With out a processor you would not have a computer!
We have come a long way since the Commodore 64, Atari 400, T I 99, and the
Tandy. These were primary game systems, most used cartages for the games. I do
remember coding a word processor and a spread sheet program on my Atari for my
college classes, had to save it to a cassette tape recorder.
These all used a 8 bit
processor, most used one known as the 6502 processor.
When Intel introduced the 16 bit 8088/8086 processor in 1981 the PC revolution
was on! The IBM PC was very expensive, so the primary market was business. An IBM PC
cost as much as a new car!
With innovation comes imitation. A few short years after the IBM PC was
introduced the makers of circuit boards realized they could create a "clone" of the
IBM PC main board.
Processor speed and computing capacity doubles with each new type of processor.
Take the original processors, they were 4 bit, you could get them in a
calculator in the '70's.
Then in the late '70's Motorola and Intel introduced the 8 bit.
1981 Intel introduced the 8086/8088, Motorola the 6800, these were 16 bit
processors . The Math
Coprocessor is a separate chip
1983/84 Intel introduces the 80286, an increase in computing power and the
introduction of the Math Coprocessor in the same package as the processor, with
a leap in clock speed of the processor.
1987 Intel introduces the 80386, the first 32 bit processor. The increase in speed
is incredible, real time processing.
1989: Intel486™, a upgrade to the 80386, increase in speed and computing power.
1993: Intel introduces the Pentium® Processor, this would have been the 80586
but a court order stopped the chain, a number can not be trade marked. (The new
name of Pentium continues today.) A quantum leap in speed and computing power.
1997: Intel introduces the Pentium® II Processor another increase in speed and
computing power. Approaching 1 gig hertz clock speed.
1999: Intel introduces the Pentium® III Processor, increase in clock speeds over
1 GHz (gig hertz)
2000: Intel introduces the Pentium® 4 Processor clock speed over 2 GHz.
2001: Intel introduces the Itanium® Processor, first in a family of 64-bit
products from Intel, primarily for Servers.
2003: Intel introduces the Pentium® M Processor, primarily used in mobile
technology.
2006: Intel introduces the Core™2 Quad processor, 80% faster than the Pentium 4,
uses 40% less power.
