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Cyhist Feb 10 1997 A
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Date: Mon, 10 Feb 1997 18:09:27 -0600
Reply-To: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@SJUVM.STJOHNS.EDU>
Sender: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@SJUVM.STJOHNS.EDU>
From: Don Hyde <dhyde@bdcast.com>
Subject: Re: CM> Microprocessors and Busicom
______________________________________________________________________
Community Memory: Discussion List on the History of Cyberspace ______________________________________________________________________
At 04:23 PM 2/7/97 -0500, you wrote:
>---------------------- Information from the mail header
-----------------------
>Poster: "David S. Bennahum" <davidsol@panix.com>
>Subject: CM> Microprocessors and Busicom
>---------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
...SNIP...
>I would like to know what the distinction is between an "integrated circuit" and a "microprocessor." When is one not the other?
>
An integrated circuit is a complete functional circuit on a single chip. The first ones only had one or two transistors and a handful of resistors -- just enough to build a single RTL NOR or NAND gate.
You don't have a microprocessor until you can put enough circuitry on a single chip to make a whole computer (or at least its CPU). That takes at least a few thousand gates.
...SNIP...
>Also, does anyone know the release dates of the world's firt commercially available microprocessor-based hand-held calculator? How about the world's first commercially available digital watch? Anyone remember how much they cost?
>
I don't remember about the calculators but I remember the first digital watch -- called Pulsar. It came out in the early 70's (about the same time as the 4004), and had an LED display which used too much power to leave on all the time, so you had to push a button to tell the time.
I remember it well because the treasurer of the company where I worked bought one for something like $350, and when he was proudly showing it off I told him "I'll wait for the LCD version. Within a year I'll buy one where you don't have to push a button and I'll pay less than $50." It was more like 6 months later when I bought my first digital watch. For some reason he didn't act very impressed when I showed it to him...
Don Hyde
Broadcast Electronics, Inc.
Supplying specialized electronics and software to the radio broadcast industry.
dhyde@bdcast.com (217)224-9600
______________________________________________________________________
Reply-To: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@SJUVM.STJOHNS.EDU>
Sender: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@SJUVM.STJOHNS.EDU>
From: Don Hyde <dhyde@bdcast.com>
Subject: Re: CM> Microprocessors and Busicom
______________________________________________________________________
Community Memory: Discussion List on the History of Cyberspace ______________________________________________________________________
At 04:23 PM 2/7/97 -0500, you wrote:
>---------------------- Information from the mail header
-----------------------
>Poster: "David S. Bennahum" <davidsol@panix.com>
>Subject: CM> Microprocessors and Busicom
>---------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
...SNIP...
>I would like to know what the distinction is between an "integrated circuit" and a "microprocessor." When is one not the other?
>
An integrated circuit is a complete functional circuit on a single chip. The first ones only had one or two transistors and a handful of resistors -- just enough to build a single RTL NOR or NAND gate.
You don't have a microprocessor until you can put enough circuitry on a single chip to make a whole computer (or at least its CPU). That takes at least a few thousand gates.
...SNIP...
>Also, does anyone know the release dates of the world's firt commercially available microprocessor-based hand-held calculator? How about the world's first commercially available digital watch? Anyone remember how much they cost?
>
I don't remember about the calculators but I remember the first digital watch -- called Pulsar. It came out in the early 70's (about the same time as the 4004), and had an LED display which used too much power to leave on all the time, so you had to push a button to tell the time.
I remember it well because the treasurer of the company where I worked bought one for something like $350, and when he was proudly showing it off I told him "I'll wait for the LCD version. Within a year I'll buy one where you don't have to push a button and I'll pay less than $50." It was more like 6 months later when I bought my first digital watch. For some reason he didn't act very impressed when I showed it to him...
Don Hyde
Broadcast Electronics, Inc.
Supplying specialized electronics and software to the radio broadcast industry.
dhyde@bdcast.com (217)224-9600
______________________________________________________________________
