The Microprocessor

A microprocessor is an electronic circuit that functions as the central processing unit of a computer, providing computational control. The first microprocessor was the Intel 4004, produced in 1971. Originally developed for a calculator, and revolutionary for its time, it contained 2300 transistors on a 4-bit (a bit is a binary digit, meaning a 4-bit processor can handle 4 binary digits worth of information at a time, which is 2^4 or 64 possible values) microprocessor that could perform only 60,000 operations per second (some modern personal computers can perform 400,000,000 instructions per second). The first 8-bit (being 8-bit it was able to handle 2^8 or 256 possible values at one time) microprocessor was the Intel 8008, developed in 1972 to run computer terminals. The Intel 8008 contained 3300 transistors. The first truly general-purpose microprocessor, developed in 1974, was the 8-bit Intel 8080, which contained 4500 transistors and could execute 200,000 instructions per second. The invention of the microprocessor led to the development of the personal computer in 70's and, in fact, the Intel 8080 was the basis for the first personal computer, the Altair 8800.

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