by Ajeet Khurana
If it were not for microprocessors, there would not be computers. It is amazing to see the amount of punch this little device packs. Space is one of the biggest limiting factors in actually assembling a computer at a reasonable price. By being able to pack more and more processing power into a smaller area, the strength of modern computing is able to expand exponentially through advanced chip development.

The very first processor was given birth in Nov 71, by Intel. This little chip was crucial to new development. Integrated circuit technology had opened the door for advanced computing that was only limited by the amount of chips that could put together.

The greatest thing about this first processor was that it put the complete processing power in one chip. This small microprocessor contained the full power of the central processing unit while also providing for the computer’s basic memory and the control methods for incoming and outgoing data. This progress was simply amazing when one considers that the company was just a little start up by two engineers.

One would think that there were years of planning, but this chip was made quite serendipitously. They received one of their first jobs to design twelve different computer chips for Busicom, a small Japanese company. They wanted designs for chips that would provide for keyboard scanning functionality, controlling the display on the monitor and the printer and just about anything else that their brand of calculator hoped to do. There was just one big issue that they had to overcome.

Money was a big concern, but there was another puzzle. They lacked the sheer manpower necessary to actually design twelve chips in the time frame. So, their engineers figured out a way to build one chip that was able to do every single function. Busicom liked the idea and decided to fund the project. Time passed and a new chip that had more power than any of the old computers was developed.

Strange as it may sound, Intel bought back the design. The sky was the limit from this point onward. This basic technological idea has been applied time and time again to give us electronics capable of amazing power and ability.

You will trouble believing me, but the fact is that common calculators have more advanced processors today, than the ones used for early space travel. The shrinking of this technological power has worked perfectly alongside the development of many other electronic parts to make everyday life just a little bit easier for everyone. In just the time span of about 40 years, we have advanced to computers that are almost able to mimic true human intelligence.

These advancements in micro processing have improved all of our lives in ways that we may not even realize. With wireless technology and shrinking package sizes, we are truly masters of the computing domain.

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