to+Hobbyists" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFGates1976" class="citation journal cs1">Gates, Bill (February 10, 1976). "An Open Letter To Hobbyists". <i>Micro-8 Computer User Group Newsletter</i>. <b>2</b> (2). Lompoc, California: Cabrillo Computer Center: 1.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Micro-8+Computer+User+Group+Newsletter&rft.atitle=An+Open+Letter+To+Hobbyists&rft.volume=2&rft.issue=2&rft.pages=1&rft.date=1976-02-10&rft.aulast=Gates&rft.aufirst=Bill&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAn+Open+Letter+to+Hobbyists" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFGates1976" class="citation journal cs1">Gates, Bill (February 1976). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120323162008/http://startup.nmnaturalhistory.org/gallery/notesViewer.php?ii=76_2&p=3">"An Open Letter To Hobbyists"</a>. <i>Computer Notes</i>. <b>1</b> (9). Albuquerque, New Mexico: MITS: 3. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://startup.nmnaturalhistory.org/gallery/notesViewer.php?ii=76_2&p=3">the original</a> on March 23, 2012.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Computer+Notes&rft.atitle=An+Open+Letter+To+Hobbyists&rft.volume=1&rft.issue=9&rft.pages=3&rft.date=1976-02&rft.aulast=Gates&rft.aufirst=Bill&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fstartup.nmnaturalhistory.org%2Fgallery%2FnotesViewer.php%3Fii%3D76_2%26p%3D3&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAn+Open+Letter+to+Hobbyists" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFGates1976" class="citation journal cs1">Gates, Bill (March 11, 1976). "An Open Letter to Hobbyists". <i>Minicomputer News</i>. Boston, Massachusetts: Benwill Publishing.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Minicomputer+News&rft.atitle=An+Open+Letter+to+Hobbyists&rft.date=1976-03-11&rft.aulast=Gates&rft.aufirst=Bill&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAn+Open+Letter+to+Hobbyists" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFGates1976" class="citation journal cs1">Gates, Bill (March–April 1976). "An Open Letter To Hobbyists". <i>People's Computer Company</i>. <b>4</b> (5). Menlo Park, California.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=People%27s+Computer+Company&rft.atitle=An+Open+Letter+To+Hobbyists&rft.volume=4&rft.issue=5&rft.date=1976-03%2F1976-04&rft.aulast=Gates&rft.aufirst=Bill&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAn+Open+Letter+to+Hobbyists" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFGates1976" class="citation magazine cs1">Gates, Bill (May 1976). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190129060033/http://www.swtpc.com/mholley/RadioElectronics/May1976/RE_May1976.htm">"Computer Hobbyists"</a>. <i>Radio-Electronics</i>. Vol. 47, no. 5. New York: Gernsback Publications. pp. 14, 16. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.swtpc.com/mholley/RadioElectronics/May1976/RE_May1976.htm">the original</a> on 2019-01-29<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2007-11-26</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Radio-Electronics&rft.atitle=Computer+Hobbyists&rft.volume=47&rft.issue=5&rft.pages=14%2C+16&rft.date=1976-05&rft.aulast=Gates&rft.aufirst=Bill&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.swtpc.com%2Fmholley%2FRadioElectronics%2FMay1976%2FRE_May1976.htm&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAn+Open+Letter+to+Hobbyists" class="Z3988"></span></li></ul> <p>Several responses to the letter were published, including one from Bill Gates. </p> <ul><li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFHayes1976" class="citation journal cs1">Hayes, Mike (February 1976). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.digibarn.com/collections/newsletters/homebrew/V2_02/index.html">"Regarding Your Letter of February 3"</a>. <i>Homebrew Computer Club Newsletter</i>. <b>2</b> (2). Mountain View, California: Homebrew Computer Club: 2<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">November 25,</span> 2007</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Homebrew+Computer+Club+Newsletter&rft.atitle=Regarding+Your+Letter+of+February+3&rft.volume=2&rft.issue=2&rft.pages=2&rft.date=1976-02&rft.aulast=Hayes&rft.aufirst=Mike&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.digibarn.com%2Fcollections%2Fnewsletters%2Fhomebrew%2FV2_02%2Findex.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAn+Open+Letter+to+Hobbyists" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFSinger1976" class="citation journal cs1">Singer, Harold L. (March 28, 1976). "An Open Letter to Ed Roberts". <i>Micro-8 Computer User Group Newsletter</i>. <b>2</b> (4). Lompoc, California: Cabrillo Computer Center: 1.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Micro-8+Computer+User+Group+Newsletter&rft.atitle=An+Open+Letter+to+Ed+Roberts&rft.volume=2&rft.issue=4&rft.pages=1&rft.date=1976-03-28&rft.aulast=Singer&rft.aufirst=Harold+L.&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAn+Open+Letter+to+Hobbyists" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFGates1976" class="citation journal cs1">Gates, Bill (April 1976). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120323162008/http://startup.nmnaturalhistory.org/gallery/notesViewer.php?ii=76_4&p=5">"A Second and Final Letter"</a>. <i>Computer Notes</i>. <b>1</b> (11). Albuquerque, New Mexico: MITS: 5. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://startup.nmnaturalhistory.org/gallery/notesViewer.php?ii=76_4&p=5">the original</a> on March 23, 2012.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Computer+Notes&rft.atitle=A+Second+and+Final+Letter&rft.volume=1&rft.issue=11&rft.pages=5&rft.date=1976-04&rft.aulast=Gates&rft.aufirst=Bill&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fstartup.nmnaturalhistory.org%2Fgallery%2FnotesViewer.php%3Fii%3D76_4%26p%3D5&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAn+Open+Letter+to+Hobbyists" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFChilds1976" class="citation journal cs1">Childs, Art (May 1976). "Interfacial". <i>SCCS Interface</i>. <b>1</b> (6). Los Angeles, California: Southern California Computer Society: 2, 4.