This is an original copy of 8K BASIC on paper tape for the MITS Altair 8800 computer. The BASIC interpreter was written by Bill Gates, Paul Allen, and Monte Davidoff. The tape is labeled "BASIC 8K without cassette" and dated July 2 (1975).
<p>Paper tape was a common method for storing programs and data in the 1960s and 1970s. This tape was produced by a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teletype_ASR-33" class="extiw" title="en:Teletype ASR-33">Teletype ASR-33</a>. The term cassette means support for the Altair 88-ACR (Audio Cassette Recorder) interface board.
</p><p>In October 1975, 8K BASIC sold for $200. The price was discounted to $75 for "purchaser of 8K of Altair memory, and an Altair I/O board." 4K BASIC was $150 and Extended BASIC was $350 with discounted prices of $60 and $150. They were available on paper tape or cassette tape.
</p><p>This tape is on display at the "STARTUP: Albuquerque and the Personal Computer Revolution" wing of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science.
</p><p>Photo by Michael Holley, April 27, 2007.
</p>
Taken with a Canon PowerShot A630 (1/60 second and F/4.1) using on camera flash.
<a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Swtpc6800" title="User:Swtpc6800">User:Swtpc6800</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Swtpc6800" class="extiw" title="en:User:Swtpc6800"> Swtpc6800</a> Michael Holley
<span class="int-own-work" lang="en">Own work</span>