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Evolution from a Memory to Microprocessor Company – Part 8


Weissberger moves on to the major transition Intel had ever faced: moving from a memory to a microprocessor company. He asked: “When did Intel realized that microprocessors were a business in itself, rather than just a tool to sell memories?” And after that, “When did Intel realize that microprocessors were the main business of the company?”

Ted recalls the transition (from memory to microprocessors) started in the mid-70s due to significant competition. By the late 1970s Intel realized they needed to be more than just a semiconductor memory company- even though the EPROM business was very successful. (This was after they lost the lead in 4K DRAMs to MOSTEK and Japanese companies entered the semiconductor memory market).

Dave :”It came to a climax in the mid 1980s when Andy Grove wrote the book: Only the Paranoid Survive.” House goes on to tell the most interesting of all Intel stories highlighting a secret 1983 meeting between Andy Grove and Gordon Moore. What followed was a redirection of R&D silicon process development funds from DRAMs to microprocessors, which cemented Intel’s dominance of that business to this day.

[Description by Alan Weissberger]

The above video was captured at the IEEE-CNSV October 1st panel, Intel’s Transition to Success: From Memory to the Microprocessor. For the full description, click here.

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