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=SCCS+Interface&rft.atitle=Interfacial&rft.volume=1&rft.issue=6&rft.pages=2%2C+4&rft.date=1976-05&rft.aulast=Childs&rft.aufirst=Art&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAn+Open+Letter+to+Hobbyists" class="Z3988"></span> Editor Art Childs writes about the letter he received from the "author of Altair Basic" and the resulting controversy on propriety software.</li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFWada1976" class="citation magazine cs1">Wada, Robert (July 1976). "An Opinion on Software Marketing". <i>BYTE</i>. Vol. 1, no. 11. Peterborough, New Hampshire: BYTE Publications. pp. 90, 91.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=BYTE&rft.atitle=An+Opinion+on+Software+Marketing&rft.volume=1&rft.issue=11&rft.pages=90%2C+91&rft.date=1976-07&rft.aulast=Wada&rft.aufirst=Robert&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAn+Open+Letter+to+Hobbyists" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFWarren1976" class="citation journal cs1"><a href="/wiki/Jim_Warren_(computer_specialist)" title="Jim Warren (computer specialist)">Warren, Jim C.</a> (July 1976). "Correspondence". <i>SIGPLAN Notices</i>. <b>11</b> (7). ACM: 1.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=SIGPLAN+Notices&rft.atitle=Correspondence&rft.volume=11&rft.issue=7&rft.pages=1&rft.date=1976-07&rft.aulast=Warren&rft.aufirst=Jim+C.&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAn+Open+Letter+to+Hobbyists" class="Z3988"></span> Jim Warren, the editor of <i><a href="/wiki/Dr._Dobb%27s_Journal" title="Dr. Dobb's Journal">Dr. Dobb's Journal</a></i>, describes how the <a href="/wiki/Tiny_BASIC" title="Tiny BASIC">Tiny BASIC</a> project is an alternative to hobbyist "ripping off" software.</li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMoores1976" class="citation magazine cs1">Moores, Calvin (September 1976). "Are you an author?". <i>BYTE</i>. Vol. 1, no. 13. Peterborough, New Hampshire: BYTE Publications. pp. 18–22.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=BYTE&rft.atitle=Are+you+an+author%3F&rft.volume=1&rft.issue=13&rft.pages=18-22&rft.date=1976-09&rft.aulast=Moores&rft.aufirst=Calvin&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAn+Open+Letter+to+Hobbyists" class="Z3988"></span> An article on software copyright law that discusses the "Open Letter to Hobbyists".</li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=An_Open_Letter_to_Hobbyists&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Don%27t_Copy_That_Floppy" title="Don't Copy That Floppy">Don't Copy That Floppy</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Notes">Notes</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=An_Open_Letter_to_Hobbyists&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: Notes"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist reflist-lower-alpha"> <div class="mw-references-wrap"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-1">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">The January 1975 issue of <i>Popular Electronics</i> was published on November 29, 1974. <a href="/wiki/File:Copyright_Popular_Electronics_1975.jpg" title="File:Copyright Popular Electronics 1975.jpg">File:Copyright Popular Electronics 1975.jpg</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-5">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Allen would later leave MITS in November of 1976.<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-19"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-19">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">David Ahl describes the assembly of an Altair 8800 system and the various problems that were encountered. The Processor Technology 8K Static RAM (page 94) and the Parasitic Engineering power supply (page 97) are used to replace the MITS components in his system.<sup id="cite_ref-Ahl_1980_18-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Ahl_1980-18"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>16<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-27"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-27">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Apple paid $21,000; Radio Shack $50,000; other companies paid roughly $35,000 per license.<sup id="cite_ref-26" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-26"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>23<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></span> </li> </ol></div></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=An_Open_Letter_to_Hobbyists&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1239543626"><div class="reflist"> <div class="mw-references-wrap mw-references-columns"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Manes (1994), 68–70.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-3">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Manes (1994), 65–76.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-4">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Manes, pg.103</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-6">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Young (1998), 164.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Computer_Notes_Oct_1975-7"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Computer_Notes_Oct_1975_7-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation journal cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120323162008/http://startup.nmnaturalhistory.org/gallery/notesViewer.php?ii=75_10&p=13">"Contributors"</a>. <i>Computer Notes</i>. <b>1</b> (5). Albuquerque NM: MITS: 13. October 1975. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://startup.nmnaturalhistory.org/gallery/notesViewer.php?ii=75_10&p=13">the original</a> on March 23, 2012.