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Invention of the Microprocessor
Intel introduced the 4004, the world's first commercially available microprocessor -
Introduction of 8-bit microprocessors
1972-1978
intel 8080, Motorola 6800, and Zilog Z80 were introduced, marking a shift to 8-bit microprocessors, enabling more complex computations. -
Development of the 16-bit Processor
Intel introduced the 8086, leading to the creation of the x86 architecture, and Motorola launched the 68000 series. -
Rise of RISC Architecture
The development of Reduced Instruction Set Computing (RISC) processors, such as IBM’s PowerPC, SPARC, and ARM, offered more efficient processing. -
Introduction of the First 32-bit Processor
Intel introduced the 80386, marking the first true 32-bit processor. -
Introduction of the Pentium Processor
Intel released the Pentium microprocessor, which introduced superscalar architecture, multiple pipelines, and floating-point performance improvements. -
Shift to Multi-core Processors
Companies like Intel and AMD introduced multi-core processors (e.g., Intel Core and AMD Athlon), which significantly boosted computing power through parallelism. -
Launch of 64-bit Processors
AMD’s introduction of the Opteron and Athlon 64 brought 64-bit computing to the mainstream, allowing for greater addressable memory and performance. -
Emergence of ARM Architecture in Mobile Devices
ARM architecture became dominant in mobile processors, used in smartphones, tablets, and embedded devices due to its low power consumption. -
Rise of Quantum Computing Processors
Companies like IBM, Google, and Intel began making strides in quantum computing, creating processors that utilize quantum mechanics to perform calculations far beyond classical limits. -
Introduction of Apple M1 Chip (ARM-based for Macs)
Apple transitioned from Intel x86 architecture to its own ARM-based M1 processor for Macs, bringing significant performance improvements and power efficiency.