The computer revolution couldn’t have happened without creativity, passion, and drive. Meet the visionaries, inventors, and hobbyists who started it all—and discover the major breakthroughs that happened right here in Albuquerque!

The U.S. military developed its first computers in secret during World War II. These “electronic brains” helped tackle time-consuming jobs like code-breaking.

By the late ‘60s, the hulking mainframe computer had become a symbol of oppression for people who thought it represented secrecy and power. New social ideals promoting access and freedom were taking hold. Many people began to believe computers should—and could—be available to everyone.

In the early ‘70s, a winning combination of parts, players, and know-how came together right here in Albuquerque. The payoff was the world’s first successful personal computer—the Altair.

California’s Homebrew Computer Club started in 1975 as an informal gathering in someone’s garage, and soon grew to hundreds of members. Homebrew and similar clubs allowed computer fanatics to swap ideas and show off their inventions.

The ‘80s and early ‘90s saw explosive innovation in software. Designers gave computer operating systems a friendly face, complete with pictures and simple instructions. They began developing useful, interesting, and easy-to-learn programs.

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