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Computer+Notes&rft.atitle=Contributors&rft.volume=1&rft.issue=5&rft.pages=13&rft.date=1975-10&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fstartup.nmnaturalhistory.org%2Fgallery%2FnotesViewer.php%3Fii%3D75_10%26p%3D13&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAn+Open+Letter+to+Hobbyists" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-8"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-8">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Manes (1994), 82–83.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-9"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-9">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Freiberger (2000), 52–53.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-DDJ_Feb_1976-10"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-DDJ_Feb_1976_10-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFDompier1976" class="citation journal cs1">Dompier, Steve (February 1976). "Music of a sort". <i>Dr. Dobb's Journal</i>. <b>1</b> (2). Menlo Park CA: People's Computer Company: 6–7.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Dr.+Dobb%27s+Journal&rft.atitle=Music+of+a+sort&rft.volume=1&rft.issue=2&rft.pages=6-7&rft.date=1976-02&rft.aulast=Dompier&rft.aufirst=Steve&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAn+Open+Letter+to+Hobbyists" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Computer_Notes_July_1975-11"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Computer_Notes_July_1975_11-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFGates1975" class="citation journal cs1">Gates, Bill (July 1975). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120323162008/http://startup.nmnaturalhistory.org/gallery/notesViewer.php?ii=75_7">"Software Contest Winners Announced"</a>. <i>Computer Notes</i>. <b>1</b> (2). Albuquerque NM: MITS: 1. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://startup.nmnaturalhistory.org/gallery/notesViewer.php?ii=75_7">the original</a> on March 23, 2012.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Computer+Notes&rft.atitle=Software+Contest+Winners+Announced&rft.volume=1&rft.issue=2&rft.pages=1&rft.date=1975-07&rft.aulast=Gates&rft.aufirst=Bill&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fstartup.nmnaturalhistory.org%2Fgallery%2FnotesViewer.php%3Fii%3D75_7&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAn+Open+Letter+to+Hobbyists" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Homebrew_June_1975-12"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Homebrew_June_1975_12-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMoore1975" class="citation journal cs1">Moore, Fred (June 7, 1975). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.digibarn.com/collections/newsletters/homebrew/V1_04/index.html">"It's a Hobby"</a>. <i>Homebrew Computer Club Newsletter</i>. <b>1</b> (4): 1.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Homebrew+Computer+Club+Newsletter&rft.atitle=It%27s+a+Hobby&rft.volume=1&rft.issue=4&rft.pages=1&rft.date=1975-06-07&rft.aulast=Moore&rft.aufirst=Fred&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.digibarn.com%2Fcollections%2Fnewsletters%2Fhomebrew%2FV1_04%2Findex.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAn+Open+Letter+to+Hobbyists" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-13"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-13">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Manes (1994), 81.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-MITS_Aug_1975_Ad-14"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-MITS_Aug_1975_Ad_14-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMITS1975" class="citation magazine cs1">MITS (August 1975). "Worlds Most Inexpensive BASIC language system". <i>Radio-Electronics</i>. Vol. 46, no. 8. p. 1.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Radio-Electronics&rft.atitle=Worlds+Most+Inexpensive+BASIC+language+system&rft.volume=46&rft.issue=8&rft.pages=1&rft.date=1975-08&rft.au=MITS&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAn+Open+Letter+to+Hobbyists" class="Z3988"></span> MITS advertisement <a href="/wiki/File:Altair_Computer_Ad_August_1975.jpg" title="File:Altair Computer Ad August 1975.jpg">File:Altair Computer Ad August 1975.jpg</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Homebrew_July_1975-15"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Homebrew_July_1975_15-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation journal cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.digibarn.com/collections/newsletters/homebrew/V1_05/index.html">"Hardware"</a>. <i>Homebrew Computer Club Newsletter</i>. <b>1</b> (5): 2, 5. July 5, 1975.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Homebrew+Computer+Club+Newsletter&rft.atitle=Hardware&rft.volume=1&rft.issue=5&rft.pages=2%2C+5&rft.date=1975-07-05&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.digibarn.com%2Fcollections%2Fnewsletters%2Fhomebrew%2FV1_05%2Findex.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAn+Open+Letter+to+Hobbyists" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Computer_Notes_-_DRAM-16"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Computer_Notes_-_DRAM_16-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFRoberts1975" class="citation journal cs1">Roberts, H. Edward (October 1975). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120323162008/http://startup.nmnaturalhistory.org/gallery/notesViewer.php?ii=75_10&p=3">"Letter from the President"</a>. <i>Computer Notes</i>. <b>1</b> (5). Albuquerque NM.: MITS: 3–4. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://startup.nmnaturalhistory.org/gallery/notesViewer.php?ii=75_10&p=3">the original</a> on March 23, 2012.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Computer+Notes&rft.atitle=Letter+from+the+President&rft.volume=1&rft.issue=5&rft.pages=3-4&rft.date=1975-10&rft.aulast=Roberts&rft.aufirst=H.+Edward&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fstartup.nmnaturalhistory.org%2Fgallery%2FnotesViewer.php%3Fii%3D75_10%26p%3D3&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAn+Open+Letter+to+Hobbyists" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-17"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-17">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Freiberger (2000), 145–146.