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 […]
Weissberger asks Ted and Dave when Intel first recognized that microprocessors could be used as the CPU for computers, rather than just for embedded controller applications (as a replacement for random logic). Ted refers to a 1970 magazine article predicting that the cost per bit of semiconductor memory would drop to 1 cent per bit. The […]
Weissberger asks Ted to share his experience with one of the true legends of Silicon Valley- Bob Noyce. Ted explains that, as a Stanford post-doc,he was “one of the names that came up” that were recommended to Noyce. Ted came to Noyce’s home and asked him whether the world needed another semiconductor company? Yes-the next […]
Weissberger lets Ted have the last word by describing his relationship with Intel co-founder Gordon Moore. Hoff recounts an early visit to Moore’s office and an IEEE technical meeting where Gordon was a panelist. Moore would hold semiconductor process information very “close to the vest.” When Moore was asked, “Could you tell us how much Si […]
Ted expresses his concern that the financial media has not been kind to Intel. The company is portrayed as lucky when it succeeds or that the market is evaporating when competitors fall behind. Dave adds that “the biggest mistake companies make is falling in love with a strategy.” Yet the mobile computing business would be […]
Computer historian Roy Mize asks “what ever happened to Intel’s supercomputers.” Dave says Intel always had a research activity, headed by Justin Rattner (now Intel CTO). That group developed a hyper-cube supercomputer – composed of multiple microprocessors- that was sold to the government. Intel is now out of that business. Dave was still at Intel when they […]
An audience member asks, “No one remembers the Intel 432 (microprocessor). Please provide a brief summary.” Dave says that when he first came to Intel, Justin Rattner made a proposal for the 8800-an object-oriented machine that was to replace the 8080 microprocessor. House traces through various iterations of the 8800, which eventually became the 432. Ted recalls […]
