The following is quoted from the November 1976 issue of "Computer Notes", a monthly publication by MITS. The exerpt is from "Ramblings from Ed Roberts", his regular column.
A section of this one article is subtitled "Charlatans, Rip-off Artists, and Other Crooks". Roberts first describes a mail-order fraud, and later describes "phony Altair dealers" (Altairs were only resold under exclusive, MITS-only, agreements). Between these, Roberts wrote: (quote)
"2) S-100 bus - There is now an active attempt by a small group to steal the Altair bus. They are attempting to do this by changing the name os that they wil not have to give recognition to mITS for its pioneering efforts in the small computer field. It is clear that the Altair bus is well established and the changing of the name to S-100 does not clarify or improve any situation for the user. It only helps the advertising copy of our competitors.
The Altair bus was designed at least a year prior to the appearance of any of these competitors. The correct name for the Altair bus is simply the Altair bus, it is not the Altair/IMSAI or the Altair/IMSAI/Polymorphic or the S-100, etc. Your help in stopping this sham will be appreciated, I hope you will identify the use of any name other than the Altair bus for what it is." - end quote.
Further discussion about the history of the "S-100" term is on this Web page.
- Herb Johnson, March 2008