The first microprocessor. Designed by Marcian E. "Ted" Hoff at Intel in 1971, the 4004 was a 4-bit, general-purpose CPU initially developed for the Japanese Busicom calculator. Running at a clock rate ...

The release of Intel’s 8086 microprocessor in 1978 was a watershed moment for personal computing. The DNA of that chip is likely at the center of whatever computer—Windows, Mac, or Linux—you’re using ...

These days we are blessed with multicore 64-bit monster CPUs that can calculate an entire moon mission’s worth of instructions in the blink of an eye. Once upon a time, though, the state of the art ...

Last week, chip manufacturer Zilog announced that after 48 years on the market, its line of standalone DIP (dual inline package) Z80 CPUs is coming to an end, ceasing sales on June 14, 2024. The 8-bit ...