CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en"> <head> <meta charset="utf-8" /> <meta name="norton-safeweb-site-verification" content="24usqpep0ejc5w6hod3dulxwciwp0djs6c6ufp96av3t4whuxovj72wfkdjxu82yacb7430qjm8adbd5ezlt4592dq4zrvadcn9j9n-0btgdzpiojfzno16-fnsnu7xd" /> <link rel="preconnect" href="https://substackcdn.com" /> <link rel="preload" as="style" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/theme/main.21e891a6ec8eb1b8d469.css" /> <link rel="preload" as="style" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/theme/color_links.33eb7c3bd37d78bc2dc3.css" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/assets/entry-ac25194e.css" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/assets/index-fa6e9dfc.css" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/assets/LazyComponent-856acd57.css" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/assets/index-d3c45219.css" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/assets/theme-c2d8479d.css" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/assets/FPHeader-6f515a8c.css" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/assets/CommunityPostView-e34c60c6.css" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/assets/Menu-d642b189.css" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/assets/Divider-f90fb756.css" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/assets/ProfileHoverCard-c9cba829.css" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/assets/UserBadge-d10c54cf.css" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/assets/Tooltip-d0af0cf2.css" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/assets/Avatar-b965e52c.css" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/assets/LockThinIcon-6d3a77c0.css" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/assets/Select-c5a84323.css" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/assets/Field-6e53593d.css" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/assets/ThemedPostHeader-93e7bde0.css" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/assets/TableOfContents-84044a82.css" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/assets/ImageViewerModal-3811bdd5.css" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/assets/mention-395cbae3.css" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/assets/Recipe-796f9114.css" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/assets/ShareAssetButtons-3dec9b2c.css" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/assets/FilePicker-011ef325.css" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/assets/index-09c41cf3.css" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/assets/viralGifts-f43f8649.css" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/assets/IntroPopup-3c09dac8.css" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/assets/Switch-6bb7e637.css" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/assets/ShowsVideoPlayer-6c0c0eb2.css" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/assets/recentSurfaces-fa9efc75.css" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/assets/SectionLogo-44ead5a1.css" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/assets/BulwarkCallout-42b8163a.css" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/assets/overflow_menu-db9a534e.css" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/assets/NavbarUserWidget-fac5f6fb.css" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/assets/ShareableImageModal-4e616c35.css" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/assets/SegmentedButton-f360c1e5.css" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/assets/TabBar-c0819249.css" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/assets/RadioField-898d171f.css" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/assets/UnreadBadge-2cbd5ba6.css" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/assets/common-f9316d1e.css" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/assets/Radio-c45ba470.css" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/assets/CookieConsentFooter-0d9aca19.css" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/assets/newsletter_item_list-ce4aa0ff.css" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/assets/CreditCardIcon-c6de514f.css" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/assets/comments_page-83ec46a1.css" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/assets/ChatAppUpsell-5a642ab8.css" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/assets/RewardBox-5297e7a9.css" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/assets/Logo-8a4d9999.css" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/assets/onboarding-3eeb943f.css" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/assets/setup_all_podcasts-9189be33.css" /> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, maximum-scale=1, user-scalable=0, viewport-fit=cover" /> <meta name="author" content="Babbage" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://thechipletter.substack.com/p/the-virtues-of-the-8-bit-era-eight" /> <title data-preact-helmet>The 8-Bit Era : Eight Iconic Processor Designs - by Babbage</title> <meta data-preact-helmet name="theme-color" content="#ffffff"><meta data-preact-helmet property="og:type" content="article"><meta data-preact-helmet property="og:title" content="The 8-Bit Era : Eight Iconic Processor Designs"><meta data-preact-helmet name="twitter:title" content="The 8-Bit Era : Eight Iconic Processor Designs"><meta data-preact-helmet name="description" content="Why do the 8-bit designs of the 1970s still generate so much interest?"><meta data-preact-helmet property="og:description" content="Why do the 8-bit designs of the 1970s still generate so much interest?"><meta data-preact-helmet name="twitter:description" content="Why do the 8-bit designs of the 1970s still generate so much interest?"><meta data-preact-helmet property="og:image" content="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1200,h_600,c_fill,f_jpg,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg"><meta data-preact-helmet name="twitter:image" content="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:best,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fthechipletter.substack.com%2Fapi%2Fv1%2Fpost_preview%2F139145891%2Ftwitter.jpg%3Fversion%3D4"><meta data-preact-helmet name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"> <link rel="canonical" href="https://thechipletter.substack.com/p/the-virtues-of-the-8-bit-era-eight" /> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F54ab933b-bb40-4d44-b697-bbb33b8ee32c%2Ffavicon.ico"> <link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="16x16" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F54ab933b-bb40-4d44-b697-bbb33b8ee32c%2Ffavicon-16x16.png"> <link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="32x32" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F54ab933b-bb40-4d44-b697-bbb33b8ee32c%2Ffavicon-32x32.png"> <link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="48x48" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F54ab933b-bb40-4d44-b697-bbb33b8ee32c%2Ffavicon-48x48.png"> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="57x57" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F54ab933b-bb40-4d44-b697-bbb33b8ee32c%2Fapple-touch-icon-57x57.png"> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="60x60" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F54ab933b-bb40-4d44-b697-bbb33b8ee32c%2Fapple-touch-icon-60x60.png"> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="72x72" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F54ab933b-bb40-4d44-b697-bbb33b8ee32c%2Fapple-touch-icon-72x72.png"> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="76x76" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F54ab933b-bb40-4d44-b697-bbb33b8ee32c%2Fapple-touch-icon-76x76.png"> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="114x114" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F54ab933b-bb40-4d44-b697-bbb33b8ee32c%2Fapple-touch-icon-114x114.png"> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="120x120" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F54ab933b-bb40-4d44-b697-bbb33b8ee32c%2Fapple-touch-icon-120x120.png"> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="144x144" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F54ab933b-bb40-4d44-b697-bbb33b8ee32c%2Fapple-touch-icon-144x144.png"> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="152x152" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F54ab933b-bb40-4d44-b697-bbb33b8ee32c%2Fapple-touch-icon-152x152.png"> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="167x167" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F54ab933b-bb40-4d44-b697-bbb33b8ee32c%2Fapple-touch-icon-167x167.png"> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="180x180" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F54ab933b-bb40-4d44-b697-bbb33b8ee32c%2Fapple-touch-icon-180x180.png"> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="1024x1024" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F54ab933b-bb40-4d44-b697-bbb33b8ee32c%2Fapple-touch-icon-1024x1024.png"> <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" href="/feed" title="The Chip Letter"/> <style>:root{--color_theme_bg_pop:#538cfa;--background_pop:#538cfa;--color_theme_bg_web:#ffffff;--cover_bg_color:#ffffff;--background_pop_darken:#3a7bf9;--print_on_pop:#ffffff;--color_theme_bg_pop_darken:#3a7bf9;--color_theme_print_on_pop:#ffffff;--border_subtle:rgba(204, 204, 204, 0.5);--background_subtle:rgba(229, 238, 254, 0.4);--print_pop:#538cfa;--color_theme_accent:#538cfa;--cover_print_primary:#363737;--cover_print_secondary:#757575;--cover_print_tertiary:#b6b6b6;--cover_border_color:#538cfa;--font_family_headings_preset:'SF Pro Display', -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Inter', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol';--font_weight_headings_preset:900;--font_family_body_preset:'SF Pro Display', -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Inter', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol';--font_weight_body_preset:400;--font_preset_heading:heavy_sans;--font_preset_body:sans;--home_hero:magazine-5;--home_posts:grid;--home_show_top_posts:true;--web_bg_color:#ffffff;--background_contrast_1:#f0f0f0;--color_theme_bg_contrast_1:#f0f0f0;--background_contrast_2:#dddddd;--color_theme_bg_contrast_2:#dddddd;--background_contrast_3:#b7b7b7;--color_theme_bg_contrast_3:#b7b7b7;--background_contrast_4:#929292;--color_theme_bg_contrast_4:#929292;--background_contrast_5:#515151;--color_theme_bg_contrast_5:#515151;--color_theme_detail:#e6e6e6;--background_contrast_pop:rgba(83, 140, 250, 0.4);--color_theme_bg_contrast_pop:rgba(83, 140, 250, 0.4);--input_background:#ffffff;--cover_input_background:#ffffff;--tooltip_background:#191919;--web_bg_color_h:0;--web_bg_color_s:0%;--web_bg_color_l:100%;--print_on_web_bg_color:#363737;--print_secondary_on_web_bg_color:#868787;--selected_comment_background_color:#fdf9f3;--background_pop_rgb:83, 140, 250;--background_pop_rgb_pc:83 140 250;--color_theme_bg_pop_rgb:83, 140, 250;--color_theme_bg_pop_rgb_pc:83 140 250;--color_theme_accent_rgb:83, 140, 250;--color_theme_accent_rgb_pc:83 140 250;}</style> <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/theme/main.21e891a6ec8eb1b8d469.css" /> <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/theme/color_links.33eb7c3bd37d78bc2dc3.css" /> <style></style> </head> <body class=""> <div id="entry"> <div id="main" class="main typography use-theme-bg"><div data-testid="navbar" class="main-menu animated"><div class="main-menu-content"><div class="topbar"><div class="topbar-content"><div class="navbar-logo-container"><a href="/" native><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_96,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffe3b8c39-e578-48d7-9459-79948f1259eb_720x720.png" class="navbar-logo"/></a></div><h1 class="navbar-title left-align loading"><a href="/" native class="navbar-title-link">The Chip Letter</a></h1><div class="navbar-buttons"><div class="pencraft pc-display-contents pc-reset _pubTheme_16d2q_1"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-4 pc-reset"><span><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft _iconButton2_1wc5i_678 _iconButtonBase_1wc5i_172 _buttonBase_1wc5i_1 _buttonNew_1wc5i_97 _size_md_1wc5i_155 _priority_tertiary_1wc5i_83"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-search"><circle cx="11" cy="11" r="8"></circle><path d="m21 21-4.3-4.3"></path></svg></button></span><button tabindex="0" type="button" aria-label="Share Publication" id="trigger366283" aria-expanded="false" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-controls="dialog366284" ariaLabel="View more" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft _iconButton2_1wc5i_678 _iconButtonBase_1wc5i_172 _buttonBase_1wc5i_1 _buttonNew_1wc5i_97 _size_md_1wc5i_155 _priority_tertiary_1wc5i_83"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-share"><path d="M4 12v8a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h12a2 2 0 0 0 2-2v-8"></path><polyline points="16 6 12 2 8 6"></polyline><line x1="12" x2="12" y1="2" y2="15"></line></svg></button></div><button tabindex="0" type="button" data-testid="noncontributor-cta-button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft _buttonBase_1wc5i_1 _button_1wc5i_1 _buttonNew_1wc5i_97 _button2_1wc5i_137 _priority_primary_1wc5i_71 _size_md_1wc5i_155">Subscribe</button><button tabindex="0" type="button" native data-href="https://substack.com/sign-in?redirect=%2Fp%2Fthe-virtues-of-the-8-bit-era-eight&amp;for_pub=thechipletter" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft _buttonBase_1wc5i_1 _button_1wc5i_1 _buttonNew_1wc5i_97 _button2_1wc5i_137 _priority_tertiary_1wc5i_83 _size_md_1wc5i_155">Sign in</button></div></div></div></div></div><div class="topbar-spacer"></div></div><div><script type="application/ld+json">{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","url":"https://thechipletter.substack.com/p/the-virtues-of-the-8-bit-era-eight","mainEntityOfPage":"https://thechipletter.substack.com/p/the-virtues-of-the-8-bit-era-eight","headline":"The 8-Bit Era : Eight Iconic Processor Designs","description":"Why do the 8-bit designs of the 1970s still generate so much interest?","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg"}],"datePublished":"2023-11-26T19:00:30+00:00","dateModified":"2023-11-26T19:00:30+00:00","isAccessibleForFree":true,"author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Babbage","url":"https://substack.com/@thechipletter","description":"Using the history of computing to understand the future","identifier":"user:102722254","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","contentUrl":"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F82525b9c-ee3c-4996-916c-54267a4d354b_416x416.png","thumbnailUrl":"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_128,h_128,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F82525b9c-ee3c-4996-916c-54267a4d354b_416x416.png"}}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"The Chip Letter","url":"https://thechipletter.substack.com","description":"Byte sized stories about the history of computing.","interactionStatistic":{"@type":"InteractionCounter","name":"Subscribers","interactionType":"https://schema.org/SubscribeAction","userInteractionCount":10000},"identifier":"pub:1063960","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffe3b8c39-e578-48d7-9459-79948f1259eb_720x720.png","contentUrl":"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffe3b8c39-e578-48d7-9459-79948f1259eb_720x720.png","thumbnailUrl":"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_128,h_128,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffe3b8c39-e578-48d7-9459-79948f1259eb_720x720.png"},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffe3b8c39-e578-48d7-9459-79948f1259eb_720x720.png","contentUrl":"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffe3b8c39-e578-48d7-9459-79948f1259eb_720x720.png","thumbnailUrl":"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_128,h_128,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffe3b8c39-e578-48d7-9459-79948f1259eb_720x720.png"}}}</script><div class="single-post-container"><div class="container"><div class="single-post"><article class="typography newsletter-post post"><div inert role="dialog" class="modal typography out gone share-dialog popup"><div class="modal-table"><div class="modal-row"><div class="modal-cell modal-content no-fullscreen"><div class="container"><button tabindex="0" type="button" data-testid="close-modal" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft modal-btn modal-exit-btn no-margin _iconButton2_1wc5i_678 _iconButtonBase_1wc5i_172 _buttonBase_1wc5i_1 _buttonNew_1wc5i_97 _size_md_1wc5i_155 _priority_tertiary_1wc5i_83"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="secondary" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-x"><path d="M18 6 6 18"></path><path d="m6 6 12 12"></path></svg></button><div class="pencraft pc-display-contents pc-reset _pubTheme_16d2q_1"><div class="pencraft pc-display-contents pc-reset _elevatedTheme_jpget_1"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-gap-24 pc-padding-24 pc-reset _bg-primary_1yrbq_189 _border-detail_1yrbq_25 pc-borderRadius-md _container_1xu3k_8"><h4 class="pencraft _flexGrow_1yrbq_302 pc-reset _align-center_h3mln_13 _line-height-24_h3mln_83 _font-display_h3mln_103 _size-20_h3mln_59 _weight-bold_h3mln_151 _reset_h3mln_1">Share this post</h4><a href="https://substack.com/home/post/p-139145891?utm_campaign=post&amp;utm_medium=web" class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-gap-8 pc-reset _animate_1yrbq_199 _cursor-pointer_1yrbq_219"><div style="background:linear-gradient(180deg, rgba(47,46,42,0.75), rgba(47,46,42,0.75)), var(--color-dark-bg-secondary);" tabindex="0" draggable="false" class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-minWidth-0 pc-position-relative pc-reset _bg-secondary_1yrbq_192 _animate_1yrbq_199 pc-borderRadius-md _showFocus_1yrbq_72 _postAttachment_k1scs_563"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-reset _border-bottom-detail_1yrbq_31 _vibrantHeader_k1scs_607"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_424,h_222,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_520,h_272,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 520w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_848,h_444,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1040,h_545,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 1040w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1272,h_666,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,h_762,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 1456w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1560,h_817,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 1560w" sizes="520px"/><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_520,h_272,c_fill,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg" sizes="520px" alt srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_424,h_222,c_fill,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_520,h_272,c_fill,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 520w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_848,h_444,c_fill,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1040,h_545,c_fill,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 1040w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1272,h_666,c_fill,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,h_762,c_fill,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 1456w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1560,h_817,c_fill,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 1560w" width="520" draggable="false" class="_img_16u6n_1 _postImage_k1scs_611 _vibrantPostImage_k1scs_617 pencraft pc-reset"/></picture></div><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-12 pc-padding-12 pc-alignItems-center pc-reset"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-gap-2 pc-minWidth-0 _flexGrow_1yrbq_302 pc-reset"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-paddingBottom-4 pc-alignItems-center pc-reset"><div draggable="false" class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-position-relative pc-reset"><div style="width:18px;height:18px;" class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-reset _bg-white_1yrbq_295 pc-borderRadius-xs _overflow-hidden_1yrbq_315 _sizing-border-box_1yrbq_349"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_36,h_36,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffe3b8c39-e578-48d7-9459-79948f1259eb_720x720.png"/><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_36,h_36,c_fill,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffe3b8c39-e578-48d7-9459-79948f1259eb_720x720.png" sizes="100vw" alt="The Chip Letter" width="36" height="36" style="width:18px;height:18px;" draggable="false" class="_img_16u6n_1 _object-fit-cover_16u6n_5 pencraft pc-reset"/></picture></div></div><div class="pencraft _flexGrow_1yrbq_302 pc-reset _ellipsis_1yrbq_343 _color-vibrance-secondary_h3mln_229 _line-height-20_h3mln_80 _font-text_h3mln_106 _size-13_h3mln_39 _weight-regular_h3mln_142 _nowrap_h3mln_249 _reset_h3mln_1">The Chip Letter</div></div><div class="pencraft pc-reset _color-vibrance-primary_h3mln_226 _line-height-20_h3mln_80 _font-text_h3mln_106 _size-15_h3mln_47 _weight-medium_h3mln_145 _clamp_h3mln_254 _clamp-2_h3mln_263 _reset_h3mln_1">The Virtues Of The 8-Bit Era : Eight Iconic Processor Designs</div></div></div></div></a><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-gap-16 pc-reset"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-justifyContent-space-between pc-reset"><a class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-gap-8 pc-width-64 pc-alignItems-center