Intel is going through the worst moment in its history, but today is a day to remember its glorious past: in December 1974 it went on sale the first general purpose microprocessor, the Intel 8080which revolutionized computing. 50 years have passed.
Until then, the microprocessors They were made to order. A company needed a CPU for a computer, or other device, and Intel manufactured it according to its needs. The problem with this approach is that the processor was only useful for that machine in question.
The launch of the legendary Intel 8080 microprocessor changed everything. It was the first general purpose, that is, it could be programmed to be used in a multitude of tasks. It was used in one of the first personal computers, one of the first arcade machines, and the first electronic cash registers, among many other places.
Intel 8080, the first general purpose CPU
Federico Faggin was the designer of the Intel 8080 processor. Previously it had created the Intel 4004 and Intel 8008. The first was designed for a calculator, and the 8008 for a data terminal.
More and more customers complained to Intel that they could not use the CPUs for other tasks, so Faggin designed a more versatile processor, with 40 pins instead of 18, capable of executing 290,000 operations per second. It could be programmed to use it for all types of tasks.
The Intel 8080 democratized computingtaking it out of universities and companies. It was used in the Altair 8800one of the first personal computers in history. It cost $439, compared to $30,000 for a standard computer in 1974.
Intel
It was not easy to start: it had no keyboard or monitor, and the user had to solder the connections to install them.
The Intel 8080 also revolutionized electronic cash registerslike the Swedish model Hugin Model 150, since it allowed adding a screen, and software to process payment by credit card. Many cash registers Modern computers still use Intel processors, half a century later.
The recreational machine Gun Fight by Midway (1975), was the first to use a microprocessor. He Intel 8080 It was also the heart of one of the most beloved recreational areas, Space Invaders (1978).
Today, even a thermometer has a more powerful processor than the Intel 8080. It integrated almost 6,000 transistors, compared to 17.8 billion in the Intel Core Ultra 200S. It ran at 2 MHz, when modern processors reach 5,700 MHz. The Intel 8080 used 6,000 nanometer architecture, compared to 3 nanometers for modern CPUs.
Today the power of the Intel 8080 puts a smile on our faces, but half a century ago, it was a revolution. With a few small variations it became the Intel 8086, the first CPU to debut the x86 architecture.which still use Intel and AMD processors. You can know more in the Intel Virtual Museum.
The Intel 8080 processor turns 50and reminds us that Intel has basically been the architect of modern computing as we know it. Hopefully it can recover from the current crisis.
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Tags: Retro, CPU, Processors
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