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Processor History Details Pictures Only

1969: Four-Phase Systems AL1
The AL1 was an 8-bit bit slice chip containing eight registers and an ALU It was designed by Lee
Boysel in 1969 At the time, it formed part of a nine-chip, 24-bit CPU with three AL1s, but it was
later called a microprocessor when, in response to 1990s litigation by Texas Instruments, a
demonstration system was constructed where a single AL1 formed part of a courtroom
demonstration computer system, together with RAM, ROM, and an input-output device

1971: Pico/GI PICO1/GI250

In 1971 Pico Electronics and General Instrument (GI) introduced their first collaboration in ICs, a
complete single chip calculator IC for the Monroe/Litton Royal Digital III calculator. This chip could
also arguably lay claim to be one of the first microprocessors or microcontrollers having ROM,
RAM and a RISC instruction set on-chip. The layout for the four layers of the PMOS process was
hand drawn at x500 scale on mylar film, a significant task at the time given the complexity of the
chip.
1971: Intel 4004
The 4004 was Intel's first microprocessor. This breakthrough invention powered the Busicom
calculator and paved the way for embedding intelligence in inanimate objects as well as the
personal computer.

1972: Intel 8008

The 8008 was twice as powerful as the 4004. A 1974 article in Radio Electronics referred to a
device called the Mark-8 which used the 8008. The Mark-8 is known as one of the first computers
for the home --one that by today's standards was difficult to build, maintain and operate.

1974: Intel 8080

The 8080 became the brains of the first personal computer--the Altair, allegedly named for a
destination of the Starship Enterprise from the Star Trek television show. Computer hobbyists
could purchase a kit for the Altair for $395. Within months, it sold tens of thousands, creating the
first PC back orders in history.

1974: Texas Instruments TMS1000

1974: National Semiconductor "Pace" 16Bit

1975: Motorola 6502

1976: Zilog Z80

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1978: Intel 8086-8088

A pivotal sale to IBM's new personal computer division made the 8088 the brains of IBM's new hit
product--the IBM PC. The 8088's success propelled Intel into the ranks of the Fortune 500, and
Fortune magazine named the company one of the "Business Triumphs of the Seventies."

1979: Motorola 68000

1981: HP 32 bit

1982: Intel 80286

The 80286, originally known as the 80286, was the first Intel processor that could run all the
software written for its predecessor. This software compatibility remains a hallmark of Intel's family
of microprocessors. Within 6 years of its release, an estimated 15 million 80286-based personal
computers were installed around the world.

1985: Intel 80386

The Intel386™ microprocessor featured 275,000 transistors--more than 100times as many as the
original 4004. It was a 32-bit chip and was "multi tasking," meaning it could run multiple programs
at the same time.

1989: Intel 80486

The 80486 processor generation really meant you go from a command-level computer into point-
and-click computing. "I could have a color computer for the first time and do desktop publishing at
a significant speed," recalls technology historian David K. Allison of the Smithsonian's National
Museum of American History. The 80486 processor was the first to offer a built-in math
coprocessor, which speeds up computing because it offloads complex math functions from the
central processor.

1989: AMD486DX

1993: Intel Pentium

The Pentium processor allowed computers to more easily incorporate "real world" data such as
speech, sound, handwriting and photographic images. The Intel Pentium brand, mentioned in the
comics and on television talk shows, became a household word soon after introduction.

1995: Intel Pentium Pro

Released in the fall of 1995 the Pentium Pro processor is designed to fuel 32-bit server and

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workstation applications, enabling fast computer-aided design, mechanical engineering and
scientific computation. Each Pentium Pro processor is packaged together with a second speed-
enhancing cache memory chip. The powerful Pentium Pro processor boasts 5.5 million
transistors.

1997: Intel Pentium II

The 7.5 million-transistor Pentium II processor incorporates Intel MMX™ technology, which is
designed specifically to process video, audio and graphics data efficiently. It was introduced in
innovative Single Edge Contact (S.E.C) Cartridge that also incorporated a high-speed cache
memory chip. With this chip, PC users can capture, edit and share digital photos with friends and
family via the Internet; edit and add text, music or between-scene transitions to home movies;
and, with a video phone, send video over standard phone lines and the Internet.