pc-reset _cursor-pointer_1yrbq_219 _button_qtdwu_1"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-width-64 pc-height-64 pc-justifyContent-center pc-alignItems-center pc-reset _bg-secondary_1yrbq_192 _animate_1yrbq_199 pc-borderRadius-lg _icon_qtdwu_4"><svg role="img" style="height:20px;width:20px;" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="2" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M7.50008 14.1666H5.83341C4.72835 14.1666 3.66854 13.7276 2.88714 12.9462C2.10573 12.1648 1.66675 11.105 1.66675 9.99992C1.66675 8.89485 2.10573 7.83504 2.88714 7.05364C3.66854 6.27224 4.72835 5.83325 5.83341 5.83325H7.50008M12.5001 5.83325H14.1667C15.2718 5.83325 16.3316 6.27224 17.113 7.05364C17.8944 7.83504 18.3334 8.89485 18.3334 9.99992C18.3334 11.105 17.8944 12.1648 17.113 12.9462C16.3316 13.7276 15.2718 14.1666 14.1667 14.1666H12.5001M6.66675 9.99992H13.3334"></path></g></svg></div><div class="pencraft pc-reset _color-primary_h3mln_166 _line-height-20_h3mln_80 _font-text_h3mln_106 _size-11_h3mln_31 _weight-semibold_h3mln_148 _reset_h3mln_1">Copy link</div></a><a class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-gap-8 pc-width-64 pc-alignItems-center pc-reset _cursor-pointer_1yrbq_219 _button_qtdwu_1"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-width-64 pc-height-64 pc-justifyContent-center pc-alignItems-center pc-reset _bg-secondary_1yrbq_192 _animate_1yrbq_199 pc-borderRadius-lg _icon_qtdwu_4"><svg role="img" style="height:20px;width:20px;" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-width="1.8" stroke="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path stroke="none" d="M20 10C20 4.47715 15.5229 0 10 0C4.47715 0 0 4.47715 0 10C0 14.9912 3.65684 19.1283 8.4375 19.8785V12.8906H5.89844V10H8.4375V7.79688C8.4375 5.29063 9.93047 3.90625 12.2146 3.90625C13.3084 3.90625 14.4531 4.10156 14.4531 4.10156V6.5625H13.1922C11.95 6.5625 11.5625 7.3334 11.5625 8.125V10H14.3359L13.8926 12.8906H11.5625V19.8785C16.3432 19.1283 20 14.9912 20 10Z"></path></g></svg></div><div class="pencraft pc-reset _color-primary_h3mln_166 _line-height-20_h3mln_80 _font-text_h3mln_106 _size-11_h3mln_31 _weight-semibold_h3mln_148 _reset_h3mln_1">Facebook</div></a><a class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-gap-8 pc-width-64 pc-alignItems-center pc-reset _cursor-pointer_1yrbq_219 _button_qtdwu_1"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-width-64 pc-height-64 pc-justifyContent-center pc-alignItems-center pc-reset _bg-secondary_1yrbq_192 _animate_1yrbq_199 pc-borderRadius-lg _icon_qtdwu_4"><svg role="img" style="height:20px;width:20px;" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-width="1.8" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path stroke="none" d="M9.9958 11.0646C10.2693 11.0646 10.5346 10.9569 10.7915 10.7248L19.0717 3.431C18.6241 3.13262 18.1102 3 17.3974 3H2.60257C1.88976 3 1.37587 3.13262 0.920011 3.431L9.20011 10.7248C9.46534 10.9569 9.73057 11.0646 9.9958 11.0646ZM0.215499 15.9465L6.34893 9.82137L0.198922 4.40075C0.107749 4.5748 0 4.99751 0 5.56941V14.7199C0 15.2503 0.0828842 15.6316 0.215499 15.9465ZM2.35391 17.2892H17.646C18.2511 17.2892 18.7235 17.14 19.0385 16.9245L12.731 10.6171L11.5209 11.6945C11.0402 12.1173 10.518 12.3328 9.9958 12.3328C9.48197 12.3328 8.95975 12.1173 8.47905 11.6945L7.26894 10.6171L0.961455 16.9245C1.27642 17.14 1.74057 17.2892 2.35391 17.2892ZM19.7844 15.9465C19.9088 15.6316 20 15.2503 20 14.7199V5.56941C20 4.99751 19.8922 4.5748 19.8011 4.40075L13.651 9.82137L19.7844 15.9465Z"></path></g></svg></div><div class="pencraft pc-reset _color-primary_h3mln_166 _line-height-20_h3mln_80 _font-text_h3mln_106 _size-11_h3mln_31 _weight-semibold_h3mln_148 _reset_h3mln_1">Email</div></a><a class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-gap-8 pc-width-64 pc-alignItems-center pc-reset _cursor-pointer_1yrbq_219 _button_qtdwu_1"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-width-64 pc-height-64 pc-justifyContent-center pc-alignItems-center pc-reset _bg-secondary_1yrbq_192 _animate_1yrbq_199 pc-borderRadius-lg _icon_qtdwu_4"><svg role="img" style="height:20px;width:20px;" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-width="1.8" stroke="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M1.96484 0.624512H18.0354V2.70052H1.96484V0.624512Z" stroke="none"></path><path d="M1.96484 4.77655H18.0354V6.85254H1.96484V4.77655Z" stroke="none"></path><path d="M1.96484 8.92857V19.9505L10.0001 14.6347L18.0354 19.9505V8.92857H1.96484Z" stroke="none"></path></g></svg></div><div class="pencraft pc-reset _color-primary_h3mln_166 _line-height-20_h3mln_80 _font-text_h3mln_106 _size-11_h3mln_31 _weight-semibold_h3mln_148 _reset_h3mln_1">Notes</div></a><a id="trigger366285" aria-expanded="false" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-controls="dialog366286" ariaLabel="View more" class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-gap-8 pc-width-64 pc-alignItems-center pc-reset _cursor-pointer_1yrbq_219 _button_qtdwu_1"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-width-64 pc-height-64 pc-justifyContent-center pc-alignItems-center pc-reset _bg-secondary_1yrbq_192 _animate_1yrbq_199 pc-borderRadius-lg _icon_qtdwu_4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-ellipsis"><circle cx="12" cy="12" r="1"></circle><circle cx="19" cy="12" r="1"></circle><circle cx="5" cy="12" r="1"></circle></svg></div><div class="pencraft pc-reset _color-primary_h3mln_166 _line-height-20_h3mln_80 _font-text_h3mln_106 _size-11_h3mln_31 _weight-semibold_h3mln_148 _reset_h3mln_1">More</div></a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="post-header"><h1 class="post-title unpublished">The Virtues Of The 8-Bit Era : Eight Iconic Processor Designs</h1><h3 class="subtitle">Why do the 8-bit designs of the 1970s generate so much enthusiasm?</h3><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-paddingBottom-16 pc-reset"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-paddingTop-16 pc-paddingBottom-16 pc-reset"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-12 pc-alignItems-center pc-reset byline-wrapper"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-reset"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-alignItems-center _flexGrow_1yrbq_302 pc-reset facepile"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-alignItems-center pc-reset"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-alignItems-center pc-reset _faces_6cuho_7 _size-40_6cuho_23"><div class="profile-hover-card-target _profileHoverCardTarget_c9bh7_50"><a href="https://substack.com/profile/102722254-babbage" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="pencraft pc-display-flex _flexAuto_1yrbq_305 pc-reset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_80,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F82525b9c-ee3c-4996-916c-54267a4d354b_416x416.png"/><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_80,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F82525b9c-ee3c-4996-916c-54267a4d354b_416x416.png" sizes="100vw" alt width="80" style="z-index:1;" class="_img_16u6n_1 facepile-face _face_6cuho_7 _size-40_6cuho_23 _first_6cuho_90 _last_6cuho_94 pencraft pc-reset"/></picture></a></div></div></div></div></div><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-reset"><div class="pencraft pc-reset _color-pub-primary-text_h3mln_190 _line-height-20_h3mln_80 _font-meta_h3mln_115 _size-11_h3mln_31 _weight-medium_h3mln_145 _transform-uppercase_h3mln_237 _reset_h3mln_1 _meta_h3mln_437"><div class="profile-hover-card-target _profileHoverCardTarget_c9bh7_50"><a href="https://substack.com/@thechipletter" class="pencraft pc-reset _decoration-hover-underline_h3mln_293 _reset_h3mln_1">Babbage</a></div></div><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-4 pc-reset"><div class="pencraft pc-reset _color-pub-secondary-text_h3mln_193 _line-height-20_h3mln_80 _font-meta_h3mln_115 _size-11_h3mln_31 _weight-medium_h3mln_145 _transform-uppercase_h3mln_237 _reset_h3mln_1 _meta_h3mln_437">Nov 26, 2023</div></div></div></div></div><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-16 pc-paddingTop-16 pc-paddingBottom-16 pc-justifyContent-space-between pc-alignItems-center _flexGrow_1yrbq_302 pc-reset _border-top-detail-themed_1yrbq_47 _border-bottom-detail-themed_1yrbq_50 post-ufi"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><div class="like-button-container post-ufi-button style-button"><a role="button" aria-label="Like (27)" aria-pressed="false" class="post-ufi-button style-button has-label with-border"><svg role="img" style="height:20px;width:20px;" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="#000000" stroke-width="2" stroke="#000" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="icon"><g><title></title><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-heart"><path d="M19 14c1.49-1.46 3-3.21 3-5.5A5.5 5.5 0 0 0 16.5 3c-1.76 0-3 .5-4.5 2-1.5-1.5-2.74-2-4.5-2A5.5 5.5 0 0 0 2 8.5c0 2.3 1.5 4.05 3 5.5l7 7Z"></path></svg></g></svg><div class="label">27</div></a><div inert role="dialog" class="modal typography out gone share-dialog popup"><div class="modal-table"><div class="modal-row"><div class="modal-cell modal-content no-fullscreen"><div class="container"><button tabindex="0" type="button" data-testid="close-modal" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft modal-btn modal-exit-btn no-margin _iconButton2_1wc5i_678 _iconButtonBase_1wc5i_172 _buttonBase_1wc5i_1 _buttonNew_1wc5i_97 _size_md_1wc5i_155 _priority_tertiary_1wc5i_83"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="secondary" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-x"><path d="M18 6 6 18"></path><path d="m6 6 12 12"></path></svg></button><div class="pencraft pc-display-contents pc-reset _pubTheme_16d2q_1"><div class="pencraft pc-display-contents pc-reset _elevatedTheme_jpget_1"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-gap-24 pc-padding-24 pc-reset _bg-primary_1yrbq_189 _border-detail_1yrbq_25 pc-borderRadius-md _container_1xu3k_8"><h4 class="pencraft _flexGrow_1yrbq_302 pc-reset _align-center_h3mln_13 _line-height-24_h3mln_83 _font-display_h3mln_103 _size-20_h3mln_59 _weight-bold_h3mln_151 _reset_h3mln_1">Share this post</h4><a href="https://substack.com/home/post/p-139145891?utm_campaign=post&amp;utm_medium=web" class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-gap-8 pc-reset _animate_1yrbq_199 _cursor-pointer_1yrbq_219"><div style="background:linear-gradient(180deg, rgba(47,46,42,0.75), rgba(47,46,42,0.75)), var(--color-dark-bg-secondary);" tabindex="0" draggable="false" class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-minWidth-0 pc-position-relative pc-reset _bg-secondary_1yrbq_192 _animate_1yrbq_199 pc-borderRadius-md _showFocus_1yrbq_72 _postAttachment_k1scs_563"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-reset _border-bottom-detail_1yrbq_31 _vibrantHeader_k1scs_607"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_424,h_222,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_520,h_272,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 520w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_848,h_444,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1040,h_545,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 1040w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1272,h_666,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,h_762,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 1456w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1560,h_817,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 1560w" sizes="520px"/><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_520,h_272,c_fill,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg" sizes="520px" alt srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_424,h_222,c_fill,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_520,h_272,c_fill,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 520w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_848,h_444,c_fill,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1040,h_545,c_fill,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 1040w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1272,h_666,c_fill,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,h_762,c_fill,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 1456w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1560,h_817,c_fill,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 1560w" width="520" draggable="false" class="_img_16u6n_1 _postImage_k1scs_611 _vibrantPostImage_k1scs_617 pencraft pc-reset"/></picture></div><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-12 pc-padding-12 pc-alignItems-center pc-reset"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-gap-2 pc-minWidth-0 _flexGrow_1yrbq_302 pc-reset"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-paddingBottom-4 pc-alignItems-center pc-reset"><div draggable="false" class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-position-relative pc-reset"><div style="width:18px;height:18px;" class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-reset _bg-white_1yrbq_295 pc-borderRadius-xs _overflow-hidden_1yrbq_315 _sizing-border-box_1yrbq_349"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_36,h_36,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffe3b8c39-e578-48d7-9459-79948f1259eb_720x720.png"/><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_36,h_36,c_fill,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffe3b8c39-e578-48d7-9459-79948f1259eb_720x720.png" sizes="100vw" alt="The Chip Letter" width="36" height="36" style="width:18px;height:18px;" draggable="false" class="_img_16u6n_1 _object-fit-cover_16u6n_5 pencraft pc-reset"/></picture></div></div><div class="pencraft _flexGrow_1yrbq_302 pc-reset _ellipsis_1yrbq_343 _color-vibrance-secondary_h3mln_229 _line-height-20_h3mln_80 _font-text_h3mln_106 _size-13_h3mln_39 _weight-regular_h3mln_142 _nowrap_h3mln_249 _reset_h3mln_1">The Chip Letter</div></div><div class="pencraft pc-reset _color-vibrance-primary_h3mln_226 _line-height-20_h3mln_80 _font-text_h3mln_106 _size-15_h3mln_47 _weight-medium_h3mln_145 _clamp_h3mln_254 _clamp-2_h3mln_263 _reset_h3mln_1">The Virtues Of The 8-Bit Era : Eight Iconic Processor Designs</div></div></div></div></a><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-gap-16 pc-reset"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-justifyContent-space-between pc-reset"><a class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-gap-8 pc-width-64 pc-alignItems-center pc-reset _cursor-pointer_1yrbq_219 _button_qtdwu_1"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-width-64 pc-height-64 pc-justifyContent-center pc-alignItems-center pc-reset _bg-secondary_1yrbq_192 _animate_1yrbq_199 pc-borderRadius-lg _icon_qtdwu_4"><svg role="img" style="height:20px;width:20px;" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="2" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M7.50008 14.1666H5.83341C4.72835 14.1666 3.66854 13.7276 2.88714 12.9462C2.10573 12.1648 1.66675 11.105 1.66675 9.99992C1.66675 8.89485 2.10573 7.83504 2.88714 7.05364C3.66854 6.27224 4.72835 5.83325 5.83341 5.83325H7.50008M12.5001 5.83325H14.1667C15.2718 5.83325 16.3316 6.27224 17.113 7.05364C17.8944 7.83504 18.3334 8.89485 18.3334 9.99992C18.3334 11.105 17.8944 12.1648 17.113 12.9462C16.3316 13.7276 15.2718 14.1666 14.1667 14.1666H12.5001M6.66675 9.99992H13.3334"></path></g></svg></div><div class="pencraft pc-reset _color-primary_h3mln_166 _line-height-20_h3mln_80 _font-text_h3mln_106 _size-11_h3mln_31 _weight-semibold_h3mln_148 _reset_h3mln_1">Copy link</div></a><a class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-gap-8 pc-width-64 pc-alignItems-center pc-reset _cursor-pointer_1yrbq_219 _button_qtdwu_1"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-width-64 pc-height-64 pc-justifyContent-center pc-alignItems-center pc-reset _bg-secondary_1yrbq_192 _animate_1yrbq_199 pc-borderRadius-lg _icon_qtdwu_4"><svg role="img" style="height:20px;width:20px;" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-width="1.8" stroke="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path stroke="none" d="M20 10C20 4.47715 15.5229 0 10 0C4.47715 0 0 4.47715 0 10C0 14.9912 3.65684 19.1283 8.4375 19.8785V12.8906H5.89844V10H8.4375V7.79688C8.4375 5.29063 9.93047 3.90625 12.2146 3.90625C13.3084 3.90625 14.4531 4.10156 14.4531 4.10156V6.5625H13.1922C11.95 6.5625 11.5625 7.3334 11.5625 8.125V10H14.3359L13.8926 12.8906H11.5625V19.8785C16.3432 19.1283 20 14.9912 20 10Z"></path></g></svg></div><div class="pencraft pc-reset _color-primary_h3mln_166 _line-height-20_h3mln_80 _font-text_h3mln_106 _size-11_h3mln_31 _weight-semibold_h3mln_148 _reset_h3mln_1">Facebook</div></a><a class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-gap-8 pc-width-64 pc-alignItems-center pc-reset _cursor-pointer_1yrbq_219 _button_qtdwu_1"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-width-64 pc-height-64 pc-justifyContent-center pc-alignItems-center pc-reset _bg-secondary_1yrbq_192 _animate_1yrbq_199 pc-borderRadius-lg _icon_qtdwu_4"><svg role="img" style="height:20px;width:20px;" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-width="1.8" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path stroke="none" d="M9.9958 11.0646C10.2693 11.0646 10.5346 10.9569 10.7915 10.7248L19.0717 3.431C18.6241 3.13262 18.1102 3 17.3974 3H2.60257C1.88976 3 1.37587 3.13262 0.920011 3.431L9.20011 10.7248C9.46534 10.9569 9.73057 11.0646 9.9958 11.0646ZM0.215499 15.9465L6.34893 9.82137L0.198922 4.40075C0.107749 4.5748 0 4.99751 0 5.56941V14.7199C0 15.2503 0.0828842 15.6316 0.215499 15.9465ZM2.35391 17.2892H17.646C18.2511 17.2892 18.7235 17.14 19.0385 16.9245L12.731 10.6171L11.5209 11.6945C11.0402 12.1173 10.518 12.3328 9.9958 12.3328C9.48197 12.3328 8.95975 12.1173 8.47905 11.6945L7.26894 10.6171L0.961455 16.9245C1.27642 17.14 1.74057 17.2892 2.35391 17.2892ZM19.7844 15.9465C19.9088 15.6316 20 15.2503 20 14.7199V5.56941C20 4.99751 19.8922 4.5748 19.8011 4.40075L13.651 9.82137L19.7844 15.9465Z"></path></g></svg></div><div class="pencraft pc-reset _color-primary_h3mln_166 _line-height-20_h3mln_80 _font-text_h3mln_106 _size-11_h3mln_31 _weight-semibold_h3mln_148 _reset_h3mln_1">Email</div></a><a class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-gap-8 pc-width-64 pc-alignItems-center pc-reset _cursor-pointer_1yrbq_219 _button_qtdwu_1"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-width-64 pc-height-64 pc-justifyContent-center pc-alignItems-center pc-reset _bg-secondary_1yrbq_192 _animate_1yrbq_199 pc-borderRadius-lg _icon_qtdwu_4"><svg role="img" style="height:20px;width:20px;" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-width="1.8" stroke="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M1.96484 0.624512H18.0354V2.70052H1.96484V0.624512Z" stroke="none"></path><path d="M1.96484 4.77655H18.0354V6.85254H1.96484V4.77655Z" stroke="none"></path><path d="M1.96484 8.92857V19.9505L10.0001 14.6347L18.0354 19.9505V8.92857H1.96484Z" stroke="none"></path></g></svg></div><div class="pencraft pc-reset _color-primary_h3mln_166 _line-height-20_h3mln_80 _font-text_h3mln_106 _size-11_h3mln_31 _weight-semibold_h3mln_148 _reset_h3mln_1">Notes</div></a><a id="trigger366287" aria-expanded="false" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-controls="dialog366288" ariaLabel="View more" class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-gap-8 pc-width-64 pc-alignItems-center pc-reset _cursor-pointer_1yrbq_219 _button_qtdwu_1"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-width-64 pc-height-64 pc-justifyContent-center pc-alignItems-center pc-reset _bg-secondary_1yrbq_192 _animate_1yrbq_199 pc-borderRadius-lg _icon_qtdwu_4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-ellipsis"><circle cx="12" cy="12" r="1"></circle><circle cx="19" cy="12" r="1"></circle><circle cx="5" cy="12" r="1"></circle></svg></div><div class="pencraft pc-reset _color-primary_h3mln_166 _line-height-20_h3mln_80 _font-text_h3mln_106 _size-11_h3mln_31 _weight-semibold_h3mln_148 _reset_h3mln_1">More</div></a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><a role="button" href="https://thechipletter.substack.com/p/the-virtues-of-the-8-bit-era-eight/comments" aria-label="View comments (23)" class="post-ufi-button style-button post-ufi-comment-button has-label with-border"><svg role="img" style="height:20px;width:20px;" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="#000000" stroke-width="2" stroke="#000" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="icon"><g><title></title><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-message-circle"><path d="M7.9 20A9 9 0 1 0 4 16.1L2 22Z"></path></svg></g></svg><div class="label">23</div></a><a role="button" aria-label="View repost options" class="post-ufi-button style-button has-label with-border"><svg role="img" style="height:20px;width:20px;" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke-width="2" stroke="#000" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="icon"><g><title></title><path d="M21 3V8M21 8H16M21 8L18 5.29962C16.7056 4.14183 15.1038 3.38328 13.3879 3.11547C11.6719 2.84766 9.9152 3.08203 8.32951 3.79031C6.74382 4.49858 5.39691 5.65051 4.45125 7.10715C3.5056 8.5638 3.00158 10.2629 3 11.9996M3 21V16M3 16H8M3 16L6 18.7C7.29445 19.8578 8.89623 20.6163 10.6121 20.8841C12.3281 21.152 14.0848 20.9176 15.6705 20.2093C17.2562 19.501 18.6031 18.3491 19.5487 16.8925C20.4944 15.4358 20.9984 13.7367 21 12" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"></path></g></svg><div class="label">1</div></a></div><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><a role="button" href="javascript:void(0)" aria-label="View share options" class="post-ufi-button style-button no-icon has-label with-border"><div class="label">Share</div></a></div></div></div></div><div class="visibility-check"></div><div><div class="available-content"><div dir="auto" class="body markup"><p>For some readers, when we talk today about ‘8-bit’ then it probably evokes a certain aesthetic : simple, blocky, colourful design. I think for anyone who was around at the time, though, it also generates a lot of nostalgia.