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Ahl_1980-18"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Ahl_1980_18-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFAhlBurchenal_Green1980" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/wiki/David_H._Ahl" title="David H. Ahl">Ahl, David H.</a>; Burchenal Green (April 1980). "Saga of a System (Building an Altair 8800/Cromemco TV Dazzler system)". <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.atariarchives.org/bcc3/showpage.php?page=97"><i>The Best of Creative Computing, Volume 3</i></a>. Morristown NJ: Creative Computing. pp. 90–97. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-916688-12-7" title="Special:BookSources/0-916688-12-7"><bdi>0-916688-12-7</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.atitle=Saga+of+a+System+%28Building+an+Altair+8800%2FCromemco+TV+Dazzler+system%29&rft.btitle=The+Best+of+Creative+Computing%2C+Volume+3&rft.place=Morristown+NJ&rft.pages=90-97&rft.pub=Creative+Computing&rft.date=1980-04&rft.isbn=0-916688-12-7&rft.aulast=Ahl&rft.aufirst=David+H.&rft.au=Burchenal+Green&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.atariarchives.org%2Fbcc3%2Fshowpage.php%3Fpage%3D97&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAn+Open+Letter+to+Hobbyists" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-S100_Bus-20"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-S100_Bus_20-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMorrowHoward_Fullmer1978" class="citation journal cs1"><a href="/wiki/George_Morrow_(computers)" title="George Morrow (computers)">Morrow, George</a>; Howard Fullmer (May 1978). "Microsystems Proposed Standard for the S-100 Bus Preliminary Specification, IEEE Task 696.1/D2". <i>Computer</i>. <b>11</b> (5). IEEE: 84–90. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1109%2FC-M.1978.218190">10.1109/C-M.1978.218190</a>. <a href="/wiki/S2CID_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="S2CID (identifier)">S2CID</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:2023052">2023052</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Computer&rft.atitle=Microsystems+Proposed+Standard+for+the+S-100+Bus+Preliminary+Specification%2C+IEEE+Task+696.1%2FD2&rft.volume=11&rft.issue=5&rft.pages=84-90&rft.date=1978-05&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.1109%2FC-M.1978.218190&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.semanticscholar.org%2FCorpusID%3A2023052%23id-name%3DS2CID&rft.aulast=Morrow&rft.aufirst=George&rft.au=Howard+Fullmer&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAn+Open+Letter+to+Hobbyists" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-21"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-21">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Manes (1994), 90.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Computer_Notes_-_Bunnell-22"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Computer_Notes_-_Bunnell_22-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFBunnell1975" class="citation journal cs1">Bunnell, David (September 1975). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120323162008/http://startup.nmnaturalhistory.org/gallery/notesViewer.php?ii=75_9&p=2">"Across the Editor's Desk"</a>. <i>Computer Notes</i>. <b>1</b> (4). Albuquerque NM.: MITS: 2. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://startup.nmnaturalhistory.org/gallery/notesViewer.php?ii=75_9&p=2">the original</a> on March 23, 2012.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Computer+Notes&rft.atitle=Across+the+Editor%27s+Desk&rft.volume=1&rft.issue=4&rft.pages=2&rft.date=1975-09&rft.aulast=Bunnell&rft.aufirst=David&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fstartup.nmnaturalhistory.org%2Fgallery%2FnotesViewer.php%3Fii%3D75_9%26p%3D2&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAn+Open+Letter+to+Hobbyists" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-23"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-23">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Manes (1994), 91.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-24"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-24">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Manes (1994), 97–98.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-25"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-25">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Manes (1994), 95.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-26"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-26">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Manes (1994), Commodore, pg. 105, 111, 114</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-28"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-28">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://apple1.chez.com/Apple1project/Gallery/Gallery.htm">"The Apple 1 Project"</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=The+Apple+1+Project&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fapple1.chez.com%2FApple1project%2FGallery%2FGallery.htm&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAn+Open+Letter+to+Hobbyists" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-29"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-29">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.gadgetspage.com/comps-peripheral/apple-i-computer-ad.html">"Apple I Computer Ad"</a>. 30 November 2009.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Apple+I+Computer+Ad&rft.date=2009-11-30&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gadgetspage.com%2Fcomps-peripheral%2Fapple-i-computer-ad.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAn+Open+Letter+to+Hobbyists" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-CN_Mar_1976-30"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-CN_Mar_1976_30-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFRoberts1976" class="citation journal cs1">Roberts, Ed (March 1976). