Microprocessor (Intel 4004)
Microprocesador (Intel 4004)
- Date
- 1971 · confidence high
- Place
- Intel, Santa Clara, California, United States
- Credited to
- Federico Faggin, Ted Hoff, Stanley Mazor (Intel) and Masatoshi Shima (Busicom)
- People
- 👤 Federico Faggin1941–👤 Marcian Hoff1937–👤 Masatoshi Shima1943–👤 Stanley Mazor1941–
- Field
- Knowledge & symbols
⚠️ Disputed: the sources disagree.
What it is
Complete central processing unit on a single chip of 2,300 transistors, designed for a Japanese calculator. It turned computing into a cheap, universal component.
Texas Instruments (TMS 1000, Gary Boone) and the F-14's chip (Ray Holt, 1970, classified) claim priority; the 4004 was the first to be marketed as a microprocessor.
What it led to
- The personal computer and home computing
- Embedded electronics in cars, appliances and toys
- The ubiquitous computing underpinning the internet, mobile phones and AI
Built on
Made possible
- Handheld mobile phone (Motorola DynaTAC)1973
- BIOS1975
- Altair 8800 microcomputer1975
- Apple II personal computer1977
- Electronic ABS and production airbag1978-1981
- Multichannel cochlear implant1978
- Portable / laptop computer1981-1982
- Nintendo Famicom/NES1983
- RISC architecture and ARM processor1980-1985
- GSM digital mobile telephony (2G)1991
- Chip card and EMV standard1994-1996
- Graphics processing unit (GeForce 256)1999
- video game console