</p><p>A whole generation, including I’m sure many Chip Letter readers, wrote their first programs on 8-bit systems. Those systems of the 1970s and the early 1980s made computing available, for the first time, to almost everyone. It was a formative time for many people who went on to build their careers in computing, and many who would play a key role in the development of modern computing.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p>The Chip Letter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><div data-component-name="SubscribeWidget" class="subscribe-widget"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-justifyContent-center pc-reset"><div class="_container_11q5m_1"><form action="/api/v1/free?nojs=true" method="post" novalidate class="form _form_11q5m_6"><input type="hidden" name="first_url" value/><input type="hidden" name="first_referrer" value/><input type="hidden" name="current_url"/><input type="hidden" name="current_referrer"/><input type="hidden" name="referral_code"/><input type="hidden" name="source" value="subscribe-widget-preamble"/><input type="hidden" name="referring_pub_id"/><input type="hidden" name="additional_referring_pub_ids"/><div class="_sideBySideWrap_11q5m_10"><div class="_emailInputWrapper_11q5m_57"><input type="email" name="email" placeholder="Type your email..." class="pencraft _emailInput_11q5m_23"/></div><button tabindex="0" type="submit" class="button rightButton primary subscribe-btn _button_11q5m_76"><span class="button-text ">Subscribe</span></button></div><div id="error-container"></div></form></div></div></div></div></div><p>This nostalgia explains a lot of the enduring enthusiasm for ‘8-bit’.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://thechipletter.substack.com/p/the-virtues-of-the-8-bit-era-eight?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://thechipletter.substack.com/p/the-virtues-of-the-8-bit-era-eight?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share" rel><span>Share</span></a></p><p>On top of simple nostalgia, I think that there are lots of other reasons why there is so much affection for ‘8-bit’. Today’s systems are much, much more powerful and capable, but in adding that power, we’ve also lost something too. From the perspective of someone interested in how their computer worked at a ‘low-level’ and who wanted to program it at that level, then these systems had several attractions.</p><h4 class="header-anchor-post">Simplicity<div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-alignItems-center pc-position-absolute pc-reset header-anchor-parent"><div class="pencraft pc-display-contents pc-reset _pubTheme_16d2q_1"><div id="§simplicity" class="pencraft pc-reset header-anchor offset-top"></div><button tabindex="0" type="button" data-href="https://thechipletter.substack.com/i/139145891/simplicity" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft _iconButton2_1wc5i_678 _iconButtonBase_1wc5i_172 _buttonBase_1wc5i_1 _buttonNew_1wc5i_97 _size_sm_1wc5i_147 _priority_secondary_1wc5i_46"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="18" height="18" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-link"><path d="M10 13a5 5 0 0 0 7.54.54l3-3a5 5 0 0 0-7.07-7.07l-1.72 1.71"></path><path d="M14 11a5 5 0 0 0-7.54-.54l-3 3a5 5 0 0 0 7.07 7.07l1.71-1.71"></path></svg></button></div></div></h4><p>With some practice, you could keep the whole of an 8-bit processor’s instruction set in your head. Doing some of the things that we take for granted from hardware today (e.g. floating-point arithmetic) was difficult, but on the whole the low-level operation of these systems was much more approachable.</p><h4 class="header-anchor-post">Documentation<div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-alignItems-center pc-position-absolute pc-reset header-anchor-parent"><div class="pencraft pc-display-contents pc-reset _pubTheme_16d2q_1"><div id="§documentation" class="pencraft pc-reset header-anchor offset-top"></div><button tabindex="0" type="button" data-href="https://thechipletter.substack.com/i/139145891/documentation" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft _iconButton2_1wc5i_678 _iconButtonBase_1wc5i_172 _buttonBase_1wc5i_1 _buttonNew_1wc5i_97 _size_sm_1wc5i_147 _priority_secondary_1wc5i_46"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="18" height="18" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-link"><path d="M10 13a5 5 0 0 0 7.54.54l3-3a5 5 0 0 0-7.07-7.07l-1.72 1.71"></path><path d="M14 11a5 5 0 0 0-7.54-.54l-3 3a5 5 0 0 0 7.07 7.07l1.71-1.71"></path></svg></button></div></div></h4><p>One side effect of simplicity, was that documenting every aspect of a computer in a single, readable, document was possible. 8-bit systems often came with great, both thorough and readable, documentation. If you wanted more then there was probably a comprehensive book covering assembly language for your processor of choice, available at your local bookstore.</p><h4 class="header-anchor-post">Close To The Metal<div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-alignItems-center pc-position-absolute pc-reset header-anchor-parent"><div class="pencraft pc-display-contents pc-reset _pubTheme_16d2q_1"><div id="§close-to-the-metal" class="pencraft pc-reset header-anchor offset-top"></div><button tabindex="0" type="button" data-href="https://thechipletter.substack.com/i/139145891/close-to-the-metal" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft _iconButton2_1wc5i_678 _iconButtonBase_1wc5i_172 _buttonBase_1wc5i_1 _buttonNew_1wc5i_97 _size_sm_1wc5i_147 _priority_secondary_1wc5i_46"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="18" height="18" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-link"><path d="M10 13a5 5 0 0 0 7.54.54l3-3a5 5 0 0 0-7.07-7.07l-1.72 1.71"></path><path d="M14 11a5 5 0 0 0-7.54-.54l-3 3a5 5 0 0 0 7.07 7.07l1.71-1.71"></path></svg></button></div></div></h4><p>Graphics and sound weren’t hidden behind ‘APIs’. There might be a rudimentary operating system but for the best performance, then you probably had to write code that interacted with the hardware directly.</p><p>High level languages were often too slow and commercial software had to be written in assembly language to get the required performance. And the simplicity of the processor design meant that it was usually possible and relatively straightforward to reason about the performance of assembly language code.</p><h4 class="header-anchor-post">“Open Source”<div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-alignItems-center pc-position-absolute pc-reset header-anchor-parent"><div class="pencraft pc-display-contents pc-reset _pubTheme_16d2q_1"><div id="§open-source" class="pencraft pc-reset header-anchor offset-top"></div><button tabindex="0" type="button" data-href="https://thechipletter.substack.com/i/139145891/open-source" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft _iconButton2_1wc5i_678 _iconButtonBase_1wc5i_172 _buttonBase_1wc5i_1 _buttonNew_1wc5i_97 _size_sm_1wc5i_147 _priority_secondary_1wc5i_46"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="18" height="18" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-link"><path d="M10 13a5 5 0 0 0 7.54.54l3-3a5 5 0 0 0-7.07-7.07l-1.72 1.71"></path><path d="M14 11a5 5 0 0 0-7.54-.54l-3 3a5 5 0 0 0 7.07 7.07l1.71-1.71"></path></svg></button></div></div></h4><p>I’ve deliberately put Open Source here in inverted commas. Software of the era wasn’t open source in the modern sense. It was sometimes ‘source available’ though in the sense that software writers published their source code. I still have a copy of the book ‘Sargon : A Computer Chess Program’ which listed a chess program, written in 8080 assembly, in full.</p><p>And if the software writers didn't publish their own source then sometimes it would be disassembled and made widely available.</p><h4 class="header-anchor-post">Starting an Entrepreneurial Era for Hardware and Software<div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-alignItems-center pc-position-absolute pc-reset header-anchor-parent"><div class="pencraft pc-display-contents pc-reset _pubTheme_16d2q_1"><div id="§starting-an-entrepreneurial-era-for-hardware-and-software" class="pencraft pc-reset header-anchor offset-top"></div><button tabindex="0" type="button" data-href="https://thechipletter.substack.com/i/139145891/starting-an-entrepreneurial-era-for-hardware-and-software" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft _iconButton2_1wc5i_678 _iconButtonBase_1wc5i_172 _buttonBase_1wc5i_1 _buttonNew_1wc5i_97 _size_sm_1wc5i_147 _priority_secondary_1wc5i_46"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="18" height="18" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-link"><path d="M10 13a5 5 0 0 0 7.54.54l3-3a5 5 0 0 0-7.07-7.07l-1.72 1.71"></path><path d="M14 11a5 5 0 0 0-7.54-.54l-3 3a5 5 0 0 0 7.07 7.07l1.71-1.71"></path></svg></button></div></div></h4><p>Perhaps most of all though, it was an era that saw a flourishing of hardware and software innovation and entrepreneurship : in microprocessors, in other semiconductors, in the computers that used them and the software that ran on those computers.</p><p>Many famous names started or flourished in this era: Intel, Apple, Microsoft, Atari, Commodore, Nintendo and others. Plus numerous less familiar names that nonetheless had a huge impact: Mostek, MOS Technology, Zilog, Acorn, and lots more. Not forgetting innovative software like VisiCalc.</p><p>And 8-bit processors never went away. They became the basis for billions of microcontrollers, hidden away in devices in homes, offices and factories.</p><div><hr/></div><p>I’m not completely overcome by nostalgia. 8-bit was the era of 64k memory, floppy disks, monochrome screens and so on. I wouldn't want any of these back.</p><p>There is an enduring appeal to the simplicity and accessibility of ‘8-bit’ though.</p><div><hr/></div><p>In the rest of this post, we’ll have a brief look at eight iconic microprocessors of the 8-bit era.</p><p>First though, paying subscribers can vote to select one of these designs for a more detailed history. I’ve omitted the 6502 as we’ve covered it in some detail already. Do please vote and let me know which you’d like covered next. And let me know if you think I’ve missed an important design. </p><div dataAttrs="{&quot;id&quot;:122748}" class="poll-embed"><div data-component-name="Poll" class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-gap-24 pc-reset poll-wrapper poll-web"><div id="poll-122748" class="poll-anchor-target"><div class="poll-anchor-copy-button"><a href="https://thechipletter.substack.com/p/the-virtues-of-the-8-bit-era-eight#poll-122748"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-link"><path d="M10 13a5 5 0 0 0 7.54.54l3-3a5 5 0 0 0-7.07-7.07l-1.72 1.71"></path><path d="M14 11a5 5 0 0 0-7.54-.54l-3 3a5 5 0 0 0 7.07 7.07l1.71-1.71"></path></svg></a></div></div><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-gap-8 pc-paddingTop-48 pc-paddingBottom-48 pc-justifyContent-center pc-alignItems-center pc-reset"><div translated class="pencraft pc-reset _color-secondary_h3mln_169 _line-height-20_h3mln_80 _font-meta_h3mln_115 _size-11_h3mln_31 _weight-medium_h3mln_145 _transform-uppercase_h3mln_237 _reset_h3mln_1 _meta_h3mln_437">Loading...</div></div></div></div><h4 class="header-anchor-post">Intel 8008<div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-alignItems-center pc-position-absolute pc-reset header-anchor-parent"><div class="pencraft pc-display-contents pc-reset _pubTheme_16d2q_1"><div id="§intel" class="pencraft pc-reset header-anchor offset-top"></div><button tabindex="0" type="button" data-href="https://thechipletter.substack.com/i/139145891/intel" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft _iconButton2_1wc5i_678 _iconButtonBase_1wc5i_172 _buttonBase_1wc5i_1 _buttonNew_1wc5i_97 _size_sm_1wc5i_147 _priority_secondary_1wc5i_46"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="18" height="18" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-link"><path d="M10 13a5 5 0 0 0 7.54.54l3-3a5 5 0 0 0-7.07-7.07l-1.72 1.71"></path><path d="M14 11a5 5 0 0 0-7.54-.54l-3 3a5 5 0 0 0 7.07 7.07l1.71-1.71"></path></svg></button></div></div></h4><p><em>Intel : 1972</em></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-imag" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa9ebd64f-7682-4834-a828-1f439d449931_1026x658.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM" rel><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa9ebd64f-7682-4834-a828-1f439d449931_1026x658.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa9ebd64f-7682-4834-a828-1f439d449931_1026x658.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa9ebd64f-7682-4834-a828-1f439d449931_1026x658.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa9ebd64f-7682-4834-a828-1f439d449931_1026x658.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"/><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa9ebd64f-7682-4834-a828-1f439d449931_1026x658.jpeg" width="1026" height="658" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/a9ebd64f-7682-4834-a828-1f439d449931_1026x658.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:658,&quot;width&quot;:1026,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:101509,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa9ebd64f-7682-4834-a828-1f439d449931_1026x658.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa9ebd64f-7682-4834-a828-1f439d449931_1026x658.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa9ebd64f-7682-4834-a828-1f439d449931_1026x658.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa9ebd64f-7682-4834-a828-1f439d449931_1026x658.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"/></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Intel 8008 - By Konstantin Lanzet - CPU Collection Konstantin LanzetCamera: Canon EOS 400D, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5694177</figcaption></figure></div><p><em>Used in : Intel Intellec-8 Development System</em></p><p>The first 8-bit microprocessor. Designed and built by Federico Faggin and his team at Intel in response to a commission from terminal manufacturer Computer Terminal Corporation. The chip was originally meant to replace the ‘discrete’ logic of the Datapoint 2200 terminal, it was never used for its original purpose.</p><p><span>As is often the case Ken Shiriff has a series of great posts analysing the 8008’s die together with lots of detail on its history, starting </span><a href="http://www.righto.com/2016/12/die-photos-and-analysis-of_24.html" rel>here</a><span> and with follow-ups </span><a href="http://www.righto.com/2017/03/analyzing-vintage-8008-processor-from.html" rel>here</a><span>, </span><a href="http://www.righto.com/2020/11/reverse-engineering-carry-lookahead.html" rel>here</a><span> and </span><a href="http://www.righto.com/2017/02/reverse-engineering-surprisingly.html" rel>here</a><span>.</span></p><p><em>Quirks : 16 pin package so heavy use of multiplexing was needed. 14-bit program counter.</em></p><h4 class="header-anchor-post">Intel 8080<div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-alignItems-center pc-position-absolute pc-reset header-anchor-parent"><div class="pencraft pc-display-contents pc-reset _pubTheme_16d2q_1"><div id="§intel" class="pencraft pc-reset header-anchor offset-top"></div><button tabindex="0" type="button" data-href="https://thechipletter.substack.com/i/139145891/intel" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft _iconButton2_1wc5i_678 _iconButtonBase_1wc5i_172 _buttonBase_1wc5i_1 _buttonNew_1wc5i_97 _size_sm_1wc5i_147 _priority_secondary_1wc5i_46"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="18" height="18" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-link"><path d="M10 13a5 5 0 0 0 7.54.54l3-3a5 5 0 0 0-7.07-7.07l-1.72 1.71"></path><path d="M14 11a5 5 0 0 0-7.54-.54l-3 3a5 5 0 0 0 7.07 7.07l1.71-1.71"></path></svg></button></div></div></h4><p><em>April 1974</em></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-imag" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM" rel><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"/><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg" width="1017" height="720" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:720,&quot;width&quot;:1017,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:124664,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"/></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption"></figcaption></figure></div><p><em>Used in : Altair 8800</em></p><p>Intel followed the 8008 with the code compatible 8080 in 1974, again designed under the supervision of Federico Faggin.</p><p>The 8080 ‘filled out’ gaps in the 8008’s instruction set and expanded addresses to 16-bit giving a maximum memory size of 64 KB. It moved to a 40-pin dual-in-line package, avoiding the need to multiplex address and data loads.</p><p><em>Notable facts : Microsoft’s first product, Microsoft BASIC, was written for the Intel 8080.</em></p><h4 class="header-anchor-post">Motorola MC 6800<div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-alignItems-center pc-position-absolute pc-reset header-anchor-parent"><div class="pencraft pc-display-contents pc-reset _pubTheme_16d2q_1"><div id="§motorola-mc" class="pencraft pc-reset header-anchor offset-top"></div><button tabindex="0" type="button" data-href="https://thechipletter.substack.com/i/139145891/motorola-mc" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft _iconButton2_1wc5i_678 _iconButtonBase_1wc5i_172 _buttonBase_1wc5i_1 _buttonNew_1wc5i_97 _size_sm_1wc5i_147 _priority_secondary_1wc5i_46"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="18" height="18" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-link"><path d="M10 13a5 5 0 0 0 7.54.54l3-3a5 5 0 0 0-7.07-7.07l-1.72 1.71"></path><path d="M14 11a5 5 0 0 0-7.54-.54l-3 3a5 5 0 0 0 7.07 7.07l1.71-1.71"></path></svg></button></div></div></h4><p><em>1974</em></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-imag" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc61a7e96-0036-46d3-8893-6fba65f55309_1575x975.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM" rel><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc61a7e96-0036-46d3-8893-6fba65f55309_1575x975.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc61a7e96-0036-46d3-8893-6fba65f55309_1575x975.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc61a7e96-0036-46d3-8893-6fba65f55309_1575x975.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc61a7e96-0036-46d3-8893-6fba65f55309_1575x975.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"/><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc61a7e96-0036-46d3-8893-6fba65f55309_1575x975.jpeg" width="1456" height="901" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/c61a7e96-0036-46d3-8893-6fba65f55309_1575x975.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:901,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:180702,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc61a7e96-0036-46d3-8893-6fba65f55309_1575x975.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc61a7e96-0036-46d3-8893-6fba65f55309_1575x975.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc61a7e96-0036-46d3-8893-6fba65f55309_1575x975.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc61a7e96-0036-46d3-8893-6fba65f55309_1575x975.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"/></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Motorola 6800 - By Swtpc6800 en:User:Swtpc6800 Michael Holley - Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10363668</figcaption></figure></div><p><em>Used in : many industrial applications.</em></p><p>Motorola’s entrant into the microprocessor market was the MC 6800. Unlike the 8008 and the 8080 it was a design built from scratch, although modelled somewhat after the PDP-11 minicomputer. It also took quite a different approach to the 8080, with fewer registers and a more ‘regular’ instruction set.</p><p><em>Quirks : The design supported Direct Memory Access for peripherals - the 6800’s access to the address bus could be disabled.</em></p><h4 class="header-anchor-post">Fairchild F8<div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-alignItems-center pc-position-absolute pc-reset header-anchor-parent"><div class="pencraft pc-display-contents pc-reset _pubTheme_16d2q_1"><div id="§fairchild-f" class="pencraft pc-reset header-anchor offset-top"></div><button tabindex="0" type="button" data-href="https://thechipletter.substack.com/i/139145891/fairchild-f" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft _iconButton2_1wc5i_678 _iconButtonBase_1wc5i_172 _buttonBase_1wc5i_1 _buttonNew_1wc5i_97 _size_sm_1wc5i_147 _priority_secondary_1wc5i_46"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="18" height="18" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-link"><path d="M10 13a5 5 0 0 0 7.54.54l3-3a5 5 0 0 0-7.07-7.07l-1.72 1.71"></path><path d="M14 11a5 5 0 0 0-7.54-.54l-3 3a5 5 0 0 0 7.07 7.07l1.71-1.71"></path></svg></button></div></div></h4><p><em>1974</em></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-imag" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2569e91f-b766-4fcb-8a22-ebacba0044d0_1317x681.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM" rel><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2569e91f-b766-4fcb-8a22-ebacba0044d0_1317x681.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2569e91f-b766-4fcb-8a22-ebacba0044d0_1317x681.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2569e91f-b766-4fcb-8a22-ebacba0044d0_1317x681.