1998: Intel Pentium II Xeon

The Pentium II Xeon processors are designed to meet the performance requirements of mid-
range and higher servers and workstations. Consistent with Intel's strategy to deliver unique
processor products targeted for specific markets segments, the Intel® Pentium II Xeon processors
feature technical innovations specifically designed for workstations and servers that utilize
demanding business applications such as Internet services, corporate data warehousing, digital
content creation, and electronic and mechanical design automation. Systems based on the
processor can be configured to scale to four or eight processors and beyond.

1999: Intel Celeron

Continuing Intel's strategy of developing processors for specific market segments, the Celeron
processor is designed for the value PC market segment. It provides consumers great
performance at an exceptional price, and it delivers excellent performance for uses such as
gaming and educational software.

1999: Intel Pentium III

The Pentium III processor features 70 new instructions--Internet Streaming SIMD extensions--
that dramatically enhance the performance of advanced imaging, 3-D, streaming audio, video and
speech recognition applications. It was designed to significantly enhance Internet experiences,
allowing users to do such things as browse through realistic online museums and stores and
download high-quality video. The processor incorporates 9.5 million transistors, and was
introduced using 0.25-micron technology.

1999: Intel Pentium III Xeon™

The Pentium III Xeon processor extends Intel's offerings to the workstation and server market
segments, providing additional performance for e-Commerce applications and advanced business
computing. The processors incorporate the Pentium III processor's 70 SIMD instructions, which
enhance multimedia and streaming video applications. The Pentium III Xeon processor's advance
cache technology speeds information from the system bus to the processor, significantly boosting
performance. It is designed for systems with multiprocessor configurations.
2000: Intel Pentium 4
Users of Pentium 4 processor-based PCs can create professional-quality movies; deliver TV-like
video via the Internet; communicate with real-time video and voice; render 3D graphics in real
time; quickly encode music for MP3 players; and simultaneously run several multimedia
applications while connected to the Internet. The processor debuted with 42 million transistors
and circuit lines of 0.18 microns. Intel's first microprocessor, the 4004, ran at 108 kilohertz
(108,000 hertz), compared to the Intel® Pentium® 4 processor's initial speed of 1.5 gigahertz (1.5
billion hertz). If automobile speed had increased similarly over the same period, you could now
drive from San Francisco to New York in about 13 seconds.
2001: Intel Xeon
The Xeon processor is targeted for high-performance and mid-range, dual-processor
workstations, dual and multi-processor server configurations coming in the future. The platform
offers customers a choice of operating systems and applications, along with high performance at
affordable prices. Intel Xeon processor-based workstations are expected to achieve performance
increases between 30 and 90 percent over systems featuring Pentium III Xeon™ processors
depending on applications and configurations. The processor is based on the Intel NetBurst™
architecture, which is designed to deliver the processing power needed for video and audio
applications, advanced Internet technologies, and complex 3-D graphics.
2001: Intel Itanium
The Itanium processor is the first in a family of 64-bit products from Intel. Designed for high-end,
enterprise-class servers and workstations, the processor was built from the ground up with an
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entirely new architecture based on Intel's Explicitly Parallel Instruction Computing (EPIC) design
technology. The processor delivers world-class performance for the most demanding enterprise
and high-performance computing applications, including e-Commerce security transactions, large
databases, mechanical computer-aided engineering, and sophisticated scientific and engineering
computing.

2002: Intel Itanium 2

The Itanium™ 2 processor is the second member of the Itanium processor family, a line of
enterprise-class processors. The family brings outstanding performance and the volume
economics of the Intel Architecture to the most data-intensive, business-critical and technical
computing applications. It provides leading performance for databases, computer-aided
engineering, secure online transactions, and more.

2003: Intel Pentium M

The Pentium M processor, the Intel 855 chipset family, and the PRO/Wireless 2100 network
connection are the three components of Centrino™ mobile technology. Intel Centrino mobile
technology is designed specifically for portable computing, with built-in wireless LAN capability
and breakthrough mobile performance. It enables extended battery life and thinner, lighter mobile
computers.

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This page last updated on September 03, 2011

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