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Intel commercially releases the first DRAM chip
Invented by Dr. Robert H. Dennard in1968 and made available to the market by Intel, the DRAM chip (Dynamic Random-Access Memory) offered an energy sufficient alternative while having a greater memory capacity. It was also faster and cheaper than the magnetic core memory that was being used at the time. With its smaller size and capabilities, it showed signs of what direction computer hardware would evolve to. -
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Technology progression of the 1970's
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The Intel 4004 microprocessor is released
Intel designed a chipset for the Japanese calculator manufacture Basicom. Made by a team of engineers made up of Ted Hoff, Stanley Mazor, Masatoshi Shima and Frederico Faggin. The chipset consisted of 4001 ROM program memory chip, the 4002 RAM memory chip, 4003 interface IC and the 4004 CPU. In making the chipset Intel creates 4004 microprocessor. After negotiating with Basicom about the right to the chip Intel places the 4004 microprocessor on the general market. -
The C programming language is developed
Dennis M. Ritchie employee of Bell laboratories develops a programing language that will in the future serve as a basis for most of today's programming languages. It is a foundational language described as "A tool to help build bigger tools" and as a bridge between high level languages and low level languages. Popular because of its simplicity, efficiency and features. Most of today's operating systems are written using the C programming language. -
Robert Metcalfe creates the Ethernet.
The Ethernet, a networking cable created to connect multiple computers within a long distance. Becoming more diverse and versatile over the years since its creation, the Ethernet is the most used networking technology today allowing us to share data and connect to the internet. -
Intel releases the 8080 chip
An upgrade from the 4004 and the 8008, with any chips that the 4004 and the 8008 would need to work now integrated into one making more independent and versatile. The 8080 would soon become the standard for microprocessor chips in the 1970's. It would serve as a basis for chips in the future and would serve as a basis for the first "PC's" in the next year. -
Bill Gates and Paul Allen create Altair BASIC
Sensing a business opportunity, Bill Gates and Paul Allen create a programming language for the Altair 8800 (which was based on the 8080 microprocessor) which allowed people to create programs for the Altair computers and displayed data with the attachment of terminals. It showed the makings of the PC's to come and was the first product created by Microsoft and distributed by MITS.