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2569e91f-b766-4fcb-8a22-ebacba0044d0_1317x681.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"/><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2569e91f-b766-4fcb-8a22-ebacba0044d0_1317x681.jpeg" width="1317" height="681" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/2569e91f-b766-4fcb-8a22-ebacba0044d0_1317x681.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:681,&quot;width&quot;:1317,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:112857,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2569e91f-b766-4fcb-8a22-ebacba0044d0_1317x681.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2569e91f-b766-4fcb-8a22-ebacba0044d0_1317x681.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2569e91f-b766-4fcb-8a22-ebacba0044d0_1317x681.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2569e91f-b766-4fcb-8a22-ebacba0044d0_1317x681.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"/></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></div></div></a></figure></div><p>If Motorola was the promising new entrant to the microprocessor market then Fairchild was the ‘fading star’, as the once pioneering company was gradually drained of talent. Most key employees had already left to start their own semiconductor companies, most notably of course Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore at Intel.</p><p>It’s debatable whether the F8 was really a microprocessor, as it needed two chips to deliver the functionality equivalent to a microprocessor like the Intel 8080 or Motorola 6800. It was left to ‘upstart’ Mostek to release a single chip version of the F8, the Mostek 3870.</p><h4 class="header-anchor-post">MOS Technology 6502<div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-alignItems-center pc-position-absolute pc-reset header-anchor-parent"><div class="pencraft pc-display-contents pc-reset _pubTheme_16d2q_1"><div id="§mos-technology" class="pencraft pc-reset header-anchor offset-top"></div><button tabindex="0" type="button" data-href="https://thechipletter.substack.com/i/139145891/mos-technology" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft _iconButton2_1wc5i_678 _iconButtonBase_1wc5i_172 _buttonBase_1wc5i_1 _buttonNew_1wc5i_97 _size_sm_1wc5i_147 _priority_secondary_1wc5i_46"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="18" height="18" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-link"><path d="M10 13a5 5 0 0 0 7.54.54l3-3a5 5 0 0 0-7.07-7.07l-1.72 1.71"></path><path d="M14 11a5 5 0 0 0-7.54-.54l-3 3a5 5 0 0 0 7.07 7.07l1.71-1.71"></path></svg></button></div></div></h4><p><em>1975</em></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-imag" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4cd1b64c-00cd-4612-975e-d4941d1ecab9_971x1080.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM" rel><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4cd1b64c-00cd-4612-975e-d4941d1ecab9_971x1080.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4cd1b64c-00cd-4612-975e-d4941d1ecab9_971x1080.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4cd1b64c-00cd-4612-975e-d4941d1ecab9_971x1080.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4cd1b64c-00cd-4612-975e-d4941d1ecab9_971x1080.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"/><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4cd1b64c-00cd-4612-975e-d4941d1ecab9_971x1080.jpeg" width="971" height="1080" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/4cd1b64c-00cd-4612-975e-d4941d1ecab9_971x1080.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1080,&quot;width&quot;:971,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:619297,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4cd1b64c-00cd-4612-975e-d4941d1ecab9_971x1080.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4cd1b64c-00cd-4612-975e-d4941d1ecab9_971x1080.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4cd1b64c-00cd-4612-975e-d4941d1ecab9_971x1080.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4cd1b64c-00cd-4612-975e-d4941d1ecab9_971x1080.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"/></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></div></div></a></figure></div><p><em>Used in : Apple II, Commodore PET, BBC Micro, Commodore 64 and many more (sometimes derivatives of the 6502).</em></p><p>After Motorola made a promising entry with the 6800, much of the team behind that design soon moved on to MOS Technology, where they designed the 6502.</p><p>The 6502 used the team’s experience in developing the 6800 but refined the approach to create a design that was both more elegant and could be made more cheaply than the 6800.</p><p>For me the 6502 is the iconic design of the 8-bit era. It was an elegant, spare design. Crucially, its low price enabled a new generation of affordable computers from the Apple II to the Commodore PET to the BBC Micro that, quite simply, changed the world.</p><p>I’ve written about the 6502 before, with ‘65 Reasons to Celebrate the 6502’.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://thechipletter.substack.com/p/65-reasons-to-celebrate-the-6502" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM" rel><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd6dd768c-a339-4fef-8705-3c09abd03eed_1584x998.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd6dd768c-a339-4fef-8705-3c09abd03eed_1584x998.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd6dd768c-a339-4fef-8705-3c09abd03eed_1584x998.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd6dd768c-a339-4fef-8705-3c09abd03eed_1584x998.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"/><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd6dd768c-a339-4fef-8705-3c09abd03eed_1584x998.jpeg" width="1456" height="917" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/d6dd768c-a339-4fef-8705-3c09abd03eed_1584x998.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:917,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:78406,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https://thechipletter.substack.com/p/65-reasons-to-celebrate-the-6502&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd6dd768c-a339-4fef-8705-3c09abd03eed_1584x998.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd6dd768c-a339-4fef-8705-3c09abd03eed_1584x998.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd6dd768c-a339-4fef-8705-3c09abd03eed_1584x998.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd6dd768c-a339-4fef-8705-3c09abd03eed_1584x998.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"/></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><h4 class="header-anchor-post">Zilog Z80<div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-alignItems-center pc-position-absolute pc-reset header-anchor-parent"><div class="pencraft pc-display-contents pc-reset _pubTheme_16d2q_1"><div id="§zilog-z" class="pencraft pc-reset header-anchor offset-top"></div><button tabindex="0" type="button" data-href="https://thechipletter.substack.com/i/139145891/zilog-z" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft _iconButton2_1wc5i_678 _iconButtonBase_1wc5i_172 _buttonBase_1wc5i_1 _buttonNew_1wc5i_97 _size_sm_1wc5i_147 _priority_secondary_1wc5i_46"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="18" height="18" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-link"><path d="M10 13a5 5 0 0 0 7.54.54l3-3a5 5 0 0 0-7.07-7.07l-1.72 1.71"></path><path d="M14 11a5 5 0 0 0-7.54-.54l-3 3a5 5 0 0 0 7.07 7.07l1.71-1.71"></path></svg></button></div></div></h4><p><em>March 1976</em></p><p></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-imag" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9d0e303f-e419-4474-a2f5-0416c6e9b9ed_588x324.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM" rel><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9d0e303f-e419-4474-a2f5-0416c6e9b9ed_588x324.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9d0e303f-e419-4474-a2f5-0416c6e9b9ed_588x324.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9d0e303f-e419-4474-a2f5-0416c6e9b9ed_588x324.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9d0e303f-e419-4474-a2f5-0416c6e9b9ed_588x324.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"/><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9d0e303f-e419-4474-a2f5-0416c6e9b9ed_588x324.jpeg" width="588" height="324" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/9d0e303f-e419-4474-a2f5-0416c6e9b9ed_588x324.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:324,&quot;width&quot;:588,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:15758,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9d0e303f-e419-4474-a2f5-0416c6e9b9ed_588x324.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9d0e303f-e419-4474-a2f5-0416c6e9b9ed_588x324.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9d0e303f-e419-4474-a2f5-0416c6e9b9ed_588x324.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9d0e303f-e419-4474-a2f5-0416c6e9b9ed_588x324.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"/></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Zilog Z80 - Damicatz, CC BY 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1830432</figcaption></figure></div><p><em>Used in : Tandy TRS-80, Sinclair ZX81, Sinclair ZX Spectrum, MSX and many CP/M compatible computers of the 1970s</em></p><p>Having fallen out with Andy Grove at Intel, Federico Faggin started Zilog, with a focus on building microprocessors, in 1975. The Z80 was an updated version of the Intel 8080. It was code compatible but added more registers and addressing modes.</p><p>If Faggin wanted to demonstrate what Intel had lost with his departure, then the Z80 made his point very clearly. It outclassed Intel’s 8085 update of the 8080 in almost every way: it was faster, had a more versatile instruction set and was easier for hardware designers to use in their computers. </p><p><em>Quirks : The Z80’s 8-bit arithmetic was implemented by using a 4-bit arithmetic and logic unit.</em></p><h4 class="header-anchor-post">National Semiconductor SC/MP<div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-alignItems-center pc-position-absolute pc-reset header-anchor-parent"><div class="pencraft pc-display-contents pc-reset _pubTheme_16d2q_1"><div id="§national-semiconductor-scmp" class="pencraft pc-reset header-anchor offset-top"></div><button tabindex="0" type="button" data-href="https://thechipletter.substack.com/i/139145891/national-semiconductor-scmp" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft _iconButton2_1wc5i_678 _iconButtonBase_1wc5i_172 _buttonBase_1wc5i_1 _buttonNew_1wc5i_97 _size_sm_1wc5i_147 _priority_secondary_1wc5i_46"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="18" height="18" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-link"><path d="M10 13a5 5 0 0 0 7.54.54l3-3a5 5 0 0 0-7.07-7.07l-1.72 1.71"></path><path d="M14 11a5 5 0 0 0-7.54-.54l-3 3a5 5 0 0 0 7.07 7.07l1.71-1.71"></path></svg></button></div></div></h4><p><em>April 1976</em></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-imag" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F913ef723-c61a-46e3-ab39-17ae3cb4d795_653x595.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM" rel><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F913ef723-c61a-46e3-ab39-17ae3cb4d795_653x595.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F913ef723-c61a-46e3-ab39-17ae3cb4d795_653x595.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F913ef723-c61a-46e3-ab39-17ae3cb4d795_653x595.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F913ef723-c61a-46e3-ab39-17ae3cb4d795_653x595.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"/><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F913ef723-c61a-46e3-ab39-17ae3cb4d795_653x595.jpeg" width="653" height="595" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/913ef723-c61a-46e3-ab39-17ae3cb4d795_653x595.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:595,&quot;width&quot;:653,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:122333,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F913ef723-c61a-46e3-ab39-17ae3cb4d795_653x595.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F913ef723-c61a-46e3-ab39-17ae3cb4d795_653x595.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F913ef723-c61a-46e3-ab39-17ae3cb4d795_653x595.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F913ef723-c61a-46e3-ab39-17ae3cb4d795_653x595.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"/></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">National Semiconductor SC/MP Die Shot - Wosch21149, CC BY-SA 3.0 &lt;https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons</figcaption></figure></div><p><em><span>Used in : </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MK14" rel>Science of Cambridge (later Sinclair Research) MK14</a><span> Single Board Computer</span></em></p><p>The SC/MP for “Simple Cost-effective Micro Processor” was pronounced ‘SCAMP&quot;‘.</p><p><em>Quirks : The program counter was only 12-bits and moving from one 4KB ‘page’ to another needed special instructions.</em></p><h4 class="header-anchor-post">Motorola 6809<div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-alignItems-center pc-position-absolute pc-reset header-anchor-parent"><div class="pencraft pc-display-contents pc-reset _pubTheme_16d2q_1"><div id="§motorola" class="pencraft pc-reset header-anchor offset-top"></div><button tabindex="0" type="button" data-href="https://thechipletter.substack.com/i/139145891/motorola" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft _iconButton2_1wc5i_678 _iconButtonBase_1wc5i_172 _buttonBase_1wc5i_1 _buttonNew_1wc5i_97 _size_sm_1wc5i_147 _priority_secondary_1wc5i_46"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="18" height="18" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-link"><path d="M10 13a5 5 0 0 0 7.54.54l3-3a5 5 0 0 0-7.07-7.07l-1.72 1.71"></path><path d="M14 11a5 5 0 0 0-7.54-.54l-3 3a5 5 0 0 0 7.07 7.07l1.71-1.71"></path></svg></button></div></div></h4><p><em>1978</em></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-imag" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F34b4c53a-da08-4517-ac31-eba30423236d_1086x1080.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM" rel><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F34b4c53a-da08-4517-ac31-eba30423236d_1086x1080.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F34b4c53a-da08-4517-ac31-eba30423236d_1086x1080.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F34b4c53a-da08-4517-ac31-eba30423236d_1086x1080.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F34b4c53a-da08-4517-ac31-eba30423236d_1086x1080.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"/><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F34b4c53a-da08-4517-ac31-eba30423236d_1086x1080.jpeg" width="1086" height="1080" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/34b4c53a-da08-4517-ac31-eba30423236d_1086x1080.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1080,&quot;width&quot;:1086,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:588498,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F34b4c53a-da08-4517-ac31-eba30423236d_1086x1080.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F34b4c53a-da08-4517-ac31-eba30423236d_1086x1080.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F34b4c53a-da08-4517-ac31-eba30423236d_1086x1080.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F34b4c53a-da08-4517-ac31-eba30423236d_1086x1080.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"/></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Motorola 6809 Die Shot - Pauli Rautakorpi, CC BY 3.0 &lt;https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons</figcaption></figure></div><p><em>Used in : Tandy Color Computer, Dragon 32</em></p><p>The 6809 was the last of the ‘classic’ 8-bit microprocessors, used in home and small business computers of the 1970s and early 1980s. It was backwards compatible with the 6800 but added more instructions.</p><div><hr/></div><p>By 1978 the first 16-bit designs such as the 8086 had started to appear. The ‘8-bit era’ was coming to an end.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p>The Chip Letter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><div data-component-name="SubscribeWidget" class="subscribe-widget"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-justifyContent-center pc-reset"><div class="_container_11q5m_1"><form action="/api/v1/free?nojs=true" method="post" novalidate class="form _form_11q5m_6"><input type="hidden" name="first_url" value/><input type="hidden" name="first_referrer" value/><input type="hidden" name="current_url"/><input type="hidden" name="current_referrer"/><input type="hidden" name="referral_code"/><input type="hidden" name="source" value="subscribe-widget-preamble"/><input type="hidden" name="referring_pub_id"/><input type="hidden" name="additional_referring_pub_ids"/><div class="_sideBySideWrap_11q5m_10"><div class="_emailInputWrapper_11q5m_57"><input type="email" name="email" placeholder="Type your email..." class="pencraft _emailInput_11q5m_23"/></div><button tabindex="0" type="submit" class="button rightButton primary subscribe-btn _button_11q5m_76"><span class="button-text ">Subscribe</span></button></div><div id="error-container"></div></form></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="visibility-check"></div><div class="post-footer"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-16 pc-paddingTop-16 pc-paddingBottom-16 pc-justifyContent-space-between pc-alignItems-center _flexGrow_1yrbq_302 pc-reset _border-top-detail-themed_1yrbq_47 _border-bottom-detail-themed_1yrbq_50 post-ufi"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><div class="like-button-container post-ufi-button style-button"><a role="button" aria-label="Like (27)" aria-pressed="false" class="post-ufi-button style-button has-label with-border"><svg role="img" style="height:20px;width:20px;" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="#000000" stroke-width="2" stroke="#000" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="icon"><g><title></title><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-heart"><path d="M19 14c1.49-1.46 3-3.21 3-5.5A5.5 5.5 0 0 0 16.5 3c-1.76 0-3 .5-4.5 2-1.5-1.5-2.74-2-4.5-2A5.5 5.5 0 0 0 2 8.5c0 2.3 1.5 4.05 3 5.5l7 7Z"></path></svg></g></svg><div class="label">27</div></a><div inert role="dialog" class="modal typography out gone share-dialog popup"><div class="modal-table"><div class="modal-row"><div class="modal-cell modal-content no-fullscreen"><div class="container"><button tabindex="0" type="button" data-testid="close-modal" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft modal-btn modal-exit-btn no-margin _iconButton2_1wc5i_678 _iconButtonBase_1wc5i_172 _buttonBase_1wc5i_1 _buttonNew_1wc5i_97 _size_md_1wc5i_155 _priority_tertiary_1wc5i_83"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="secondary" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-x"><path d="M18 6 6 18"></path><path d="m6 6 12 12"></path></svg></button><div class="pencraft pc-display-contents pc-reset _pubTheme_16d2q_1"><div class="pencraft pc-display-contents pc-reset _elevatedTheme_jpget_1"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-gap-24 pc-padding-24 pc-reset _bg-primary_1yrbq_189 _border-detail_1yrbq_25 pc-borderRadius-md _container_1xu3k_8"><h4 class="pencraft _flexGrow_1yrbq_302 pc-reset _align-center_h3mln_13 _line-height-24_h3mln_83 _font-display_h3mln_103 _size-20_h3mln_59 _weight-bold_h3mln_151 _reset_h3mln_1">Share this post</h4><a href="https://substack.com/home/post/p-139145891?utm_campaign=post&amp;utm_medium=web" class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-gap-8 pc-reset _animate_1yrbq_199 _cursor-pointer_1yrbq_219"><div style="background:linear-gradient(180deg, rgba(47,46,42,0.75), rgba(47,46,42,0.75)), var(--color-dark-bg-secondary);" tabindex="0" draggable="false" class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-minWidth-0 pc-position-relative pc-reset _bg-secondary_1yrbq_192 _animate_1yrbq_199 pc-borderRadius-md _showFocus_1yrbq_72 _postAttachment_k1scs_563"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-reset _border-bottom-detail_1yrbq_31 _vibrantHeader_k1scs_607"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_424,h_222,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_520,h_272,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 520w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_848,h_444,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1040,h_545,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 1040w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1272,h_666,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,h_762,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 1456w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1560,h_817,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 1560w" sizes="520px"/><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_520,h_272,c_fill,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg" sizes="520px" alt srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_424,h_222,c_fill,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_520,h_272,c_fill,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 520w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_848,h_444,c_fill,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1040,h_545,c_fill,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 1040w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1272,h_666,c_fill,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,h_762,c_fill,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 1456w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1560,h_817,c_fill,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 1560w" width="520" draggable="false" class="_img_16u6n_1 _postImage_k1scs_611 _vibrantPostImage_k1scs_617 pencraft pc-reset"/></picture></div><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-12 pc-padding-12 pc-alignItems-center pc-reset"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-gap-2 pc-minWidth-0 _flexGrow_1yrbq_302 pc-reset"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-paddingBottom-4 pc-alignItems-center pc-reset"><div draggable="false" class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-position-relative pc-reset"><div style="width:18px;height:18px;" class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-reset _bg-white_1yrbq_295 pc-borderRadius-xs _overflow-hidden_1yrbq_315 _sizing-border-box_1yrbq_349"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_36,h_36,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffe3b8c39-e578-48d7-9459-79948f1259eb_720x720.png"/><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_36,h_36,c_fill,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffe3b8c39-e578-48d7-9459-79948f1259eb_720x720.png" sizes="100vw" alt="The Chip Letter" width="36" height="36" style="width:18px;height:18px;" draggable="false" class="_img_16u6n_1 _object-fit-cover_16u6n_5 pencraft pc-reset"/></picture></div></div><div class="pencraft _flexGrow_1yrbq_302 pc-reset _ellipsis_1yrbq_343 _color-vibrance-secondary_h3mln_229 _line-height-20_h3mln_80 _font-text_h3mln_106 _size-13_h3mln_39 _weight-regular_h3mln_142 _nowrap_h3mln_249 _reset_h3mln_1">The Chip Letter</div></div><div class="pencraft pc-reset _color-vibrance-primary_h3mln_226 _line-height-20_h3mln_80 _font-text_h3mln_106 _size-15_h3mln_47 _weight-medium_h3mln_145 _clamp_h3mln_254 _clamp-2_h3mln_263 _reset_h3mln_1">The Virtues Of The 8-Bit Era : Eight Iconic Processor Designs</div></div></div></div></a><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-gap-16 pc-reset"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-justifyContent-space-between pc-reset"><a class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-gap-8 pc-width-64 pc-alignItems-center pc-reset _cursor-pointer_1yrbq_219 _button_qtdwu_1"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-width-64 pc-height-64 pc-justifyContent-center pc-alignItems-center pc-reset _bg-secondary_1yrbq_192 _animate_1yrbq_199 pc-borderRadius-lg _icon_qtdwu_4"><svg role="img" style="height:20px;width:20px;" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="2" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M7.50008 14.1666H5.83341C4.72835 14.1666 3.66854 13.7276 2.88714 12.9462C2.10573 12.1648 1.66675 11.105 1.66675 9.99992C1.66675 8.89485 2.10573 7.83504 2.88714 7.05364C3.66854 6.27224 4.72835 5.83325 5.83341 5.83325H7.50008M12.5001 5.83325H14.1667C15.2718 5.83325 16.3316 6.27224 17.113 7.05364C17.8944 7.83504 18.3334 8.89485 18.3334 9.99992C18.3334 11.105 17.8944 12.1648 17.113 12.9462C16.3316 13.7276 15.2718 14.1666 14.1667 14.1666H12.5001M6.66675 9.99992H13.3334"></path></g></svg></div><div class="pencraft pc-reset _color-primary_h3mln_166 _line-height-20_h3mln_80 _font-text_h3mln_106 _size-11_h3mln_31 _weight-semibold_h3mln_148 _reset_h3mln_1">Copy link</div></a><a class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-gap-8 pc-width-64 pc-alignItems-center pc-reset _cursor-pointer_1yrbq_219 _button_qtdwu_1"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-width-64 pc-height-64 pc-justifyContent-center pc-alignItems-center pc-reset _bg-secondary_1yrbq_192 _animate_1yrbq_199 pc-borderRadius-lg _icon_qtdwu_4"><svg role="img" style="height:20px;width:20px;" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-width="1.8" stroke="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path stroke="none" d="M20 10C20 4.47715 15.5229 0 10 0C4.47715 0 0 4.47715 0 10C0 14.9912 3.65684 19.1283 8.4375 19.8785V12.8906H5.89844V10H8.4375V7.79688C8.4375 5.29063 9.93047 3.90625 12.2146 3.90625C13.3084 3.90625 14.4531 4.10156 14.4531 4.10156V6.5625H13.1922C11.95 6.5625 11.5625 7.3334 11.5625 8.125V10H14.3359L13.8926 12.8906H11.5625V19.8785C16.3432 19.1283 20 14.9912 20 10Z"></path></g></svg></div><div class="pencraft pc-reset _color-primary_h3mln_166 _line-height-20_h3mln_80 _font-text_h3mln_106 _size-11_h3mln_31 _weight-semibold_h3mln_148 _reset_h3mln_1">Facebook</div></a><a class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-gap-8 pc-width-64 pc-alignItems-center pc-reset _cursor-pointer_1yrbq_219 _button_qtdwu_1"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-width-64 pc-height-64 pc-justifyContent-center pc-alignItems-center pc-reset _bg-secondary_1yrbq_192 _animate_1yrbq_199 pc-borderRadius-lg _icon_qtdwu_4"><svg role="img" style="height:20px;width:20px;" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-width="1.8" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path stroke="none" d="M9.9958 11.0646C10.2693 11.0646 10.5346 10.9569 10.7915 10.7248L19.0717 3.431C18.6241 3.13262 18.1102 3 17.3974 3H2.60257C1.88976 3 1.37587 3.13262 0.920011 3.431L9.20011 10.7248C9.46534 10.9569 9.73057 11.0646 9.9958 11.0646ZM0.215499 15.9465L6.34893 9.82137L0.198922 4.40075C0.107749 4.5748 0 4.99751 0 5.56941V14.7199C0 15.2503 0.0828842 15.6316 0.215499 15.9465ZM2.35391 17.2892H17.646C18.2511 17.2892 18.7235 17.14 19.0385 16.9245L12.731 10.6171L11.5209 11.6945C11.0402 12.1173 10.518 12.3328 9.9958 12.3328C9.48197 12.3328 8.95975 12.1173 8.47905 11.6945L7.26894 10.6171L0.961455 16.9245C1.27642 17.14 1.74057 17.2892 2.35391 17.2892ZM19.7844 15.9465C19.9088 15.6316 20 15.2503 20 14.7199V5.56941C20 4.99751 19.8922 4.5748 19.8011 4.40075L13.651 9.82137L19.7844 15.9465Z"></path></g></svg></div><div class="pencraft pc-reset _color-primary_h3mln_166 _line-height-20_h3mln_80 _font-text_h3mln_106 _size-11_h3mln_31 _weight-semibold_h3mln_148 _reset_h3mln_1">Email</div></a><a class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-gap-8 pc-width-64 pc-alignItems-center pc-reset _cursor-pointer_1yrbq_219 _button_qtdwu_1"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-width-64 pc-height-64 pc-justifyContent-center pc-alignItems-center pc-reset _bg-secondary_1yrbq_192 _animate_1yrbq_199 pc-borderRadius-lg _icon_qtdwu_4"><svg role="img" style="height:20px;width:20px;" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-width="1.8" stroke="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M1.96484 0.624512H18.0354V2.70052H1.96484V0.624512Z" stroke="none"></path><path d="M1.96484 4.77655H18.0354V6.85254H1.96484V4.77655Z" stroke="none"></path><path d="M1.96484 8.92857V19.9505L10.0001 14.6347L18.0354 19.9505V8.92857H1.96484Z" stroke="none"></path></g></svg></div><div class="pencraft pc-reset _color-primary_h3mln_166 _line-height-20_h3mln_80 _font-text_h3mln_106 _size-11_h3mln_31 _weight-semibold_h3mln_148 _reset_h3mln_1">Notes</div></a><a id="trigger366293" aria-expanded="false" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-controls="dialog366294" ariaLabel="View more" class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-gap-8 pc-width-64 pc-alignItems-center pc-reset _cursor-pointer_1yrbq_219 _button_qtdwu_1"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-width-64 pc-height-64 pc-justifyContent-center pc-alignItems-center pc-reset _bg-secondary_1yrbq_192 _animate_1yrbq_199 pc-borderRadius-lg _icon_qtdwu_4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-ellipsis"><circle cx="12" cy="12" r="1"></circle><circle cx="19" cy="12" r="1"></circle><circle cx="5" cy="12" r="1"></circle></svg></div><div class="pencraft pc-reset _color-primary_h3mln_166 _line-height-20_h3mln_80 _font-text_h3mln_106 _size-11_h3mln_31 _weight-semibold_h3mln_148 _reset_h3mln_1">More</div></a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><a role="button" href="https://thechipletter.substack.com/p/the-virtues-of-the-8-bit-era-eight/comments" aria-label="View comments (23)" class="post-ufi-button style-button post-ufi-comment-button has-label with-border"><svg role="img" style="height:20px;width:20px;" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="#000000" stroke-width="2" stroke="#000" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="icon"><g><title></title><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-message-circle"><path d="M7.9 20A9 9 0 1 0 4 16.1L2 22Z"></path></svg></g></svg><div class="label">23</div></a><a role="button" aria-label="View repost options" class="post-ufi-button style-button has-label with-border"><svg role="img" style="height:20px;width:20px;" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke-width="2" stroke="#000" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="icon"><g><title></title><path d="M21 3V8M21 8H16M21 8L18 5.29962C16.7056 4.14183 15.1038 3.38328 13.3879 3.11547C11.6719 2.84766 9.9152 3.08203 8.32951 3.79031C6.74382 4.49858 5.39691 5.65051 4.45125 7.10715C3.5056 8.5638 3.00158 10.2629 3 11.9996M3 21V16M3 16H8M3 16L6 18.7C7.29445 19.8578 8.89623 20.6163 10.6121 20.8841C12.3281 21.152 14.0848 20.9176 15.6705 20.2093C17.2562 19.501 18.6031 18.3491 19.5487 16.8925C20.4944 15.4358 20.9984 13.7367 21 12" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"></path></g></svg><div class="label">1</div></a></div><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><a role="button" href="javascript:void(0)" aria-label="View share options" class="post-ufi-button style-button no-icon has-label with-border"><div class="label">Share</div></a></div></div></div><div class="pencraft pc-display-contents pc-reset _pubTheme_16d2q_1"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-paddingTop-16 pc-paddingBottom-16 pc-justifyContent-space-between pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft _buttonBase_1wc5i_1 _button_1wc5i_1 _buttonNew_1wc5i_97 _button2_1wc5i_137 _priority_secondary_1wc5i_46 _size_md_1wc5i_155"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-arrow-left"><path d="m12 19-7-7 7-7"></path><path d="M19 12H5"></path></svg>Previous</button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft _buttonBase_1wc5i_1 _button_1wc5i_1 _buttonNew_1wc5i_97 _button2_1wc5i_137 _priority_secondary_1wc5i_46 _size_md_1wc5i_155">Next<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-arrow-right"><path d="M5 12h14"></path><path d="m12 5 7 7-7 7"></path></svg></button></div></div></div></article></div></div><div class="visibility-check"></div><div id="discussion" class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-gap-16 pc-paddingTop-32 pc-paddingBottom-32 pc-reset"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-gap-32 pc-reset container"><h4 class="pencraft pc-reset _line-height-24_h3mln_83 _font-display_h3mln_103 _size-20_h3mln_59 _weight-bold_h3mln_151 _reset_h3mln_1">Discussion about this post</h4><div class="pencraft pc-display-contents pc-reset _pubTheme_16d2q_1"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-padding-4 pc-position-relative pc-reset _bg-secondary_1yrbq_192 pc-borderRadius-full _tabBar_1hroo_1 _segments_18trq_55"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-height-32 pc-paddingLeft-12 pc-paddingRight-12 pc-justifyContent-center pc-alignItems-center pc-reset _bg-unset_1yrbq_232 _animate_1yrbq_199 _cursor-pointer_1yrbq_219 _outline-none_1yrbq_64 _border-unset_1yrbq_21 pc-borderRadius-full _sizing-border-box_1yrbq_349 _showFocus_1yrbq_72 pencraft _segment_18trq_55 _active_18trq_26"><div class="pencraft pc-reset _line-height-20_h3mln_80 _font-text_h3mln_106 _size-14_h3mln_43 _weight-semibold_h3mln_148 _reset_h3mln_1 _segmentText_18trq_65 _active_18trq_26">Comments</div></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-height-32 pc-paddingLeft-12 pc-paddingRight-12 pc-justifyContent-center pc-alignItems-center pc-reset _bg-unset_1yrbq_232 _animate_1yrbq_199 _cursor-pointer_1yrbq_219 _outline-none_1yrbq_64 _border-unset_1yrbq_21 pc-borderRadius-full _sizing-border-box_1yrbq_349 _showFocus_1yrbq_72 pencraft _segment_18trq_55"><div class="pencraft pc-reset _line-height-20_h3mln_80 _font-text_h3mln_106 _size-14_h3mln_43 _weight-semibold_h3mln_148 _reset_h3mln_1 _segmentText_18trq_65">Restacks</div></button><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-height-32 pc-boxShadow-sm pc-position-absolute pc-reset _bg-primary_1yrbq_189 pc-borderRadius-full _segmentPill_18trq_80"></div></div></div></div><div class="single-post-section comments-section"><div class="container"><div class="visibility-check"></div><div class="pencraft pc-display-contents pc-reset _pubTheme_16d2q_1"><div data-test-id="comment-input" class="pencraft pc-display-flex _flexGrow_1yrbq_302 pc-reset comment-input-wrap"><form method="post" novalidate class="form comment-input"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_64,h_64,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack.com%2Fimg%2Favatars%2Flogged-out.png"/><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_64,h_64,c_fill,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack.com%2Fimg%2Favatars%2Flogged-out.png" sizes="100vw" alt width="64" height="64" style="width:32px;height:32px;" draggable="false" class="_img_16u6n_1 _avatar_1c7wr_1 pencraft pc-reset pc-borderRadius-full _sizing-border-box_1yrbq_349 _object-fit-cover_16u6n_5 pencraft pc-reset"/></picture><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column _flexGrow_1yrbq_302 pc-reset comment-input-right"><textarea data-gramm="false" data-gramm_editor="false" data-enable-grammarly="false" name="body" placeholder="Write a comment..."></textarea><div id="error-container"></div><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-paddingTop-8 pc-justifyContent-space-between pc-alignItems-center pc-reset"></div></div></form></div></div><div class="comment-list post-page-root-comment-list"><div class="comment-list-items"><div class="comment"><div id="comment-44300617" class="comment-anchor"></div><div id="comment-44300617-reply" class="comment-anchor"></div><table class="comment-content"><tr><td class="comment-head"><div class="profile-hover-card-target _profileHoverCardTarget_c9bh7_50"><div class="user-head"><a href="https://substack.com/profile/55269436-frog-pozzle"><div class="profile-img-wrap"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_66,h_66,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdfdd2dad-d976-4635-83c1-c5cef7fffeb5_144x144.png"/><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_66,h_66,c_fill,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdfdd2dad-d976-4635-83c1-c5cef7fffeb5_144x144.png" sizes="100vw" alt width="66" height="66" class="_img_16u6n_1 pencraft pc-reset"/></picture></div></a></div></div></td><td class="comment-rest"><div class="comment-meta"><span class="commenter-name"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-4 pc-alignItems-center pc-reset pc-display-inline-flex"><div class="profile-hover-card-target _profileHoverCardTarget_c9bh7_50"><a href="https://substack.com/profile/55269436-frog-pozzle"><div class="pencraft pc-reset _color-pub-primary-text_h3mln_190 _line-height-20_h3mln_80 _font-text_h3mln_106 _size-13_h3mln_39 _weight-semibold_h3mln_148 _reset_h3mln_1">Frog Pozzle</div></a></div></div></span><a href="https://thechipletter.substack.com/p/the-virtues-of-the-8-bit-era-eight/comment/44300617" rel="nofollow" native class="comment-timestamp">Nov 26, 2023</a><span class="highlight"><svg role="img" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="#000000" stroke-width="1.8" stroke="#000" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M20.4134 4.58753C19.9121 4.08434 19.3164 3.68508 18.6606 3.41266C18.0047 3.14023 17.3015 3 16.5914 3C15.8812 3 15.178 3.14023 14.5222 3.41266C13.8663 3.68508 13.2707 4.08434 12.7694 4.58753L12 5.36717L11.2306 4.58753C10.7293 4.08434 10.1337 3.68508 9.47781 3.41266C8.82195 3.14023 8.11878 3 7.40863 3C6.69847 3 5.9953 3.14023 5.33944 3.41266C4.68358 3.68508 4.08793 4.08434 3.58665 4.58753C1.46832 6.70656 1.33842 10.2849 4.00631 13.0037L12 21L19.9937 13.0037C22.6616 10.2849 22.5317 6.70656 20.4134 4.58753Z"></path></g></svg><span class="highlight-text">Liked by Babbage</span></span></div><div class="comment-body"><p><span>That poll widget is terrible — I can’t tell whether I was allowed to vote in the poll or not, or whether I did vote — I am a subscriber, but the poll is grayed out. I touched it (I’m on an iPad), and it immediately went to the results, and I have no idea whether my vote was registered or ignored. It seems to be indicating I voted for the Intel 8-bits, which was not what I wanted to vote for, but I can’t really tell.</span></p><p><span>For what it’s worth: IMHO, enough has been written (in incredible detail) elsewhere about the Intel 8008 and derivatives; I’d prefer to see a deep dive on any of the others. The 6809, F8, SC/MP all seem interesting. Z80 a bit less so, just because again it’s a very widely covered/emulated CPU.</span></p><div role="button" class="show-all-toggle"><div class="show-all-toggle-label">Expand full comment</div></div></div><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-16 pc-paddingTop-8 pc-justifyContent-flex-start pc-alignItems-center pc-reset comment-actions _withShareButton_mhaex_5"><span class="pencraft pc-reset _decoration-hover-underline_h3mln_293 _reset_h3mln_1"><a class="pencraft pc-reset _link_mhaex_1 _link_j0ft8_1"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-6 pc-alignItems-center pc-reset"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="16" height="16" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="var(--color-secondary-themed)" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-message-circle"><path d="M7.9 20A9 9 0 1 0 4 16.1L2 22Z"></path></svg><div class="pencraft pc-reset _color-pub-secondary-text_h3mln_193 _line-height-20_h3mln_80 _font-meta_h3mln_115 _size-11_h3mln_31 _weight-medium_h3mln_145 _transform-uppercase_h3mln_237 _reset_h3mln_1 _meta_h3mln_437">Reply</div></div></a></span><span class="pencraft pc-reset _decoration-hover-underline_h3mln_293 _reset_h3mln_1"><a class="pencraft pc-reset _link_mhaex_1 _link_j0ft8_1"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-6 pc-alignItems-center pc-reset"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="16" height="16" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="var(--color-secondary-themed)" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-share"><path d="M4 12v8a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h12a2 2 0 0 0 2-2v-8"></path><polyline points="16 6 12 2 8 6"></polyline><line x1="12" x2="12" y1="2" y2="15"></line></svg><div class="pencraft pc-reset _color-pub-secondary-text_h3mln_193 _line-height-20_h3mln_80 _font-meta_h3mln_115 _size-11_h3mln_31 _weight-medium_h3mln_145 _transform-uppercase_h3mln_237 _reset_h3mln_1 _meta_h3mln_437">Share</div></div></a></span><button tabindex="0" type="button" id="trigger366299" aria-expanded="false" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-controls="dialog366300" ariaLabel="View more" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft _iconButton_1wc5i_172 _iconButtonBase_1wc5i_172 _buttonBase_1wc5i_1 _buttonOldColors_1wc5i_70 _priority_secondary-theme_1wc5i_280 _fill_empty_1wc5i_370"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="16" height="16" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-ellipsis"><circle cx="12" cy="12" r="1"></circle><circle cx="19" cy="12" r="1"></circle><circle cx="5" cy="12" r="1"></circle></svg></button></div></td></tr></table><div class="more-replies-container"><a href="https://thechipletter.substack.com/p/the-virtues-of-the-8-bit-era-eight/comment/44300617" class="more-replies">3 replies by Babbage and others</a></div><div class="comment-list-collapser"><div class="comment-list-collapser-line"></div></div></div><div class="comment"><div id="comment-44771570" class="comment-anchor"></div><div id="comment-44771570-reply" class="comment-anchor"></div><table class="comment-content"><tr><td class="comment-head"><div class="profile-hover-card-target _profileHoverCardTarget_c9bh7_50"><div class="user-head"><a href="https://substack.com/profile/186986093-moerre"><div class="profile-img-wrap"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_66,h_66,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack.com%2Fimg%2Favatars%2Fgreen.png"/><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_66,h_66,c_fill,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack.com%2Fimg%2Favatars%2Fgreen.png" sizes="100vw" alt width="66" height="66" class="_img_16u6n_1 pencraft pc-reset"/></picture></div></a></div></div></td><td class="comment-rest"><div class="comment-meta"><span class="commenter-name"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-4 pc-alignItems-center pc-reset pc-display-inline-flex"><div class="profile-hover-card-target _profileHoverCardTarget_c9bh7_50"><a href="https://substack.com/profile/186986093-moerre"><div class="pencraft pc-reset _color-pub-primary-text_h3mln_190 _line-height-20_h3mln_80 _font-text_h3mln_106 _size-13_h3mln_39 _weight-semibold_h3mln_148 _reset_h3mln_1">Moerre</div></a></div></div></span><a href="https://thechipletter.substack.com/p/the-virtues-of-the-8-bit-era-eight/comment/44771570" rel="nofollow" native class="comment-timestamp">Dec 4, 2023</a><span class="highlight"><svg role="img" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="#000000" stroke-width="1.8" stroke="#000" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M20.4134 4.58753C19.9121 4.08434 19.3164 3.68508 18.6606 3.41266C18.0047 3.14023 17.3015 3 16.5914 3C15.8812 3 15.178 3.14023 14.5222 3.41266C13.8663 3.68508 13.2707 4.08434 12.7694 4.58753L12 5.36717L11.2306 4.58753C10.7293 4.08434 10.1337 3.68508 9.47781 3.41266C8.82195 3.14023 8.11878 3 7.40863 3C6.69847 3 5.9953 3.14023 5.33944 3.41266C4.68358 3.68508 4.08793 4.08434 3.58665 4.58753C1.46832 6.70656 1.33842 10.2849 4.00631 13.0037L12 21L19.9937 13.0037C22.6616 10.2849 22.5317 6.70656 20.4134 4.58753Z"></path></g></svg><span class="highlight-text">Liked by Babbage</span></span></div><div class="comment-body"><p><span>The Z80 was also big in at least the GDR (East Germany), not sure how many were exported to other East Bloc countries.