4004 and IC history / was Re: Vintage computer photogallery

Date: Sat, 13 Oct 2007 14:40:34 -0400> From: rtellason at verizon.net> To: cctalk at classiccmp.org> Subject: Re: 4004 and IC history / was Re: Vintage computer photogallery> > On Saturday 13 October 2007 05:13, Brent Hilpert wrote:> > Can't remember where I read it, but it seemed plausible for the time the> > 4004 was being developed (1970), also that it was compounded by> > management's perceptions that the 4004 was a little business on the side> > and not willing to invest much in it, memory chips still being the focus.> > On the other hand, I wonder what packages the original Busicom designs> > utilised - that Intel would otherwise have been obligated to produce - one> > would expect, or typically, they would be larger. (The 4040 would go to a> > larger package, of course.)> > Having heard of the 4004 of course, I know basically nothing about it. > Except that it's the part that was supposed to have started all this... And > the 4040? I've only seen mention of it now and then.

> (Snip)> > Perhaps not speed as an issue but you were wired into the small family of> > chips that understood the highly specific machine/bus cycle, at least> > until the 4008/9 came along that broke out the address/data busses.> > 4008/9? First I've heard of these at all.