Who is the Father of Personal Computer? Henry Edward Roberts: Learn about His Career & Major Works!

Promit Pramanik | Updated: Feb 13, 2023 18:55 IST

Who is the Father of Personal Computer: Henry Edward Roberts was an American physician and computer engineer widely known as the “Father of Personal Computers.” He was born on December 21, 1941 in Miami, Florida, and passed away on April 1, 2010 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Roberts is best remembered for developing the Altair 8800, which is considered the first personal computer. The Altair 8800, which was introduced in 1975, provided hobbyists with a cheap, accessible platform for computer programming, and it is often cited as the starting point of the personal computer revolution. Throughout his life, Roberts was an innovative engineer and entrepreneur, and his contributions to the field of computer engineering are still remembered and celebrated today. If you want to know more about who is the father of personal computers, and his contributions, you must keep reading through this article.

Who is the Father of Personal Computer: Henry Edward Roberts

Henry Edward Roberts, born on December 21, 1941, is widely regarded as the “Father of Personal Computers.” He was an American physician and computer engineer who made significant contributions to the field of computing and the development of the personal computer. Roberts is best known for designing and building the Altair 8800, the first commercially successful personal computer.

The Altair 8800, which was introduced in 1975, was a simple and affordable computer that allowed hobbyists and enthusiasts to experiment with computer programming. This made computing accessible to a wider audience and helped to spark the personal computer revolution. Roberts’ innovations and entrepreneurial spirit inspired many other engineers and entrepreneurs in the field of computing and led to the development of numerous other personal computers and computing technologies.

Throughout his life, Roberts continued to make significant contributions to the field of computing and was recognized for his achievements with numerous awards and honors. Today, his legacy continues to inspire new generations of computer engineers and entrepreneurs, and his name is synonymous with the beginning of the personal computer era.

Henry Edward Roberts: Career

Henry Edward Roberts was a pioneering computer scientist and physician. He was born on December 6, 1941 and passed away on January 1, 2010. Roberts is best known for his work in developing the first personal computer, the Altair 8800.

Roberts was a self-taught engineer and physician who became interested in computers in the 1970s. He co-founded Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems (MITS) in 1970 with Forrest M. Mims III. It was at MITS that Roberts developed the Altair 8800, which was introduced in 1975 and is considered by many to be the first personal computer. The Altair 8800 was an immediate success, and it paved the way for the development of the personal computer industry.

In addition to his work in computer science, Roberts was a practicing physician and was dedicated to using technology to improve medical care. He was a strong advocate for using computers in medicine and was a pioneer in the development of computer-based medical systems.

Throughout his career, Roberts received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to the field of computer science. He was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2004 and was named one of the 50 most important people in the personal computer industry by PC World magazine.

Henry Edward Roberts left a lasting legacy in the field of computer science and will always be remembered as a pioneer of the personal computer industry.

Henry Edward Roberts: Major Works

Dr. Henry Edward Roberts is best known as one of the pioneers of the personal computer industry, and as the co-founder of Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems (MITS), which produced the first commercially successful personal computer, the Altair 8800. He is also known for his work as a physician and researcher in the field of medical informatics.

Dr. Roberts’ contributions to the personal computer industry include:

  • Co-founding MITS in 1970 and developing the Altair 8800, which was introduced in 1975 and became one of the first commercially successful personal computers.
  • Designing the Altair BASIC, an early high-level programming language for the Altair 8800, which helped to make computer programming accessible to a wider audience.
  • Working with Bill Gates and Paul Allen to develop a version of BASIC for the Altair 8800, which later became Microsoft BASIC and played a key role in the success of Microsoft as a software company.
  • Developing the S-100 bus, a standardized expansion bus for the Altair 8800 and other early personal computers, which helped to spur the growth of the personal computer industry by enabling the development of third-party hardware and software products.

In addition to his work in the personal computer industry, Dr. Roberts also made important contributions to the field of medical informatics. He worked as a physician and researcher, and was a leader in the development of computer-based medical information systems.

Overall, Dr. Henry Edward Roberts’ contributions to both the personal computer industry and medical informatics have had a significant impact on the development of technology and healthcare, and he is widely recognized as one of the pioneers of the personal computer revolution.

FAQs on Who is the Father of Personal Computer

Q.1 Who is the Father of Personal Computer?
Ans.1 Henry Edward Roberts is an American engineer and entrepreneur who is widely recognized as the “Father of the Personal Computer”.
Q.2 Title
Ans.2 Henry Edward Roberts is credited with building the first personal computer, the Altair 8800, which was introduced in 1975. This computer was the first to be sold in kit form and was widely accessible to the general public, marking the beginning of the personal computing revolution.
Q.3 What was the Altair 8800?
Ans.3 The Altair 8800 was a microcomputer kit developed by MITS (Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems), a company co-founded by Henry Edward Roberts. It was based on the Intel 8080 microprocessor and was the first personal computer to be widely available to consumers.
Q.4 What was unique about the Altair 8800?
Ans.4 The Altair 8800 was unique in that it was the first computer to be sold in kit form, making it accessible to the general public. It was also the first computer to run the BASIC programming language, which made it easier for users to write and run their own programs.
Q.5 How did Henry Edward Roberts contribute to the development of personal computers?
Ans.5 Henry Edward Roberts played a key role in the development of personal computers by co-founding MITS and creating the Altair 8800. His work paved the way for the growth of the personal computer industry and helped to make computers accessible to the general public.
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