</span></p><p><span>The GDR produced an unlicensed clone, the U880: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U880" target="_blank" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" class="linkified">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U880</a></span></p><p><span>It was the CPU for GDR-made computers like the KC 85 (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KC_85" target="_blank" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" class="linkified">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KC_85</a>) or the (office PC) PC1715 (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PC_1715" target="_blank" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" class="linkified">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PC_1715</a>).</span></p><div role="button" class="show-all-toggle"><div class="show-all-toggle-label">Expand full comment</div></div></div><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-16 pc-paddingTop-8 pc-justifyContent-flex-start pc-alignItems-center pc-reset comment-actions _withShareButton_mhaex_5"><span class="pencraft pc-reset _decoration-hover-underline_h3mln_293 _reset_h3mln_1"><a class="pencraft pc-reset _link_mhaex_1 _link_j0ft8_1"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-6 pc-alignItems-center pc-reset"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="16" height="16" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="var(--color-secondary-themed)" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-message-circle"><path d="M7.9 20A9 9 0 1 0 4 16.1L2 22Z"></path></svg><div class="pencraft pc-reset _color-pub-secondary-text_h3mln_193 _line-height-20_h3mln_80 _font-meta_h3mln_115 _size-11_h3mln_31 _weight-medium_h3mln_145 _transform-uppercase_h3mln_237 _reset_h3mln_1 _meta_h3mln_437">Reply</div></div></a></span><span class="pencraft pc-reset _decoration-hover-underline_h3mln_293 _reset_h3mln_1"><a class="pencraft pc-reset _link_mhaex_1 _link_j0ft8_1"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-6 pc-alignItems-center pc-reset"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="16" height="16" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="var(--color-secondary-themed)" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-share"><path d="M4 12v8a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h12a2 2 0 0 0 2-2v-8"></path><polyline points="16 6 12 2 8 6"></polyline><line x1="12" x2="12" y1="2" y2="15"></line></svg><div class="pencraft pc-reset _color-pub-secondary-text_h3mln_193 _line-height-20_h3mln_80 _font-meta_h3mln_115 _size-11_h3mln_31 _weight-medium_h3mln_145 _transform-uppercase_h3mln_237 _reset_h3mln_1 _meta_h3mln_437">Share</div></div></a></span><button tabindex="0" type="button" id="trigger366301" aria-expanded="false" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-controls="dialog366302" ariaLabel="View more" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft _iconButton_1wc5i_172 _iconButtonBase_1wc5i_172 _buttonBase_1wc5i_1 _buttonOldColors_1wc5i_70 _priority_secondary-theme_1wc5i_280 _fill_empty_1wc5i_370"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="16" height="16" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-ellipsis"><circle cx="12" cy="12" r="1"></circle><circle cx="19" cy="12" r="1"></circle><circle cx="5" cy="12" r="1"></circle></svg></button></div></td></tr></table><div class="comment-list-collapser"><div class="comment-list-collapser-line"></div></div></div></div></div><a href="https://thechipletter.substack.com/p/the-virtues-of-the-8-bit-era-eight/comments" class="more-comments">21 more comments...</a></div></div></div><div class="single-post-section"><div class="container"><div class="visibility-check"></div><div class="pencraft pc-display-contents pc-reset _pubTheme_16d2q_1"><div class="pencraft pc-paddingTop-24 pc-paddingBottom-24 pc-reset"><div class="portable-archive empty-list"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-paddingLeft-8 pc-paddingRight-8 pc-paddingBottom-16 pc-justifyContent-space-between pc-alignItems-center pc-reset"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-padding-4 pc-position-relative pc-reset _bg-secondary_1yrbq_192 pc-borderRadius-full _segments_18trq_55"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-height-32 pc-paddingLeft-12 pc-paddingRight-12 pc-justifyContent-center pc-alignItems-center pc-reset _bg-unset_1yrbq_232 _animate_1yrbq_199 _cursor-pointer_1yrbq_219 _outline-none_1yrbq_64 _border-unset_1yrbq_21 pc-borderRadius-full _sizing-border-box_1yrbq_349 _showFocus_1yrbq_72 pencraft _segment_18trq_55 _active_18trq_26"><div class="pencraft pc-reset _line-height-20_h3mln_80 _font-text_h3mln_106 _size-14_h3mln_43 _weight-semibold_h3mln_148 _reset_h3mln_1 _segmentText_18trq_65 _active_18trq_26">Top</div></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-height-32 pc-paddingLeft-12 pc-paddingRight-12 pc-justifyContent-center pc-alignItems-center pc-reset _bg-unset_1yrbq_232 _animate_1yrbq_199 _cursor-pointer_1yrbq_219 _outline-none_1yrbq_64 _border-unset_1yrbq_21 pc-borderRadius-full _sizing-border-box_1yrbq_349 _showFocus_1yrbq_72 pencraft _segment_18trq_55"><div class="pencraft pc-reset _line-height-20_h3mln_80 _font-text_h3mln_106 _size-14_h3mln_43 _weight-semibold_h3mln_148 _reset_h3mln_1 _segmentText_18trq_65">Latest</div></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-height-32 pc-paddingLeft-12 pc-paddingRight-12 pc-justifyContent-center pc-alignItems-center pc-reset _bg-unset_1yrbq_232 _animate_1yrbq_199 _cursor-pointer_1yrbq_219 _outline-none_1yrbq_64 _border-unset_1yrbq_21 pc-borderRadius-full _sizing-border-box_1yrbq_349 _showFocus_1yrbq_72 pencraft _segment_18trq_55"><div class="pencraft pc-reset _line-height-20_h3mln_80 _font-text_h3mln_106 _size-14_h3mln_43 _weight-semibold_h3mln_148 _reset_h3mln_1 _segmentText_18trq_65">Discussions</div></button><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-height-32 pc-boxShadow-sm pc-position-absolute pc-reset _bg-primary_1yrbq_189 pc-borderRadius-full _segmentPill_18trq_80"></div></div><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft _iconButton2_1wc5i_678 _iconButtonBase_1wc5i_172 _buttonBase_1wc5i_1 _buttonNew_1wc5i_97 _size_md_1wc5i_155 _priority_tertiary_1wc5i_83"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-search"><circle cx="11" cy="11" r="8"></circle><path d="m21 21-4.3-4.3"></path></svg></button></div><div class="portable-archive-list"><p class="portable-archive-empty">No posts</p></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="visibility-check"></div><div class="subscribe-footer"><div class="container"><p>Ready for more?</p><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-justifyContent-center pc-reset"><div><div class="_container_11q5m_1"><form action="/api/v1/free?nojs=true" method="post" novalidate class="form _form_11q5m_6"><input type="hidden" name="first_url" value/><input type="hidden" name="first_referrer" value/><input type="hidden" name="current_url"/><input type="hidden" name="current_referrer"/><input type="hidden" name="referral_code"/><input type="hidden" name="source" value="subscribe_footer"/><input type="hidden" name="referring_pub_id"/><input type="hidden" name="additional_referring_pub_ids"/><div class="_sideBySideWrap_11q5m_10"><div class="_emailInputWrapper_11q5m_57"><input type="email" name="email" placeholder="Type your email..." class="pencraft _emailInput_11q5m_23 _emailInputOnAccentBackground_11q5m_49"/></div><button tabindex="0" type="submit" class="button rightButton primary subscribe-btn _button_11q5m_76 _buttonOnAccentBackground_11q5m_89"><span class="button-text ">Subscribe</span></button></div><div id="error-container"></div></form></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="footer-wrap publication-footer"><div class="visibility-check"></div><div class="footer themed-background"><div class="container"><div class="footer-blurbs"><div class="footer-copyright-blurb">© 2024 The Chip Letter</div><div class="footer-terms-blurb"><a href="https://substack.com/privacy" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Privacy</a><span> ∙ </span><a href="https://substack.com/tos" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Terms</a><span> ∙ </span><a href="https://substack.com/ccpa#personal-data-collected" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Collection notice</a></div></div><div class="footer-buttons"><a native href="https://substack.com/signup?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=web&amp;utm_content=footer" class="footer-substack-cta start-publishing"><svg role="img" width="1000" height="1000" viewBox="0 0 1000 1000" fill="#FF6719" stroke-width="1.8" stroke="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M764.166 348.371H236.319V419.402H764.166V348.371Z"></path><path d="M236.319 483.752V813.999L500.231 666.512L764.19 813.999V483.752H236.319Z"></path><path d="M764.166 213H236.319V284.019H764.166V213Z"></path></g></svg> Start Writing</a><a native href="https://substack.com/app/app-store-redirect?utm_campaign=app-marketing&amp;utm_content=web-footer-button" class="footer-substack-cta get-the-app no-icon">Get the app</a></div><div translated class="pencraft pc-reset _reset_h3mln_1 footer-slogan-blurb"><a href="https://substack.com" native>Substack</a> is the home for great culture</div></div></div></div></div><div inert role="dialog" class="modal typography out gone share-dialog popup"><div class="modal-table"><div class="modal-row"><div class="modal-cell modal-content no-fullscreen"><div class="container"><button tabindex="0" type="button" data-testid="close-modal" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft modal-btn modal-exit-btn no-margin _iconButton2_1wc5i_678 _iconButtonBase_1wc5i_172 _buttonBase_1wc5i_1 _buttonNew_1wc5i_97 _size_md_1wc5i_155 _priority_tertiary_1wc5i_83"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="secondary" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-x"><path d="M18 6 6 18"></path><path d="m6 6 12 12"></path></svg></button><div class="pencraft pc-display-contents pc-reset _pubTheme_16d2q_1"><div class="pencraft pc-display-contents pc-reset _elevatedTheme_jpget_1"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-gap-24 pc-padding-24 pc-reset _bg-primary_1yrbq_189 _border-detail_1yrbq_25 pc-borderRadius-md _container_1xu3k_8"><h4 class="pencraft _flexGrow_1yrbq_302 pc-reset _align-center_h3mln_13 _line-height-24_h3mln_83 _font-display_h3mln_103 _size-20_h3mln_59 _weight-bold_h3mln_151 _reset_h3mln_1">Share</h4><a href class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-gap-8 pc-reset _animate_1yrbq_199 _cursor-pointer_1yrbq_219"><div class="pencraft pc-display-contents pc-reset _elevatedTheme_jpget_1"><div tabindex="0" rel="nofollow noopener ugc" target="_blank" draggable="false" class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-12 pc-padding-12 pc-position-relative pc-reset _bg-primary_1yrbq_189 _animate_1yrbq_199 pc-borderRadius-md _showFocus_1yrbq_72 _postAttachment_k1scs_563"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-gap-2 pc-minWidth-0 _flexGrow_1yrbq_302 pc-reset"><div class="pencraft pc-reset _color-primary_h3mln_166 _line-height-20_h3mln_80 _font-text_h3mln_106 _size-15_h3mln_47 _weight-medium_h3mln_145 _clamp_h3mln_254 _clamp-2_h3mln_263 _reset_h3mln_1"></div></div><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-width-64 pc-height-64 pc-justifyContent-center pc-alignItems-center pc-reset _bg-secondary_1yrbq_192 pc-borderRadius-md"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="var(--color-fg-secondary)" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-link"><path d="M10 13a5 5 0 0 0 7.54.54l3-3a5 5 0 0 0-7.07-7.07l-1.72 1.71"></path><path d="M14 11a5 5 0 0 0-7.54-.54l-3 3a5 5 0 0 0 7.07 7.07l1.71-1.71"></path></svg></div></div></div></a><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-gap-16 pc-reset"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-justifyContent-space-between pc-reset"><a class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-gap-8 pc-width-64 pc-alignItems-center pc-reset _cursor-pointer_1yrbq_219 _button_qtdwu_1"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-width-64 pc-height-64 pc-justifyContent-center pc-alignItems-center pc-reset _bg-secondary_1yrbq_192 _animate_1yrbq_199 pc-borderRadius-lg _icon_qtdwu_4"><svg role="img" style="height:20px;width:20px;" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="2" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M7.50008 14.1666H5.83341C4.72835 14.1666 3.66854 13.7276 2.88714 12.9462C2.10573 12.1648 1.66675 11.105 1.66675 9.99992C1.66675 8.89485 2.10573 7.83504 2.88714 7.05364C3.66854 6.27224 4.72835 5.83325 5.83341 5.83325H7.50008M12.5001 5.83325H14.1667C15.2718 5.83325 16.3316 6.27224 17.113 7.05364C17.8944 7.83504 18.3334 8.89485 18.3334 9.99992C18.3334 11.105 17.8944 12.1648 17.113 12.9462C16.3316 13.7276 15.2718 14.1666 14.1667 14.1666H12.5001M6.66675 9.99992H13.3334"></path></g></svg></div><div class="pencraft pc-reset _color-primary_h3mln_166 _line-height-20_h3mln_80 _font-text_h3mln_106 _size-11_h3mln_31 _weight-semibold_h3mln_148 _reset_h3mln_1">Copy link</div></a><a class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-gap-8 pc-width-64 pc-alignItems-center pc-reset _cursor-pointer_1yrbq_219 _button_qtdwu_1"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-width-64 pc-height-64 pc-justifyContent-center pc-alignItems-center pc-reset _bg-secondary_1yrbq_192 _animate_1yrbq_199 pc-borderRadius-lg _icon_qtdwu_4"><svg role="img" style="height:20px;width:20px;" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-width="1.8" stroke="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path stroke="none" d="M20 10C20 4.47715 15.5229 0 10 0C4.47715 0 0 4.47715 0 10C0 14.9912 3.65684 19.1283 8.4375 19.8785V12.8906H5.89844V10H8.4375V7.79688C8.4375 5.29063 9.93047 3.90625 12.2146 3.90625C13.3084 3.90625 14.4531 4.10156 14.4531 4.10156V6.5625H13.1922C11.95 6.5625 11.5625 7.3334 11.5625 8.125V10H14.3359L13.8926 12.8906H11.5625V19.8785C16.3432 19.1283 20 14.9912 20 10Z"></path></g></svg></div><div class="pencraft pc-reset _color-primary_h3mln_166 _line-height-20_h3mln_80 _font-text_h3mln_106 _size-11_h3mln_31 _weight-semibold_h3mln_148 _reset_h3mln_1">Facebook</div></a><a class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-gap-8 pc-width-64 pc-alignItems-center pc-reset _cursor-pointer_1yrbq_219 _button_qtdwu_1"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-width-64 pc-height-64 pc-justifyContent-center pc-alignItems-center pc-reset _bg-secondary_1yrbq_192 _animate_1yrbq_199 pc-borderRadius-lg _icon_qtdwu_4"><svg role="img" style="height:20px;width:20px;" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-width="1.8" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path stroke="none" d="M9.9958 11.0646C10.2693 11.0646 10.5346 10.9569 10.7915 10.7248L19.0717 3.431C18.6241 3.13262 18.1102 3 17.3974 3H2.60257C1.88976 3 1.37587 3.13262 0.920011 3.431L9.20011 10.7248C9.46534 10.9569 9.73057 11.0646 9.9958 11.0646ZM0.215499 15.9465L6.34893 9.82137L0.198922 4.40075C0.107749 4.5748 0 4.99751 0 5.56941V14.7199C0 15.2503 0.0828842 15.6316 0.215499 15.9465ZM2.35391 17.2892H17.646C18.2511 17.2892 18.7235 17.14 19.0385 16.9245L12.731 10.6171L11.5209 11.6945C11.0402 12.1173 10.518 12.3328 9.9958 12.3328C9.48197 12.3328 8.95975 12.1173 8.47905 11.6945L7.26894 10.6171L0.961455 16.9245C1.27642 17.14 1.74057 17.2892 2.35391 17.2892ZM19.7844 15.9465C19.9088 15.6316 20 15.2503 20 14.7199V5.56941C20 4.99751 19.8922 4.5748 19.8011 4.40075L13.651 9.82137L19.7844 15.9465Z"></path></g></svg></div><div class="pencraft pc-reset _color-primary_h3mln_166 _line-height-20_h3mln_80 _font-text_h3mln_106 _size-11_h3mln_31 _weight-semibold_h3mln_148 _reset_h3mln_1">Email</div></a><a class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-gap-8 pc-width-64 pc-alignItems-center pc-reset _cursor-pointer_1yrbq_219 _button_qtdwu_1"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-width-64 pc-height-64 pc-justifyContent-center pc-alignItems-center pc-reset _bg-secondary_1yrbq_192 _animate_1yrbq_199 pc-borderRadius-lg _icon_qtdwu_4"><svg role="img" style="height:20px;width:20px;" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-width="1.8" stroke="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M1.96484 0.624512H18.0354V2.70052H1.96484V0.624512Z" stroke="none"></path><path d="M1.96484 4.77655H18.0354V6.85254H1.96484V4.77655Z" stroke="none"></path><path d="M1.96484 8.92857V19.9505L10.0001 14.6347L18.0354 19.9505V8.92857H1.96484Z" stroke="none"></path></g></svg></div><div class="pencraft pc-reset _color-primary_h3mln_166 _line-height-20_h3mln_80 _font-text_h3mln_106 _size-11_h3mln_31 _weight-semibold_h3mln_148 _reset_h3mln_1">Notes</div></a><a id="trigger366303" aria-expanded="false" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-controls="dialog366304" ariaLabel="View more" class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-gap-8 pc-width-64 pc-alignItems-center pc-reset _cursor-pointer_1yrbq_219 _button_qtdwu_1"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-flexDirection-column pc-width-64 pc-height-64 pc-justifyContent-center pc-alignItems-center pc-reset _bg-secondary_1yrbq_192 _animate_1yrbq_199 pc-borderRadius-lg _icon_qtdwu_4"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-ellipsis"><circle cx="12" cy="12" r="1"></circle><circle cx="19" cy="12" r="1"></circle><circle cx="5" cy="12" r="1"></circle></svg></div><div class="pencraft pc-reset _color-primary_h3mln_166 _line-height-20_h3mln_80 _font-text_h3mln_106 _size-11_h3mln_31 _weight-semibold_h3mln_148 _reset_h3mln_1">More</div></a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="left:auto;right:16px;bottom:16px;z-index:999;transform:translateY(0px);" class="pencraft pc-position-fixed pc-reset _sizing-border-box_1yrbq_349"></div><div></div> </div> <script src="https://js.sentry-cdn.com/6c2ff3e3828e4017b7faf7b63e24cdf8.min.js" crossorigin="anonymous"></script> <script> window.Sentry && window.Sentry.onLoad(function() { window.Sentry.init({ environment: window._preloads.sentry_environment, dsn: window._preloads.sentry_dsn, }) }) </script> <script>window._preloads = JSON.parse("{\"isEU\":false,\"language\":\"en\",\"country\":\"SG\",\"base_url\":\"https://thechipletter.substack.com\",\"stripe_publishable_key\":\"pk_live_vNnuGHOFnt4mM7V9PuCAAPJz\",\"captcha_site_key\":\"6LdYbsYZAAAAAIFIRh8X_16GoFRLIReh-e-q6qSa\",\"pub\":{\"apple_pay_disabled\":false,\"apex_domain\":null,\"author_id\":102722254,\"byline_images_enabled\":true,\"bylines_enabled\":true,\"chartable_token\":null,\"community_enabled\":true,\"copyright\":\"The Chip Letter\",\"cover_photo_url\":\"https://bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/42ef7654-ffdb-4329-9b19-fca0de59d068_1280x851.png\",\"created_at\":\"2022-08-28T13:07:52.880Z\",\"custom_domain_optional\":false,\"custom_domain\":null,\"custom_publication_theme_id\":null,\"default_comment_sort\":\"best_first\",\"default_coupon\":null,\"default_group_coupon\":null,\"default_show_guest_bios\":true,\"email_banner_url\":null,\"email_from_name\":\"The Chip Letter\",\"email_from\":null,\"embed_tracking_disabled\":false,\"explicit\":false,\"expose_paywall_content_to_search_engines\":true,\"fb_pixel_id\":null,\"fb_site_verification_token\":null,\"flagged_as_spam\":false,\"founding_subscription_benefits\":[],\"free_subscription_benefits\":[\"Occasional public posts\"],\"ga_pixel_id\":null,\"google_site_verification_token\":null,\"google_tag_manager_token\":null,\"hero_image\":null,\"hero_text\":\"Byte sized stories about the history of computing.