16) “Calculator with Built-in Printer”, the First Application
Product
Picture A (left) : Busicom’s “Calculator with Built-in Printer” using [4004]
Picture B (right): Kojima, former President of Busicom
Picture A is Busicom’s “Calculator with Built-in Printer”
which was the first application product using [4004]. I took this photograph
when I visited Intel Museum in 2005. This product was displayed somewhat proudly
in the corner close to the entrance. The explanatory note stated, “The total
number of sales reached 100 thousand.”
Intel’s microprocessors rapidly increased the application fields, but what’s
interesting is that Intel initially did not realize the versatility of this
chip. G. Moore, former Chairman and the current Supreme Advisor of Intel wrote
in his book titled, “Together With Intel”, “We highly evaluated Dr. Hoff’s
invention as an epoch-making idea, but we considered it only as a specific
semiconductor product for calculator use. We never thought of PC applications
at that time.”
Answering to my question about the reason why Busicom could not keep an exclusive
right to use the chip developed by the consignment of Busicom, Kojima, former
President of Busicom said, “The exclusive right was limited only for calculator
use, and for 4 bit chip”.
Kojima is 87 years old today, and he is still in good health. (Picture B was
taken in 2007).
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