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120323162008/http://startup.nmnaturalhistory.org/gallery/notesViewer.php?ii=76_3&p=4">"Ramblings from Ed Roberts"</a>. <i>Computer Notes</i>. <b>1</b> (10). Albuquerque, NM: MITS: 4. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://startup.nmnaturalhistory.org/gallery/notesViewer.php?ii=76_3&p=4">the original</a> on March 23, 2012.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Computer+Notes&rft.atitle=Ramblings+from+Ed+Roberts&rft.volume=1&rft.issue=10&rft.pages=4&rft.date=1976-03&rft.aulast=Roberts&rft.aufirst=Ed&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fstartup.nmnaturalhistory.org%2Fgallery%2FnotesViewer.php%3Fii%3D76_3%26p%3D4&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAn+Open+Letter+to+Hobbyists" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Micro-8_Mar_1976-31"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Micro-8_Mar_1976_31-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFSinger1976" class="citation journal cs1">Singer, Harold L. (March 28, 1976). "Open Letter to Ed Roberts". <i>Micro-8 Computer User Group Newsletter</i>. <b>2</b> (4). Lompoc, CA: Cabrillo Computer Center: 1.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Micro-8+Computer+User+Group+Newsletter&rft.atitle=Open+Letter+to+Ed+Roberts&rft.volume=2&rft.issue=4&rft.pages=1&rft.date=1976-03-28&rft.aulast=Singer&rft.aufirst=Harold+L.&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAn+Open+Letter+to+Hobbyists" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-32"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-32">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Wallace (1992), <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=XdYOGBhp0SAC&pg=PA82">81–83</a>. "Harvard officials had found out that he (Gates) and Allen had been making extensive use of the university's PDP-10 to develop a commercial product. The officials were not pleased." The computer was funded by the Department of Defense and was under the control of Professor Thomas Cheatham. "Although DARPA was funding the PDP-10 at Harvard, there was no written policy regarding its use. ... After the computer flap, Gates and Allen bought computer time from a timesharing service in Boston to put the finishing touches on their BASIC."</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-fels08-33"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-fels08_33-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-fels08_33-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://archive.computerhistory.org/resources/access/text/2012/10/102702231-05-01-acc.pdf">Oral History of Lee Felsenstein</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20141227091722/http://archive.computerhistory.org/resources/access/text/2012/10/102702231-05-01-acc.pdf">Archived</a> 2014-12-27 at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a>. Interviewed by Kip Crosby. <a href="/wiki/Computer_History_Museum" title="Computer History Museum">Computer History Museum</a> 2008, CHM Reference number: X4653.2008</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Warren_1976-34"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Warren_1976_34-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Warren_1976_34-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFWarren1976" class="citation journal cs1"><a href="/wiki/Jim_Warren_(computer_specialist)" title="Jim Warren (computer specialist)">Warren, Jim C.</a> (July 1976). "Correspondence". <i>SIGPLAN Notices</i>. <b>11</b> (7). ACM: 1–2. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1145%2F987491">10.1145/987491</a>. <a href="/wiki/ISSN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISSN (identifier)">ISSN</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0362-1340">0362-1340</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=SIGPLAN+Notices&rft.atitle=Correspondence&rft.volume=11&rft.issue=7&rft.pages=1-2&rft.date=1976-07&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.1145%2F987491&rft.issn=0362-1340&rft.aulast=Warren&rft.aufirst=Jim+C.&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAn+Open+Letter+to+Hobbyists" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> </ol></div></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Bibliography">Bibliography</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=An_Open_Letter_to_Hobbyists&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: Bibliography"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239549316">.mw-parser-output .refbegin{margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .refbegin-hanging-indents>ul{margin-left:0}.mw-parser-output .refbegin-hanging-indents>ul>li{margin-left:0;padding-left:3.2em;text-indent:-3.2em}.mw-parser-output .refbegin-hanging-indents ul,.mw-parser-output .refbegin-hanging-indents ul li{list-style:none}@media(max-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .refbegin-hanging-indents>ul>li{padding-left:1.6em;text-indent:-1.6em}}.mw-parser-output .refbegin-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .refbegin-columns ul{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .refbegin-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .refbegin{font-size:90%}}</style><div class="refbegin" style=""> <ul><li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFCeruzzi2003" class="citation book cs1">Ceruzzi, Paul E. (2003). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/historyofmodernc00ceru_0"><i>A History of Modern Computing</i></a>. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-262-53203-4" title="Special:BookSources/0-262-53203-4"><bdi>0-262-53203-4</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=A+History+of+Modern+Computing&rft.place=Cambridge%2C+MA&rft.pub=MIT+Press&rft.date=2003&rft.isbn=0-262-53203-4&rft.aulast=Ceruzzi&rft.aufirst=Paul+E.&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fhistoryofmodernc00ceru_0&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAn+Open+Letter+to+Hobbyists" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFFreibergerSwaine2000" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/wiki/Paul_Freiberger" class="mw-redirect" title="Paul Freiberger">Freiberger, Paul</a>; <a href="/wiki/Michael_Swaine_(technical_author)" class="mw-redirect" title="Michael Swaine (technical author)">Swaine, Michael</a> (2000). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/fireinvalleymaki00frei_0"><i>Fire in the Valley: The Making of the Personal Computer</i></a>. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-07-135892-7" title="Special:BookSources/0-07-135892-7"><bdi>0-07-135892-7</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Fire+in+the+Valley%3A+The+Making+of+the+Personal+Computer&rft.place=New+York%2C+NY&rft.pub=McGraw-Hill&rft.date=2000&rft.isbn=0-07-135892-7&rft.aulast=Freiberger&rft.aufirst=Paul&rft.au=Swaine%2C+Michael&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Ffireinvalleymaki00frei_0&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAn+Open+Letter+to+Hobbyists" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFManesPaul_Andrews1994" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/wiki/Stephen_Manes" title="Stephen Manes">Manes, Stephen</a>; Paul Andrews (1994). <i>Gates: How Microsoft's Mogul Reinvented an Industry and Made Himself the Richest Man in America</i>. New York: Touchstone, Simon and Schuster. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-671-88074-8" title="Special:BookSources/0-671-88074-8"><bdi>0-671-88074-8</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Gates%3A+How+Microsoft%27s+Mogul+Reinvented+an+Industry+and+Made+Himself+the+Richest+Man+in+America&rft.place=New+York&rft.pub=Touchstone%2C+Simon+and+Schuster&rft.date=1994&rft.isbn=0-671-88074-8&rft.aulast=Manes&rft.aufirst=Stephen&rft.au=Paul+Andrews&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAn+Open+Letter+to+Hobbyists" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFWallaceJim_Erickson1992" class="citation book cs1">Wallace, James; Jim Erickson (1992). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/harddrivebillgat00wall_0"><i>Hard Drive: Bill Gates and the Making of the Microsoft Empire</i></a>. John Wiley & Sons. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-471-56886-4" title="Special:BookSources/0-471-56886-4"><bdi>0-471-56886-4</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Hard+Drive%3A+Bill+Gates+and+the+Making+of+the+Microsoft+Empire&rft.pub=John+Wiley+%26+Sons&rft.date=1992&rft.isbn=0-471-56886-4&rft.aulast=Wallace&rft.aufirst=James&rft.au=Jim+Erickson&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fharddrivebillgat00wall_0&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAn+Open+Letter+to+Hobbyists" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFYoung1998" class="citation book cs1">Young, Jeffrey S. (1998). <span class="id-lock-registration" title="Free registration required"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/forbesgreatest00youn"><i>Forbes Greatest Technology Stories: Inspiring Tales of the Entrepreneurs</i></a></span>. New York: John Wiley & Sons. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-471-24374-4" title="Special:BookSources/0-471-24374-4"><bdi>0-471-24374-4</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Forbes+Greatest+Technology+Stories%3A+Inspiring+Tales+of+the+Entrepreneurs&rft.place=New+York&rft.pub=John+Wiley+%26+Sons&rft.date=1998&rft.isbn=0-471-24374-4&rft.aulast=Young&rft.aufirst=Jeffrey+S.&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fforbesgreatest00youn&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAn+Open+Letter+to+Hobbyists" class="Z3988"></span> Chapter 6 "Mechanics: Kits & Microcomputers"</li></ul> </div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="External_links">External links</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=An_Open_Letter_to_Hobbyists&action=edit&section=10" title="Edit section: External links"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1235681985">.mw-parser-output .side-box{margin:4px 0;box-sizing:border-box;border:1px solid #aaa;font-size:88%;line-height:1.25em;background-color:var(--background-color-interactive-subtle,#f8f9fa);display:flow-root}.mw-parser-output .side-box-abovebelow,.mw-parser-output .side-box-text{padding:0.25em 0.9em}.mw-parser-output .side-box-image{padding:2px 0 2px 0.9em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .side-box-imageright{padding:2px 0.9em 2px 0;text-align:center}@media(min-width:500px){.mw-parser-output .side-box-flex{display:flex;align-items:center}.mw-parser-output .side-box-text{flex:1;min-width:0}}@media(min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .side-box{width:238px}.mw-parser-output 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//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/76px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="410" data-file-height="430" /></span></span></div> <div class="side-box-text plainlist">Wikisource has texts related to <a href="https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Open_Letter_to_Hobbyists" class="extiw" title="s:Open Letter to Hobbyists"><b><i>An Open Letter to Hobbyists</i></b></a>.</div></div> </div> <ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.blinkenlights.com/classiccmp/gateswhine.html">The letter in HTML format</a></li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120323162008/http://startup.nmnaturalhistory.org/gallery/notesViewer.php?ii=76_2&p=3">Reproduction of the letter as it appeared in <i>Computer Notes</i> Volume 1 Issue 9 – February, 1976</a></li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.digibarn.com/collections/newsletters/homebrew/V2_01/gatesletter.html">Reproduction of the letter as it appeared in the <i>Homebrew Computer Club Newsletter</i> Volume 2, Issue 1, January 31, 1976 (letter dated February 3)</a></li></ul> <div class="navbox-styles"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236075235">.mw-parser-output .navbox{box-sizing:border-box;border:1px solid #a2a9b1;width:100%;clear:both;font-size:88%;text-align:center;padding:1px;margin:1em auto 0}.mw-parser-output .navbox .navbox{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .navbox+.navbox,.mw-parser-output .navbox+.navbox-styles+.navbox{margin-top:-1px}.mw-parser-output .navbox-inner,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup{width:100%}.mw-parser-output .navbox-group,.mw-parser-output .navbox-title,.mw-parser-output .navbox-abovebelow{padding:0.25em 1em;line-height:1.5em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .navbox-group{white-space:nowrap;text-align:right}.mw-parser-output .navbox,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup{background-color:#fdfdfd}.mw-parser-output .navbox-list{line-height:1.5em;border-color:#fdfdfd}.mw-parser-output .navbox-list-with-group{text-align:left;border-left-width:2px;border-left-style:solid}.