10 processors, the most influential in the computing industry

The chip is not necessarily the most successful version, the most powerful, best-selling... but they are opening for a trend, an architect or a new stage of computing.


Speaking of influence, most notably the chip was first sold to the market: Intel 4004 (1971) - 4-bit microprocessors for computers equipped with the Busicom 141-PF.


Specialists evaluate Intel 8080 (1974) as "microprocessor true first by 8-bit chip is integrated in the MITS Altair 8800 - the personal computer was first produced.


ARM2 (1986) was fitted for 32-bit Acorn Archimedes computer. ARM chips that do reach millions of users in the mobile phone, PDA, game console Nintendo DS, iPod, iPhone, GPS devices, camera ... ARM and turn into 32-bit chip architecture is used the most ever.


IBM PC 5150 (1981) is a personal computer most famous of all time, so the processor in it no less influential. That is the Intel 8088 (1979), a shortened version of 8086 (1978).


MOS Technology 6502 (1975) only 25 USD in 8080 when Intel is 149 USD. Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak has rated this low-cost chip into the system and Apple II - been consumed millions of the late 70th-century ago.


Zilog Z80 (1976) like a copy of 8080 but is equipped with more features and lower price to quickly threaten the popularity of Intel chips. Z80 associated with the operating system CP / M quickly become the industry standard analog computer and Windows x86 today.


COSMAC RCA CDP 1802 (1976) is the first processor is put into the space ship NASA Voyager 1 (1977). Voyager 1 is 10.2 billion miles from Earth (16.4 billion km) and is the object most distant human-made.


AIM PowerPC 601 (1992) is Apple, IBM and Motorola backed by three large he is to break the linkage between Intel and Microsoft in the personal computer market. Although unable to beat Intel, Power PC or Apple Macintosh to the brain - one of the computer era of excellence - from 1994 to 2006. Chip also has the Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360 and is part of the Cell - processors for Sony PlayStation 3.


Intel Pentium (1993) not only to the step for personal computing at least that time, the CPU is no longer called by the numbers dry as 286, 386, 486...

By PC World (Photos: Vnprexress).

10 processors, the most influential in the computing industry