30 Jun
1998
30 Jun
'98
1:47 p.m.
On Wed, 1 Jul 1998, Tony Duell wrote:
So, how do you classify a machine that has a
microprocessor and a
coprocessor that's not a micro in it?
It looks like we're starting to revisit the taxonomy question. Surely in
a group of pseudoscientists like us, there must be a Cladist in the house.
(For the clueless, Cladistics is a formal system of classification used
primarily in biological taxonomy.)
I'm not sure who coined the term "microprocessor", but the Intel 4004 is
widely regarded as the first microprocessor, and it was characterised by
having the control logic and ALU on one chip. The packaging shouldn't
matter.
These others are interesting variations on themes of IC integration, and
they deserve a name, but "microprocessor" ain't it!
-- Doug