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Intel’s Rise as the Microprocessor King – Part 7

Weissberger refocuses the discussion around microprocessors, noting that Intel didn’t always have the best architecture. House adds “never.” But Intel took a systems approach to the microprocessor business, while their competitors didn’t. How did that come about?

Dave says that Bob Noyce instilled the systems approach within Intel. “The more you put on the chip, the more specialized it becomes,” Noyce said. There were already development systems with circuit emulators, compilers, assemblers, editors, etc. when Dave joined the Microprocessor Div. in Jan 1976. Development systems and tools were a much larger business for Intel than microprocessors at that time (and for the rest of the ’70s). Then Intel added peripheral chips, knowledgable Field Application Engineers and marketing support, which made the company a “safe bet,” according to House.

Ted talks about the work he did on tools, applications and SIM boards for Intel’s early microprocessors (4004 and 8008) using EPROMs and the difference between the systems and semiconductor mindsets prevalent at the company in the early 1970s. Before long, Intel took the systems approach, sold the SIM boards and (a few years later) made a lot of money on their development systems.

[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.

One response to “Intel’s Rise as the Microprocessor King – Part 7”

  1. Ken Avatar
    Ken

    What a brilliant strategy to hire the customers of one’s competitors. Also, the ratio of two field service engineers for every sales person points to the importance of technical knowledge when selling technical products.

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