The Intel 4004 microprocessor has laid the foundation for computing and has touched every life on the planet. This is a story that many people forget.
"You won't always have a calculator in your pocket, work it out."
People born in the first three decades of the 20th century -- when digital pocket calculators were like science fiction -- are probably familiar with the sentence above. But in 2021, it's rare to hear anyone say such a sentence, even in class. Today, we almost all carry a calculator in our pocket. We always carry a cell phone, a camera, an MP4 player, a live navigation system, and more.
Most of us may think that all devices are normal. But you'd never have all that without the Intel® 4004 -- the world's first commercial microprocessor -- and the technological evolutions that this microprocessor fueled over the half century after its birth.
Today, microprocessors support power generation systems during extreme weather, helping prevent power outages and keeping heating systems on. In backpack form, the microprocessor manages artificial intelligence to help the blind explore the world, avoid obstacles, and cross roads safely. The microprocessor also translates facial expressions into commands to run a wheelchair in real-time so that those with physical limitations become more independent.
And it all started with a calculator. In 1969, the Japanese manufacturer, Nippon Calculating Machine Corp., asked Intel to design a set of integrated circuits for its technical prototype calculator, the Busicom 141-PF. The original plan required 12 custom chips, but three Intel employees, Marcian 'Ted' Hoff, Stan Mazor and Federico Faggin, adapted the design into a set of four chips, including the 4004 central processing unit (CPU), which was officially introduced in 2016. November 15, 1971, exactly 50 years ago.
Before the birth of the 4004 microprocessor which was only the size of a fingernail, the only way to achieve equivalent processing power was with a single-room computer, which was cumbersome and space-consuming.
"This is a story about shrinking things down. And when you reduce the size of something, you increase the potential of the places it can occupy and the things it can achieve," said Genevieve Bell, Intel Senior Fellow.
4004 is just a start - a slow start. Once Intel engineers demonstrated how the central processing unit could be used, the developers began building on their legacy, with each playing a role in shrinking chip size and increasing computing power exponentially.
"The 4004 was so revolutionary that it took Intel five years to train its engineers on how to build new products using microprocessors. Intel was ultimately very successful in that endeavor and the rest is history," said Stan Mazor, co-inventor of the Intel 4004.
By 2021, microprocessors are ingrained in almost all aspects of everyday life for people around the world. Laptops, smartphones, gaming computers, to all-connected smart devices. Microprocessor technology, fueled by the Intel 4004, allows us to stay connected with friends, family, and coworkers during a pandemic, removes geographic barriers, and completes our leisure time.
Even further than that. Take the COVID-19 pandemic for example.
Intel is working with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and the International Institute of Information Technology in Hyderabad, India, to make coronavirus test results faster and cheaper. Technology is also assisting the genome sequencing of the coronavirus to help understand its epidemiology. Intel is also collaborating with India's National Association of Software and Service Companies to build an application ecosystem and multi-cloud back end to support COVID-19 diagnostics on a single-country population scale. This helps scientists predict the occurrence of outbreaks and improves the management and administration of medical care.
How did all these good things happen? You guessed it: Everything based on microprocessor technology continues to improve as different needs arise.
"The direction of progress is not always clear-cut. For example, the ability of microprocessors with the extraordinary capacity to be the brains of hearing aids, was not clearly seen in 1971. But it is becoming a reality today," said Faggin.
If the 4004 ushers in the modern computing era through the design and production of the first commercially available CPU for desktop calculators, the new 12th Gen Intel® Core™ and 3rd Intel® Xeon® Scalable processors provide an architecture that facilitates your entertainment, work, artificial intelligence, computing. cloud, 5G communications, and edge capabilities. These processors optimize processing and come as silicon capable of running a wide range of applications from your desktop, laptop, cloud, edge or pocket.
Today, we have more than just a calculator in our pocket, all thanks to the Intel 4004 microprocessor.