\",\"hide_intro_subtitle\":null,\"hide_intro_title\":null,\"hide_podcast_feed_link\":false,\"homepage_type\":\"magaziney\",\"id\":1063960,\"image_thumbnails_always_enabled\":false,\"invite_only\":false,\"language\":\"en\",\"logo_url_wide\":null,\"logo_url\":\"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffe3b8c39-e578-48d7-9459-79948f1259eb_720x720.png\",\"minimum_group_size\":2,\"moderation_enabled\":true,\"name\":\"The Chip Letter\",\"paid_subscription_benefits\":[\"Subscriber-only posts and full archive\"],\"parsely_pixel_id\":null,\"payments_state\":\"enabled\",\"paywall_free_trial_enabled\":false,\"podcast_art_url\":null,\"paid_podcast_episode_art_url\":null,\"podcast_byline\":null,\"podcast_description\":null,\"podcast_enabled\":false,\"podcast_feed_url\":null,\"podcast_title\":null,\"post_preview_limit\":null,\"require_clickthrough\":false,\"rss_feed_url\":null,\"rss_website_url\":null,\"show_pub_podcast_tab\":false,\"show_recs_on_homepage\":true,\"subdomain\":\"thechipletter\",\"subscriber_invites\":0,\"support_email\":null,\"theme_var_background_pop\":\"#FF6B00\",\"theme_var_color_links\":true,\"theme_var_cover_bg_color\":null,\"trial_end_override\":null,\"twitter_pixel_id\":null,\"type\":\"newsletter\",\"post_reaction_faces_enabled\":true,\"is_personal_mode\":false,\"plans\":[{\"id\":\"price_1NwoCyJKYeomqh7fk4kRMyR2\",\"object\":\"plan\",\"active\":true,\"aggregate_usage\":null,\"amount\":5000,\"amount_decimal\":\"5000\",\"billing_scheme\":\"per_unit\",\"created\":1696261136,\"currency\":\"usd\",\"interval\":\"year\",\"interval_count\":1,\"livemode\":true,\"metadata\":{\"substack\":\"yes\"},\"meter\":null,\"nickname\":\"$50 a year\",\"product\":\"prod_N1qUl6rHUrF2DO\",\"tiers\":null,\"tiers_mode\":null,\"transform_usage\":null,\"trial_period_days\":null,\"usage_type\":\"licensed\",\"currency_options\":{\"aud\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":8000,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"8000\"},\"brl\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":28500,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"28500\"},\"cad\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":7000,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"7000\"},\"chf\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":4600,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"4600\"},\"dkk\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":35000,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"35000\"},\"eur\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":4700,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"4700\"},\"gbp\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":4000,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"4000\"},\"mxn\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":92000,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"92000\"},\"nok\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":53500,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"53500\"},\"nzd\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":8500,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"8500\"},\"pln\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":20500,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"20500\"},\"sek\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":53500,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"53500\"},\"usd\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":5000,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"5000\"}}},{\"id\":\"monthly6usd\",\"object\":\"plan\",\"active\":true,\"aggregate_usage\":null,\"amount\":600,\"amount_decimal\":\"600\",\"billing_scheme\":\"per_unit\",\"created\":1676385975,\"currency\":\"usd\",\"interval\":\"month\",\"interval_count\":1,\"livemode\":true,\"metadata\":{\"substack\":\"yes\"},\"meter\":null,\"nickname\":\"$6 a month\",\"product\":\"prod_NM81621m5lfKT2\",\"tiers\":null,\"tiers_mode\":null,\"transform_usage\":null,\"trial_period_days\":null,\"usage_type\":\"licensed\",\"currency_options\":{\"aud\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":1000,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"1000\"},\"brl\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":3400,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"3400\"},\"cad\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":900,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"900\"},\"chf\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":600,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"600\"},\"dkk\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":4200,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"4200\"},\"eur\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":600,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"600\"},\"gbp\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":500,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"500\"},\"mxn\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":11500,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"11500\"},\"nok\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":6500,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"6500\"},\"nzd\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":1000,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"1000\"},\"pln\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":2500,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"2500\"},\"sek\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":6500,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"6500\"},\"usd\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":600,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"600\"}}},{\"id\":\"founding10000usd\",\"name\":\"founding10000usd\",\"nickname\":\"founding10000usd\",\"active\":true,\"amount\":10000,\"currency\":\"usd\",\"interval\":\"year\",\"interval_count\":1,\"metadata\":{\"substack\":\"yes\",\"founding\":\"yes\",\"no_coupons\":\"yes\",\"short_description\":\"Founding Member\",\"short_description_english\":\"Founding Member\",\"minimum\":\"5000\",\"minimum_local\":{\"aud\":8000,\"brl\":29500,\"cad\":7000,\"chf\":4500,\"dkk\":36000,\"eur\":4800,\"gbp\":4000,\"mxn\":102500,\"nok\":55500,\"nzd\":9000,\"pln\":21000,\"sek\":55500,\"usd\":5000}},\"currency_options\":{\"aud\":{\"unit_amount\":15500,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\"},\"brl\":{\"unit_amount\":58500,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\"},\"cad\":{\"unit_amount\":14000,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\"},\"chf\":{\"unit_amount\":9000,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\"},\"dkk\":{\"unit_amount\":72000,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\"},\"eur\":{\"unit_amount\":10000,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\"},\"gbp\":{\"unit_amount\":8000,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\"},\"mxn\":{\"unit_amount\":204500,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\"},\"nok\":{\"unit_amount\":111000,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\"},\"nzd\":{\"unit_amount\":17500,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\"},\"pln\":{\"unit_amount\":42000,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\"},\"sek\":{\"unit_amount\":110500,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\"},\"usd\":{\"unit_amount\":10000,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\"}}}],\"stripe_user_id\":\"acct_1MHmhTJKYeomqh7f\",\"stripe_country\":\"GB\",\"stripe_publishable_key\":\"pk_live_51MHmhTJKYeomqh7fiEnN3VtX81haGLZ1hZQJq5gkOhZ25A2gt0oUDovfSWfhQwKYTKTosRrY0uVoZe06tCMHAtyE00UBYaJmJC\",\"automatic_tax_enabled\":false,\"author_name\":\"Babbage\",\"author_handle\":\"thechipletter\",\"author_photo_url\":\"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F82525b9c-ee3c-4996-916c-54267a4d354b_416x416.png\",\"author_bio\":\"Using the history of computing to understand the future\",\"twitter_share_on_publish_opt_in\":false,\"has_custom_tos\":false,\"has_custom_privacy\":false,\"theme\":{\"background_pop_color\":\"#538cfa\",\"web_bg_color\":\"#ffffff\",\"cover_bg_color\":\"#ffffff\",\"publication_id\":1063960,\"color_links\":null,\"font_preset_heading\":\"heavy_sans\",\"font_preset_body\":\"sans\",\"font_family_headings\":null,\"font_family_body\":null,\"font_family_ui\":null,\"font_size_body_desktop\":null,\"print_secondary\":null,\"custom_css_web\":null,\"custom_css_email\":null,\"home_hero\":\"magazine-5\",\"home_posts\":\"grid\",\"home_show_top_posts\":true,\"hide_images_from_list\":false,\"home_hero_alignment\":\"left\",\"home_hero_show_podcast_links\":true,\"default_post_header_variant\":null},\"threads_v2_settings\":{\"photo_replies_enabled\":true,\"first_thread_email_sent_at\":\"2022-11-18T15:59:03.27+00:00\",\"create_thread_minimum_role\":\"paid\",\"activated_at\":\"2022-11-18T15:58:29.52+00:00\",\"reader_thread_notifications_enabled\":true,\"boost_free_subscriber_chat_preview_enabled\":true,\"push_suppression_enabled\":false},\"default_group_coupon_percent_off\":null,\"pause_return_date\":null,\"has_posts\":true,\"has_recommendations\":true,\"first_post_date\":\"2022-08-28T14:06:07.650Z\",\"has_podcast\":false,\"has_free_podcast\":false,\"has_subscriber_only_podcast\":false,\"has_community_content\":true,\"twitter_permissions\":\"read\",\"rankingDetail\":\"Hundreds of paid subscribers\",\"rankingDetailFreeIncluded\":\"Tens of thousands of subscribers\",\"rankingDetailOrderOfMagnitude\":100,\"rankingDetailFreeIncludedOrderOfMagnitude\":10000,\"rankingDetailFreeSubscriberCount\":\"Over 18,000 subscribers\",\"rankingDetailByLanguage\":{\"de\":{\"rankingDetail\":\"Hunderte von Paid-Abonnenten\",\"rankingDetailFreeIncluded\":\"Zehntausende von Abonnenten\",\"rankingDetailOrderOfMagnitude\":100,\"rankingDetailFreeIncludedOrderOfMagnitude\":10000,\"rankingDetailFreeSubscriberCount\":\"\u00DCber 18,000 Abonnenten\",\"freeSubscriberCount\":\"18,000\",\"freeSubscriberCountOrderOfMagnitude\":\"18K+\"},\"es\":{\"rankingDetail\":\"Cientos de suscriptores de pago\",\"rankingDetailFreeIncluded\":\"Decenas de miles de suscriptores\",\"rankingDetailOrderOfMagnitude\":100,\"rankingDetailFreeIncludedOrderOfMagnitude\":10000,\"rankingDetailFreeSubscriberCount\":\"M\u00E1s de 18,000 suscriptores\",\"freeSubscriberCount\":\"18,000\",\"freeSubscriberCountOrderOfMagnitude\":\"18K+\"},\"fr\":{\"rankingDetail\":\"Des centaines d'abonn\u00E9s payants\",\"rankingDetailFreeIncluded\":\"Des dizaines de milliers d'abonn\u00E9s\",\"rankingDetailOrderOfMagnitude\":100,\"rankingDetailFreeIncludedOrderOfMagnitude\":10000,\"rankingDetailFreeSubscriberCount\":\"Plus de 18,000 abonn\u00E9s\",\"freeSubscriberCount\":\"18,000\",\"freeSubscriberCountOrderOfMagnitude\":\"18K+\"},\"pt\":{\"rankingDetail\":\"Centenas de subscritores pagos\",\"rankingDetailFreeIncluded\":\"Dezenas de milhares de subscritores\",\"rankingDetailOrderOfMagnitude\":100,\"rankingDetailFreeIncludedOrderOfMagnitude\":10000,\"rankingDetailFreeSubscriberCount\":\"Mais de 18,000 subscritores\",\"freeSubscriberCount\":\"18,000\",\"freeSubscriberCountOrderOfMagnitude\":\"18K+\"},\"pt-br\":{\"rankingDetail\":\"Centenas de assinantes pagantes\",\"rankingDetailFreeIncluded\":\"Dezenas de milhares de assinantes\",\"rankingDetailOrderOfMagnitude\":100,\"rankingDetailFreeIncludedOrderOfMagnitude\":10000,\"rankingDetailFreeSubscriberCount\":\"Mais de 18,000 assinantes\",\"freeSubscriberCount\":\"18,000\",\"freeSubscriberCountOrderOfMagnitude\":\"18K+\"},\"it\":{\"rankingDetail\":\"Centinaia di abbonati a pagamento\",\"rankingDetailFreeIncluded\":\"Decine di migliaia di abbonati\",\"rankingDetailOrderOfMagnitude\":100,\"rankingDetailFreeIncludedOrderOfMagnitude\":10000,\"rankingDetailFreeSubscriberCount\":\"Oltre 18,000 abbonati\",\"freeSubscriberCount\":\"18,000\",\"freeSubscriberCountOrderOfMagnitude\":\"18K+\"},\"en\":{\"rankingDetail\":\"Hundreds of paid subscribers\",\"rankingDetailFreeIncluded\":\"Tens of thousands of subscribers\",\"rankingDetailOrderOfMagnitude\":100,\"rankingDetailFreeIncludedOrderOfMagnitude\":10000,\"rankingDetailFreeSubscriberCount\":\"Over 18,000 subscribers\",\"freeSubscriberCount\":\"18,000\",\"freeSubscriberCountOrderOfMagnitude\":\"18K+\"}},\"freeSubscriberCount\":\"18,000\",\"freeSubscriberCountOrderOfMagnitude\":\"18K+\",\"author_bestseller_tier\":100,\"disable_monthly_subscriptions\":false,\"disable_annual_subscriptions\":false,\"hide_post_restacks\":false,\"notes_feed_enabled\":true,\"last_chat_post_at\":\"2024-08-08T07:00:06.753Z\",\"no_follow\":false,\"paywall_chat\":\"free\",\"sections\":[{\"id\":101317,\"created_at\":\"2024-01-07T10:08:43.198Z\",\"updated_at\":\"2024-03-08T13:22:01.663Z\",\"publication_id\":1063960,\"name\":\"Chiplets\",\"description\":\"Bits of computing history and more\",\"slug\":\"chiplets\",\"is_podcast\":false,\"is_live\":true,\"is_default_on\":false,\"sibling_rank\":0,\"port_status\":\"success\",\"logo_url\":\"https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/f79e87bf-96cf-4823-9a96-fbded7634afa_1280x1280.png\",\"hide_from_navbar\":false,\"email_from_name\":\"\",\"hide_posts_from_pub_listings\":false,\"email_banner_url\":null,\"cover_photo_url\":null,\"hide_intro_title\":false,\"hide_intro_subtitle\":false,\"ignore_publication_email_settings\":false,\"spotifyPodcastSettings\":null,\"showLinks\":[],\"pageTheme\":null,\"podcastSettings\":null,\"podcastPalette\":{\"DarkMuted\":{\"population\":72,\"rgb\":[73,153,137]},\"DarkVibrant\":{\"population\":6013,\"rgb\":[4,100,84]},\"LightMuted\":{\"population\":7,\"rgb\":[142,198,186]},\"LightVibrant\":{\"population\":3,\"rgb\":[166,214,206]},\"Muted\":{\"population\":6,\"rgb\":[92,164,156]},\"Vibrant\":{\"population\":5,\"rgb\":[76,164,146]}},\"spotify_podcast_settings\":null}],\"multipub_migration\":null,\"navigationBarItems\":[{\"id\":\"98160ec5-f662-4120-a6ad-6c896b1bb393\",\"publication_id\":1063960,\"sibling_rank\":0,\"link_title\":null,\"link_url\":null,\"section_id\":null,\"post_id\":null,\"is_hidden\":true,\"standard_key\":\"about\",\"post_tag_id\":null,\"postTag\":null,\"post\":null,\"section\":null},{\"id\":\"405d12de-2940-4bc9-9995-251c6486903f\",\"publication_id\":1063960,\"sibling_rank\":1,\"link_title\":null,\"link_url\":null,\"section_id\":null,\"post_id\":null,\"is_hidden\":true,\"standard_key\":\"chat\",\"post_tag_id\":null,\"postTag\":null,\"post\":null,\"section\":null},{\"id\":\"89fb8070-5e5c-4793-8058-f40f3bd7a461\",\"publication_id\":1063960,\"sibling_rank\":2,\"link_title\":null,\"link_url\":null,\"section_id\":101317,\"post_id\":null,\"is_hidden\":null,\"standard_key\":null,\"post_tag_id\":null,\"postTag\":null,\"post\":null,\"section\":{\"id\":101317,\"created_at\":\"2024-01-07T10:08:43.198Z\",\"updated_at\":\"2024-03-08T13:22:01.663Z\",\"publication_id\":1063960,\"name\":\"Chiplets\",\"description\":\"Bits of computing history and more\",\"slug\":\"chiplets\",\"is_podcast\":false,\"is_live\":true,\"is_default_on\":false,\"sibling_rank\":0,\"port_status\":\"success\",\"logo_url\":\"https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/f79e87bf-96cf-4823-9a96-fbded7634afa_1280x1280.png\",\"hide_from_navbar\":false,\"email_from_name\":\"\",\"hide_posts_from_pub_listings\":false,\"email_banner_url\":null,\"cover_photo_url\":null,\"hide_intro_title\":false,\"hide_intro_subtitle\":false,\"ignore_publication_email_settings\":false}},{\"id\":\"ed47d8f6-e0bd-4091-b187-85d4f68c0d80\",\"publication_id\":1063960,\"sibling_rank\":3,\"link_title\":\"Start Here\",\"link_url\":\"\",\"section_id\":null,\"post_id\":146157981,\"is_hidden\":null,\"standard_key\":null,\"post_tag_id\":null,\"postTag\":null,\"post\":{\"id\":146157981,\"publication_id\":1063960,\"is_published\":true,\"title\":\"New to The Chip Letter? Start Here!\",\"body\":\"s3://substack-content/post/146157981/2024-07-01T08-38-37-551Z/2e602fd0905040fb729d4959303eef3ea0d34a52\",\"slug\":\"new-to-the-chip-letter-start-here\",\"post_date\":\"2024-07-01T09:28:06.707Z\",\"draft_title\":\"New to The Chip Letter? Start Here!\",\"draft_body\":\"s3://substack-content/post/146157981/2024-07-01T08-38-37-551Z/2e602fd0905040fb729d4959303eef3ea0d34a52\",\"draft_updated_at\":\"2024-07-01T09:29:22.896Z\",\"subtitle\":\"Welcome!\",\"draft_subtitle\":\"Welcome!\",\"email_sent_at\":null,\"audience\":\"everyone\",\"type\":\"newsletter\",\"podcast_url\":\"\",\"draft_podcast_url\":\"\",\"podcast_duration\":null,\"draft_podcast_duration\":null,\"podcast_art_url\":null,\"podcast_description\":null,\"podcast_subtitle\":null,\"explicit\":null,\"podcast_content\":null,\"podcast_guid\":null,\"social_title\":\"New to The Chip Letter? Start Here!\",\"description\":\"Welcome!\",\"cover_image\":\"https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/80840031-e417-4e23-b373-d274c7285d23_1456x970.webp\",\"imported_podcast_url\":null,\"imported_podcast_art_url\":null,\"uuid\":\"01cb221b-7d17-412c-8026-7aa3bd0c98c1\",\"write_comment_permissions\":\"everyone\",\"should_send_email\":false,\"default_comment_sort\":null,\"search_engine_title\":null,\"search_engine_description\":null,\"updated_at\":\"2024-07-01T09:29:34.711Z\",\"canonical_url\":null,\"subscriber_set_id\":null,\"section_id\":null,\"section_chosen\":true,\"draft_section_id\":null,\"show_guest_bios\":true,\"reply_to_post_id\":null,\"should_send_free_preview\":false,\"word_count\":1007,\"video_upload_id\":null,\"draft_video_upload_id\":null,\"draft_created_at\":\"2024-07-01T08:38:37.532Z\",\"podcast_upload_id\":null,\"draft_podcast_upload_id\":null,\"voiceover_upload_id\":null,\"draft_voiceover_upload_id\":null,\"free_unlock_required\":false,\"podcast_preview_upload_id\":null,\"draft_podcast_preview_upload_id\":null,\"legacy_podcast_file_size\":null,\"syndicate_voiceover_to_rss\":false,\"audience_before_archived\":null,\"should_send_stats_email\":true,\"exempt_from_archive_paywall\":false,\"has_explicit_paywall\":false,\"inbox_sent_at\":null,\"editor_v2\":false,\"teaser_post_eligible\":true,\"has_dismissed_tk_warning\":false,\"is_metered\":false},\"section\":null}],\"contributors\":[{\"name\":\"Babbage\",\"handle\":\"thechipletter\",\"role\":\"admin\",\"owner\":true,\"user_id\":102722254,\"photo_url\":\"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F82525b9c-ee3c-4996-916c-54267a4d354b_416x416.png\",\"bio\":\"Using the history of computing to understand the future\"}],\"threads_v2_enabled\":true,\"viralGiftsConfig\":{\"id\":\"721e0f2f-2b0c-48e2-90dc-0b071205d755\",\"publication_id\":1063960,\"enabled\":true,\"gifts_per_user\":5,\"gift_length_months\":1,\"send_extra_gifts\":true,\"message\":\"Byte sized stories about the history of computing.\",\"created_at\":\"2022-12-22T11:18:38.484406+00:00\",\"updated_at\":\"2022-12-22T11:18:38.484406+00:00\",\"days_til_invite\":14,\"send_emails\":true,\"show_link\":null,\"grant_email_body\":null,\"grant_email_subject\":null},\"tier\":2,\"no_index\":false,\"can_set_google_site_verification\":true,\"can_have_sitemap\":true,\"founding_plan_name_english\":\"Founding Member\",\"draft_plans\":[{\"id\":\"price_1NwoCyJKYeomqh7fk4kRMyR2\",\"object\":\"plan\",\"active\":true,\"aggregate_usage\":null,\"amount\":5000,\"amount_decimal\":\"5000\",\"billing_scheme\":\"per_unit\",\"created\":1696261136,\"currency\":\"usd\",\"interval\":\"year\",\"interval_count\":1,\"livemode\":true,\"metadata\":{\"substack\":\"yes\"},\"meter\":null,\"nickname\":\"$50 a year\",\"product\":\"prod_N1qUl6rHUrF2DO\",\"tiers\":null,\"tiers_mode\":null,\"transform_usage\":null,\"trial_period_days\":null,\"usage_type\":\"licensed\",\"currency_options\":{\"aud\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":8000,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"8000\"},\"brl\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":28500,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"28500\"},\"cad\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":7000,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"7000\"},\"chf\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":4600,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"4600\"},\"dkk\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":35000,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"35000\"},\"eur\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":4700,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"4700\"},\"gbp\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":4000,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"4000\"},\"mxn\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":92000,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"92000\"},\"nok\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":53500,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"53500\"},\"nzd\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":8500,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"8500\"},\"pln\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":20500,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"20500\"},\"sek\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":53500,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"53500\"},\"usd\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":5000,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"5000\"}}},{\"id\":\"monthly6usd\",\"object\":\"plan\",\"active\":true,\"aggregate_usage\":null,\"amount\":600,\"amount_decimal\":\"600\",\"billing_scheme\":\"per_unit\",\"created\":1676385975,\"currency\":\"usd\",\"interval\":\"month\",\"interval_count\":1,\"livemode\":true,\"metadata\":{\"substack\":\"yes\"},\"meter\":null,\"nickname\":\"$6 a month\",\"product\":\"prod_NM81621m5lfKT2\",\"tiers\":null,\"tiers_mode\":null,\"transform_usage\":null,\"trial_period_days\":null,\"usage_type\":\"licensed\",\"currency_options\":{\"aud\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":1000,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"1000\"},\"brl\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":3400,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"3400\"},\"cad\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":900,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"900\"},\"chf\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":600,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"600\"},\"dkk\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":4200,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"4200\"},\"eur\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":600,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"600\"},\"gbp\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":500,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"500\"},\"mxn\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":11500,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"11500\"},\"nok\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":6500,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"6500\"},\"nzd\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":1000,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"1000\"},\"pln\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":2500,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"2500\"},\"sek\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":6500,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"6500\"},\"usd\":{\"custom_unit_amount\":null,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\",\"unit_amount\":600,\"unit_amount_decimal\":\"600\"}}},{\"id\":\"founding10000usd\",\"name\":\"founding10000usd\",\"nickname\":\"founding10000usd\",\"active\":true,\"amount\":10000,\"currency\":\"usd\",\"interval\":\"year\",\"interval_count\":1,\"metadata\":{\"substack\":\"yes\",\"founding\":\"yes\",\"no_coupons\":\"yes\",\"short_description\":\"Founding Member\",\"short_description_english\":\"Founding