††A microprocessor is a single integrated circuit etched into a silicon chip. It is used in a wide range of electronic products, including calculators and computers.
The microprocessor was invented in 1969 by E. Hoff of the United States. The first microprocessor to be patented was the TMS 1000, designed by Gary Boone and Michael Cochran, in 1971. All the functions were contained on a single chip which became widely used in pocket calculators. The first pocket calculator was mass produced by the Intel Corporation of the United States in 1971.
The invention of the microprocessor has led to a dramatic fall in the size and cost of computers so that they can now be found in many everyday objects such as washing machines, burglar alarms and cars.
