Paul Allen vs Altair 8800 vs Apple II: Complete Comparison

Paul Allen, Microsoft co-founder, catalyzed the PC revolution by writing software for the 1975 Altair 8800, the first commercially successful microcomputer with Intel 8080 CPU and 256 bytes RAM. The Apple II, launched in 1977 by Steve Jobs and Wozniak, revolutionized accessibility with color graphics, BASIC in ROM, and expandability, outselling predecessors like Altair amid the digital music revolution. While Altair sparked hobbyist enthusiasm via Popular Electronics, Apple II defined mass-market computing, with Paul Allen's BASIC enabling both eras alongside Bill Gates and Computer History Museum timelines.