Computer History Time: Intel’s 4004 Turns 50
The Chip that Changed the World
Intel is commemorating the 50th anniversary of their 4004 microprocessor, and for those unfamiliar this is the product that spearheaded the entire PC industry as we know it today. Google it, if you doubt the claim.
The Intel 4004 was initially developed for a Busicom business calculator, was produced on tiny 2-inch wafers, and held just 2,300 transistors. This was a 4-bit processor and had a top speed of only 750 kHz, so running Windows 11 is totally out of the question – no matter how many hardware workarounds you know.
There’s just no way to install any GUI on this thing, sorry
You can read more from Intel’s “The Chip that Changed the World” editorial, and back during the 35th anniversary a comprehensive talk on the 4004 was held at the Computer History Museum (video embedded below):
One day, someone will code an printed ASCII DOOM version that will work on the MCS-4 chipset calculators, and that will be the moment we “Win” and get let out of the Matrix.
Also I should stop posting things at 841 am after a full night of drunken gaming.
Making it all the way to 08:41 is impressive.