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-abovebelow,.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-group,.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-image,.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-list{border-top:2px solid #fdfdfd}.mw-parser-output .navbox-title{background-color:#ccf}.mw-parser-output .navbox-abovebelow,.mw-parser-output .navbox-group,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup .navbox-title{background-color:#ddf}.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup .navbox-group,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup .navbox-abovebelow{background-color:#e6e6ff}.mw-parser-output .navbox-even{background-color:#f7f7f7}.mw-parser-output .navbox-odd{background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .navbox .hlist td dl,.mw-parser-output .navbox .hlist td ol,.mw-parser-output .navbox .hlist td ul,.mw-parser-output .navbox td.hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .navbox td.hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .navbox td.hlist ul{padding:0.125em 0}.mw-parser-output .navbox .navbar{display:block;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .navbox-title .navbar{float:left;text-align:left;margin-right:0.5em}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .navbox-image img{max-width:none!important}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .navbox{display:none!important}}</style></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="Bill_Gates" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks mw-collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="3"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1239400231"><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Bill_Gates" title="Template:Bill Gates"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Bill_Gates" title="Template talk:Bill Gates"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Bill_Gates" title="Special:EditPage/Template:Bill Gates"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="Bill_Gates" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="/wiki/Bill_Gates" title="Bill Gates">Bill Gates</a></div></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Career</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft" title="Microsoft">Microsoft</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/History_of_Microsoft" title="History of Microsoft">history</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Paul_Allen" title="Paul Allen">Paul Allen</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bill_%26_Melinda_Gates_Foundation" title="Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation">Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation</a> (<a href="/wiki/Coalition_for_Epidemic_Preparedness_Innovations" title="Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations">CEPI</a>)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Branded_Entertainment_Network" class="mw-redirect" title="Branded Entertainment Network">Corbis (BEN)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cascade_Investment" title="Cascade Investment">Cascade Investment</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/United_States_v._Microsoft_Corp." title="United States v. Microsoft Corp."><i>United States v. Microsoft</i> antitrust case</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/TerraPower" title="TerraPower">TerraPower</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gates_Ventures" title="Gates Ventures">Gates Ventures</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Big_History_Project" class="mw-redirect" title="Big History Project">Big History Project</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Breakthrough_Energy" title="Breakthrough Energy">Breakthrough Energy</a></li></ul> </div></td><td class="noviewer navbox-image" rowspan="6" style="width:1px;padding:0 0 0 2px"><div><figure class="mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Bill_Gates_June_2015.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/19/Bill_Gates_June_2015.jpg/80px-Bill_Gates_June_2015.jpg" decoding="async" width="80" height="113" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/19/Bill_Gates_June_2015.jpg/120px-Bill_Gates_June_2015.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/19/Bill_Gates_June_2015.jpg/160px-Bill_Gates_June_2015.jpg 2x" data-file-width="996" data-file-height="1408" /></a><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Writings</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li>"<a href="/wiki/Open_Letter_to_Hobbyists" class="mw-redirect" title="Open Letter to Hobbyists">Open Letter to Hobbyists</a>" (1976)</li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/The_Road_Ahead_(Gates_book)" title="The Road Ahead (Gates book)">The Road Ahead</a></i> (1995)</li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Business_@_the_Speed_of_Thought" title="Business @ the Speed of Thought">Business @ the Speed of Thought</a></i> (1999)</li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/How_to_Avoid_a_Climate_Disaster" title="How to Avoid a Climate Disaster">How to Avoid a Climate Disaster</a></i> (2021)</li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/How_to_Prevent_the_Next_Pandemic" title="How to Prevent the Next Pandemic">How to Prevent the Next Pandemic</a></i> (2022)</li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Philanthropy</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Bill_%26_Melinda_Gates_Foundation" title="Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation">Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Match_for_Africa" title="Match for Africa">Match for Africa</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bill_Gates#Climate_change_and_energy" title="Bill Gates">climate change</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bill_Gates#Personal_donations" title="Bill Gates">donations and sporting events</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Films</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><i><a href="/wiki/Triumph_of_the_Nerds" title="Triumph of the Nerds">Triumph of the Nerds</a></i> (1996)</li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Pirates_of_Silicon_Valley" title="Pirates of Silicon Valley">Pirates of Silicon Valley</a></i> (1999)</li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/The_Social_Network" title="The Social Network">The Social Network</a></i> (2010)</li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Inside_Bill%27s_Brain:_Decoding_Bill_Gates" title="Inside Bill's Brain: Decoding Bill Gates">Inside Bill's Brain: Decoding Bill Gates</a></i> (2019)</li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Family</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Melinda_French_Gates" title="Melinda French Gates">Melinda French Gates</a> (ex-wife)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bill_Gates_Sr." title="Bill Gates Sr.">Bill Gates Sr.</a> (father)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mary_Maxwell_Gates" title="Mary Maxwell Gates">Mary Maxwell Gates</a> (mother)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mimi_Gardner_Gates" title="Mimi Gardner Gates">Mimi Gardner Gates</a> (stepmother)</li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Possessions</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Codex_Leicester" title="Codex Leicester">Codex Leicester</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bill_Gates%27s_house" title="Bill Gates's house">Residence</a></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Lost_on_the_Grand_Banks" title="Lost on the Grand Banks">Lost on the Grand Banks</a></i></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Porsche_959#The_959_of_Bill_Gates" title="Porsche 959">Porsche 959</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><td class="navbox-abovebelow hlist" colspan="3"><div> <ul><li><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><span title="Category"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/96/Symbol_category_class.svg/16px-Symbol_category_class.svg.png" decoding="async" width="16" height="16" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/96/Symbol_category_class.svg/23px-Symbol_category_class.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/96/Symbol_category_class.svg/31px-Symbol_category_class.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="180" data-file-height="185" /></span></span> <a href="/wiki/Category:Bill_Gates" title="Category:Bill Gates">Category</a></li> <li><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><span title="Commons page"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/12px-Commons-logo.svg.png" decoding="async" width="12" height="16" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/18px-Commons-logo.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/24px-Commons-logo.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1024" data-file-height="1376" /></span></span> <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Bill_Gates" class="extiw" title="commons:Category:Bill Gates">Commons</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <div class="navbox-styles"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236075235"></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="Microsoft_free_and_open-source_software_(FOSS)" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks mw-collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1239400231"><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a 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title="Microsoft and open source">Microsoft and open source</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Shared_Source_Initiative" title="Shared Source Initiative">Shared Source Initiative</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Software</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Applications</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/3D_Movie_Maker" title="3D Movie Maker">3D Movie Maker</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Atom_(text_editor)" title="Atom (text editor)">Atom</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Conference_XP" title="Conference XP">Conference XP</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Family.Show" title="Family.Show">Family.Show</a></li> <li><a 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href="/wiki/IronRuby" title="IronRuby">IronRuby</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lean_(proof_assistant)" title="Lean (proof assistant)">Lean</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/P_(programming_language)" title="P (programming language)">P</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Power_Fx" title="Microsoft Power Fx">Power Fx</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/PowerShell" title="PowerShell">PowerShell</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Project_Verona" title="Project Verona">Project Verona</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Q_Sharp" title="Q Sharp">Q#</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Small_Basic" title="Microsoft Small Basic">Small Basic Online</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/TypeScript" title="TypeScript">TypeScript</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Visual_Basic_.NET" class="mw-redirect" title="Visual Basic .NET">Visual Basic</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Frameworks,<br />development tools</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" 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