Member\",\"minimum\":\"5000\",\"minimum_local\":{\"aud\":8000,\"brl\":29500,\"cad\":7000,\"chf\":4500,\"dkk\":36000,\"eur\":4800,\"gbp\":4000,\"mxn\":102500,\"nok\":55500,\"nzd\":9000,\"pln\":21000,\"sek\":55500,\"usd\":5000}},\"currency_options\":{\"aud\":{\"unit_amount\":15500,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\"},\"brl\":{\"unit_amount\":58500,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\"},\"cad\":{\"unit_amount\":14000,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\"},\"chf\":{\"unit_amount\":9000,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\"},\"dkk\":{\"unit_amount\":72000,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\"},\"eur\":{\"unit_amount\":10000,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\"},\"gbp\":{\"unit_amount\":8000,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\"},\"mxn\":{\"unit_amount\":204500,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\"},\"nok\":{\"unit_amount\":111000,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\"},\"nzd\":{\"unit_amount\":17500,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\"},\"pln\":{\"unit_amount\":42000,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\"},\"sek\":{\"unit_amount\":110500,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\"},\"usd\":{\"unit_amount\":10000,\"tax_behavior\":\"unspecified\"}}}],\"base_url\":\"https://thechipletter.substack.com\",\"hostname\":\"thechipletter.substack.com\",\"is_on_substack\":false,\"spotify_podcast_settings\":null,\"podcastPalette\":{\"DarkMuted\":{\"population\":72,\"rgb\":[73,153,137]},\"DarkVibrant\":{\"population\":6013,\"rgb\":[4,100,84]},\"LightMuted\":{\"population\":7,\"rgb\":[142,198,186]},\"LightVibrant\":{\"population\":3,\"rgb\":[166,214,206]},\"Muted\":{\"population\":6,\"rgb\":[92,164,156]},\"Vibrant\":{\"population\":5,\"rgb\":[76,164,146]}},\"pageThemes\":{\"podcast\":null},\"multiple_pins\":true,\"live_subscriber_counts\":false,\"subscribeCardVersionHash\":\"76ccaa3ef49ca4bbcfa38c69c3b22d32\"},\"confirmedLogin\":false,\"hide_intro_popup\":false,\"block_auto_login\":false,\"domainInfo\":{\"isSubstack\":true,\"customDomain\":null},\"experimentFeatures\":{},\"experimentExposures\":{},\"siteConfigs\":{\"score_upsell_email\":\"experiment\",\"first_chat_email_enabled\":true,\"notes_video_max_duration_minutes\":5,\"reader-onboarding-promoted-pub\":737237,\"pub_creation_captcha_behavior\":\"risky_pubs\",\"new_commenter_approval\":false,\"pub_update_opennode_api_key\":false,\"note_velocity_insertion_min_ratio\":null,\"embedding_search_using_quantized_field\":false,\"zendesk_automation_cancellations\":false,\"hide_book_a_meeting_button\":false,\"note_velocity_insertion_max_ratio\":null,\"mfa_action_box_enabled\":false,\"publication_max_bylines\":35,\"no_contest_charge_disputes\":false,\"new_subscription_management\":false,\"publication_tabs_reorder\":false,\"comp_expiry_email_new_copy\":\"NONE\",\"free_unlock_required\":false,\"traffic_rule_check_enabled\":false,\"amp_emails_enabled\":false,\"enable_post_summarization\":false,\"image_deep_link_enabled\":false,\"bitcoin_enabled\":false,\"show_entire_square_image\":false,\"hide_subscriber_count\":false,\"publication_author_display_override\":\"\",\"custom_themes_substack_player_for_video_embeds\":false,\"generate_pdf_tax_report\":false,\"live_stream_email_all_subscribers\":true,\"show_generic_post_importer\":false,\"enable_pledges_modal\":true,\"include_pdf_invoice\":false,\"app_upsell_after_posting_notes\":\"experiment\",\"platform_searcher_enabled\":false,\"upload_to_youtube\":true,\"use_post_podcast_import_batching\":true,\"meetings_v1\":false,\"live_stream_share_override_pub_id\":0,\"exempt_from_gtm_filter\":false,\"group_sections_and_podcasts_in_menu\":false,\"boost_optin_modal_enabled\":true,\"trending_topics_live_mode\":false,\"post_blogspot_importer\":false,\"pub_tts_override\":\"default\",\"disable_monthly_subscriptions\":false,\"skip_welcome_email\":false,\"chat_reader_thread_notification_default\":false,\"scheduled_pinned_posts\":false,\"disable_redirect_outbound_utm_params\":false,\"reader_gift_referrals_enabled\":true,\"enable_bestseller_survey_modal\":false,\"dont_show_guest_byline\":false,\"like_comments_enabled\":true,\"extended_podcast_episode_metadata\":false,\"livekit_track_egress_custom_base_url\":\"\",\"enable_author_note_email_toggle\":false,\"meetings_embed_publication_name\":false,\"pub_funded_gift_expiry_sequence\":\"experiment\",\"people_you_may_know_algorithm\":\"experiment\",\"welcome_screen_blurb_override\":\"\",\"post_recipients_batch_limit\":1000,\"like_posts_enabled\":true,\"notes_publication_mentions_enabled\":false,\"twitter_player_card_enabled\":true,\"show_app_upsell_subscribe_flow\":true,\"feed_promoted_user\":false,\"writer_beta_android_enable_post_editor_v2\":false,\"section_specific_csv_imports_enabled\":false,\"custom_themes_free_press_custom_paywall\":false,\"bypass_profile_substack_logo_detection\":false,\"use_preloaded_player_sources\":false,\"generate_twitter_card_with_lamda\":false,\"list_pruning_enabled\":false,\"facebook_connect\":false,\"opt_in_to_sections_during_subscribe\":false,\"underlined_colored_links\":false,\"android_enable_post_editor_launch\":false,\"temporal_livestream_ended_draft\":false,\"max_image_upload_mb\":32,\"modal_rec_variant_user\":\"control\",\"extract_stripe_receipt_url\":false,\"enable_thefp_theme\":false,\"live_stream_notifications_disbled\":false,\"enable_android_dms_writer_beta\":false,\"threads_suggested_ios_version\":null,\"pledges_disabled\":false,\"threads_minimum_ios_version\":812,\"hide_podcast_email_setup_link\":false,\"subscribe_captcha_behavior\":\"default\",\"publication_ban_sample_rate\":0,\"grant_viral_gifts_to_gift_recipients\":\"experiment\",\"show_lives_in_election_tab\":false,\"custom_themes_substack_subscribe_modal\":false,\"share_viral_gift_as_link\":\"experiment\",\"continue_support_cta_in_newsletter_emails\":false,\"bloomberg_syndication_enabled\":false,\"custom_publication_theme\":false,\"lists_enabled\":false,\"live_stream_ended_zync_delay\":15,\"generated_database_maintenance_mode\":false,\"allow_document_freeze\":false,\"enable_top_search_ios\":true,\"podcast_main_feed_is_firehose\":false,\"pub_app_incentive_gift\":\"\",\"no_embed_redirect\":false,\"translate_mobile_app\":false,\"customized_email_from_name_for_new_follow_emails\":\"treatment\",\"spotify_open_access_sandbox_mode\":false,\"fullstory_enabled\":true,\"chat_reply_poll_interval\":3,\"enable_reader_marketing_page\":false,\"force_pub_links_to_use_subdomain\":false,\"email_existing_users_on_import\":false,\"always_show_cookie_banner\":false,\"hide_media_download_option\":false,\"twitter_figures_enabled\":false,\"hide_post_restacks\":false,\"feed_item_source_debug_mode\":false,\"writer_beta_android_enable_post_editor\":false,\"daily_promoted_notes_enabled\":true,\"publication_homepage_title_display_override\":\"\",\"pub_banned_word_list\":\"\",\"post_preview_highlight_byline\":false,\"4k_video\":false,\"custom_themes_substack_video_player\":false,\"bypass_unlock_token_limit\":false,\"post_metering_enabled\":false,\"notifications_disabled\":\"\",\"cross_post_notification_threshold\":1000,\"facebook_connect_prod_app\":true,\"messages_inbox_page_size\":50,\"minimum_android_version\":756,\"feed_main_disabled\":false,\"use_mobile_app_post_unlock_flow\":true,\"use_og_image_as_twitter_image_for_post_previews\":false,\"always_use_podcast_channel_art_as_episode_art_in_rss\":false,\"cookie_preference_middleware_enabled\":false,\"seo_tier_override\":\"NONE\",\"no_follow_links\":false,\"publisher_api_enabled\":false,\"zendesk_support_priority\":\"default\",\"enable_subscriber_referrals_awards\":true,\"live_stream_creation_enabled_for_bestsellers\":true,\"thread_permalink_preview_min_ios_version\":4192,\"post_management_search_engine\":\"elasticsearch\",\"internal_android_enable_post_editor\":false,\"imported_banner_email_experiment_enabled\":true,\"web_reader_podcasts_tab\":false,\"phone_verification_fallback_to_twilio\":true,\"send_as_email_reply_bar\":\"experiment\",\"live_stream_creation_enabled\":false,\"disable_card_element_in_europe\":false,\"enable_global_navigation_ios_beta\":false,\"enable_web_typing_indicators\":false,\"custom_themes_substack_audio_player\":false,\"web_vitals_sample_rate\":10,\"allow_live_stream_auto_takedown\":\"true\",\"skip_twitter_step_in_writer_onboarding\":true,\"temporal_zync_post_editor\":false,\"use_ranker_for_category_tabs\":false,\"ai_image_generation_enabled\":true,\"disable_personal_substack_initialization\":false,\"section_specific_welcome_pages\":false,\"local_payment_methods\":\"control\",\"posts_in_rss_feed\":20,\"post_rec_endpoint\":\"\",\"publisher_dashboard_section_selector\":false,\"reader_surveys_platform_question_order\":\"36,1,4,2,3,5,6,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35\",\"negative_feedback_in_onboarding\":\"experiment\",\"login_guard_app_link_in_email\":true,\"modal_rec_variant_content\":\"control\",\"monthly_sub_is_one_off\":false,\"unread_notes_activity_digest\":\"control\",\"display_cookie_settings\":false,\"welcome_page_query_params\":false,\"enable_mobile_publication_setup\":false,\"enable_free_podcast_urls\":false,\"notes_implicit_engagement_weight_pct\":10,\"use_microlink_for_instagram_embeds\":false,\"post_notification_batch_delay_ms\":30000,\"android_top_search_enabled\":true,\"social_context_in_pymk_feed_module_v2\":\"treatment-nofacepile\",\"ios_post_stats_for_admins\":false,\"live_stream_concurrent_viewer_count_drawer\":false,\"section_specific_preambles\":false,\"android_live_stream_multihost_enabled\":false,\"show_menu_on_posts\":false,\"app_upsell_follow_prompt\":\"control\",\"trust_and_safety_features_enabled\":false,\"free_signup_confirmation_behavior\":\"with_email_validation\",\"opt_into_all_trending_topics\":false,\"ios_writer_stats_public_launch_v2\":false,\"enable_configurable_did_identity\":true,\"enable_android_post_stats\":false,\"ios_chat_revamp_enabled\":false,\"post_notification_batch_chunk_size\":100,\"republishing_enabled\":false,\"app_mode\":false,\"show_phone_banner\":true,\"enable_author_pages\":false,\"enable_decagon_chat\":true,\"first_month_upsell\":\"experiment\",\"twitter_connect_flows_enabled\":false,\"enable_user_contacts\":true,\"gift_post_unlocks_recipient_2\":\"experiment\",\"live_stream_invite_ttl_seconds\":300,\"welcome_page_update_desktop_visuals_limited\":\"experiment\",\"rss_verification_code\":\"\",\"notification_post_emails\":\"experiment\",\"pin_primary_publication_chat_ios_v2\":\"treatment_thread_list\",\"exclude_from_pymk_suggestions\":false,\"chat_suppress_contributor_push_option_enabled\":false,\"rate_limit_live_reaction_messages_v2\":\"15ps\",\"custom_themes_free_press_newsletters_page\":false,\"export_hooks_enabled\":false,\"audio_encoding_bitrate\":null,\"bestseller_pub_override\":false,\"extra_seats_coupon_type\":false,\"post_subdomain_universal_links\":false,\"post_import_max_file_size\":26214400,\"live_stream_creation_from_desktop_enabled\":false,\"fast_css_inline_enabled\":true,\"livekit_reconnect_slate_url\":\"https://mux-livestream-assets.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/custom-disconnect-slate-tall.png\",\"live_stream_track_egress\":true,\"minimum_ios_version\":2200,\"disable_annual_subscriptions\":false,\"enable_bestseller_survey_modal_override\":false,\"android_live_streams_enabled\":true,\"enable_android_dms\":false,\"non_mfa_password_login_guard\":\"block_suspicious\",\"feed_ranker_use_user_comment_reaction_cache\":true,\"mobile_feed_full_bleed_beta\":false,\"web_feed_more_like_this\":false,\"recipes_enabled\":false,\"disable_deletion\":false,\"livekit_egress_custom_base_url\":\"http://livekit-egress-custom-recorder.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com\",\"clip_focused_video_upload_flow\":false,\"live_stream_max_guest_users\":2,\"unitary_image_moderation_percent\":100,\"can_reimport_unsubscribed_users_with_2x_optin\":false,\"android_feed_ufi_updates_2\":\"control\",\"live_event_mixin\":\"\",\"review_incoming_email\":\"default\",\"app_install_prompts\":\"native_banner_if_supported\",\"ios_chat_uikit\":false,\"daily_promoted_note_intelligent_delivery\":\"control\",\"thread_permalink_preview_min_android_version\":2037,\"enable_home_screen_nav_bar_hiding_ios\":false,\"enable_email_login_code\":true,\"publisher_banner\":\"\",\"gift_from_substack_finish_claiming\":\"treatment\",\"load_test_unichat\":false,\"phone_verification_banned_countries\":\"PH, BD, UA, PK, UZ, ID, MA, KG, ML, AZ, GT, SN, BZ, EG, MM, MX, VN, ZW, NG, JO, RU, MY, KE, CN\",\"enable_small_queue_cards_ios\":true,\"free_press_combo_subscribe_flow_enabled\":false,\"gift_from_substack_reminder\":\"experiment\",\"gift_from_substack_modal\":\"experiment\",\"gifts_from_substack_feature_available\":true,\"blocked_email_domains\":\"nastyx.com,heweek.com,marchub.com,wesolar.io,cetnob.com,asaud.com,sigmazon.com,ofionk.com,degcos.com,janfab.com,obisims.com,esterace.com,barakal.com,coloruz.com,rogtat.com,ploncy.com,konetas.com,pelagius.net,teeuk.com,laafd.com,vjuum.com,txcct.com,rteet.com,dpptd.com,funvahnuwa.com,btcmod.com\",\"gift_from_substack_finish_claiming_followup_emails_enabled\":true,\"gift_from_substack_about_to_expire_emails_enabled\":true,\"gift_from_substack_reminder_v2\":\"treatment_original_body_text\",\"grant_viral_gifts_chain_automatically\":true,\"themed_quotes_enabled\":false,\"app_install_reminder_email\":\"experiment\",\"enable_top_search\":true,\"ios_post_bottom_units\":\"experiment\",\"enable_apple_news_sync\":false,\"postsById_batch_size\":20,\"banned_image_generation_word_list\":\"nude, naked, unclothed, undressed, withoutclothes, sex, sexy, erotic, topless, bottomless, barechest, barebody, scantilyclad, suggestive, lingerie, bikini, underwear, panties, bra, thong, porn, pornographic, provocative, orgy, fetish, kinky, bdsm, domination, submission, lewd, explicit, genitals, penis, vagina, buttocks, anus, breasts, nipples, areola, privateparts, crotch, pubicarea, thighgap, intercourse, masturbation, ejaculation, penetration, moaning, groping, fondling, exposing, stripping, flashing, adultcontent, XXX, NSFW, OnlyFans, camgirl, escort, prostitute, callgirl, massage, striptease, ass, busty, strip, stripclub, tits, spanking, pawg, bimbo, crotch, succubus, seductive\",\"thefp_show_sections\":false},\"publicationSettings\":{\"block_ai_crawlers\":false,\"credit_token_enabled\":true,\"custom_tos_and_privacy\":false,\"did_identity\":null,\"disable_optimistic_bank_payments\":false,\"display_welcome_page_details\":true,\"enable_meetings\":false,\"payment_pledges_enabled\":true,\"enable_post_page_conversion\":true,\"enable_prev_next_nav\":true,\"enable_restacking\":true,\"gifts_from_substack_disabled\":false,\"google_analytics_4_token\":null,\"group_sections_and_podcasts_in_menu_enabled\":false,\"medium_length_description\":\"\",\"notes_feed_enabled\":true,\"paywall_unlock_tokens\":true,\"post_preview_crop_gravity\":\"auto\",\"reader_referrals_enabled\":false,\"reader_referrals_leaderboard_enabled\":false,\"seen_coming_soon_explainer\":false,\"seen_google_analytics_migration_modal\":false,\"local_currency_modal_seen\":true,\"local_payment_methods_modal_seen\":true,\"twitter_pixel_signup_event_id\":null,\"twitter_pixel_subscribe_event_id\":null,\"use_local_currency\":true,\"welcome_page_opt_out_text\":\"Just show me the chips!\",\"cookie_settings\":\"\",\"show_restacks_below_posts\":true,\"homepage_message_text\":\"\",\"homepage_message_link\":\"\"},\"publicationUserSettings\":null,\"userSettings\":{\"user_id\":null,\"activity_likes_enabled\":true,\"hasDismissedSectionToNewsletterRename\":false,\"is_guest_post_enabled\":true,\"feed_web_nux_seen_at\":null,\"has_seen_select_to_restack_tooltip_nux\":false,\"invite_friends_nux_dismissed_at\":null,\"suggestions_feed_item_last_shown_at\":null,\"has_seen_select_to_restack_modal\":false,\"last_home_tab\":null,\"last_notification_alert_shown_at\":null,\"disable_reply_hiding\":false,\"newest_seen_chat_item_published_at\":null,\"explicitContentEnabled\":false,\"contactMatchingEnabled\":false,\"messageRequestLevel\":\"everyone\",\"liveStreamAcceptableInviteLevel\":\"everyone\",\"liveStreamAcceptableChatLevel\":\"everyone\",\"creditTokensTreatmentExposed\":false,\"appBadgeIncludesChat\":false,\"autoPlayVideo\":true,\"smart_delivery_enabled\":false,\"chatbotTermsLastAcceptedAt\":null,\"has_seen_notes_post_app_upsell\":false,\"substack_summer_nux_dismissed_at\":null,\"first_note_id\":null},\"subscriberCountDetails\":\"tens of thousands of subscribers\",\"mux_env_key\":\"u42pci814i6011qg3segrcpp9\",\"sentry_environment\":\"production\",\"launchWelcomePage\":false,\"noIndex\":false,\"post\":{\"audience\":\"everyone\",\"audience_before_archived\":null,\"canonical_url\":\"https://thechipletter.substack.com/p/the-virtues-of-the-8-bit-era-eight\",\"default_comment_sort\":null,\"editor_v2\":false,\"exempt_from_archive_paywall\":false,\"free_unlock_required\":false,\"id\":139145891,\"podcast_art_url\":null,\"podcast_duration\":null,\"podcast_preview_upload_id\":null,\"podcast_upload_id\":null,\"podcast_url\":\"\",\"post_date\":\"2023-11-26T19:00:30.922Z\",\"publication_id\":1063960,\"search_engine_description\":null,\"search_engine_title\":null,\"section_id\":null,\"should_send_free_preview\":false,\"show_guest_bios\":true,\"slug\":\"the-virtues-of-the-8-bit-era-eight\",\"social_title\":\"The 8-Bit Era : Eight Iconic Processor Designs\",\"subtitle\":\"Why do the 8-bit designs of the 1970s generate so much enthusiasm?\",\"teaser_post_eligible\":true,\"title\":\"The Virtues Of The 8-Bit Era : Eight Iconic Processor Designs\",\"type\":\"newsletter\",\"video_upload_id\":null,\"write_comment_permissions\":\"everyone\",\"restacks\":1,\"reactions\":{\"\u2764\":27},\"top_exclusions\":[],\"pins\":[],\"section_pins\":[],\"previous_post_slug\":\"illiac-iv-spiritual-ancestor-of-the\",\"next_post_slug\":\"why-are-there-no-minicomputers-any\",\"cover_image\":\"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg\",\"cover_image_is_square\":false,\"cover_image_is_explicit\":false,\"videoUpload\":null,\"podcastFields\":null,\"podcastUpload\":null,\"podcastPreviewUpload\":null,\"voiceover_upload_id\":null,\"voiceoverUpload\":null,\"has_voiceover\":false,\"description\":\"Why do the 8-bit designs of the 1970s still generate so much interest?\",\"body_html\":\"<p>For some readers, when we talk today about \u20188-bit\u2019 then it probably evokes a certain aesthetic : simple, blocky, colourful design. I think for anyone who was around at the time, though, it also generates a lot of nostalgia.</p><p>A whole generation, including I\u2019m sure many Chip Letter readers, wrote their first programs on 8-bit systems. Those systems of the 1970s and the early 1980s made computing available, for the first time, to almost everyone. It was a formative time for many people who went on to build their careers in computing, and many who would play a key role in the development of modern computing.</p><div class=\\\"subscription-widget-wrap-editor\\\" data-attrs=\\\"{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://thechipletter.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}\\\" data-component-name=\\\"SubscribeWidgetToDOM\\\"><div class=\\\"subscription-widget show-subscribe\\\"><div class=\\\"preamble\\\"><p class=\\\"cta-caption\\\">The Chip Letter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class=\\\"subscription-widget-subscribe\\\"><input type=\\\"email\\\" class=\\\"email-input\\\" name=\\\"email\\\" placeholder=\\\"Type your email\u2026\\\" tabindex=\\\"-1\\\"><input type=\\\"submit\\\" class=\\\"button primary\\\" value=\\\"Subscribe\\\"><div class=\\\"fake-input-wrapper\\\"><div class=\\\"fake-input\\\"></div><div class=\\\"fake-button\\\"></div></div></form></div></div><p>This nostalgia explains a lot of the enduring enthusiasm for \u20188-bit\u2019.</p><p class=\\\"button-wrapper\\\" data-attrs=\\\"{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://thechipletter.substack.com/p/the-virtues-of-the-8-bit-era-eight?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}\\\" data-component-name=\\\"ButtonCreateButton\\\"><a class=\\\"button primary\\\" href=\\\"https://thechipletter.substack.com/p/the-virtues-of-the-8-bit-era-eight?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share\\\"><span>Share</span></a></p><p>On top of simple nostalgia, I think that there are lots of other reasons why there is so much affection for \u20188-bit\u2019. Today\u2019s systems are much, much more powerful and capable, but in adding that power, we\u2019ve also lost something too. From the perspective of someone interested in how their computer worked at a \u2018low-level\u2019 and who wanted to program it at that level, then these systems had several attractions.</p><h4>Simplicity</h4><p>With some practice, you could keep the whole of an 8-bit processor\u2019s instruction set in your head. Doing some of the things that we take for granted from hardware today (e.g. floating-point arithmetic) was difficult, but on the whole the low-level operation of these systems was much more approachable.</p><h4>Documentation</h4><p>One side effect of simplicity, was that documenting every aspect of a computer in a single, readable, document was possible. 8-bit systems often came with great, both thorough and readable, documentation. If you wanted more then there was probably a comprehensive book covering assembly language for your processor of choice, available at your local bookstore.</p><h4>Close To The Metal</h4><p>Graphics and sound weren\u2019t hidden behind \u2018APIs\u2019. There might be a rudimentary operating system but for the best performance, then you probably had to write code that interacted with the hardware directly.</p><p>High level languages were often too slow and commercial software had to be written in assembly language to get the required performance. And the simplicity of the processor design meant that it was usually possible and relatively straightforward to reason about the performance of assembly language code.</p><h4>\u201COpen Source\u201D</h4><p>I\u2019ve deliberately put Open Source here in inverted commas. Software of the era wasn\u2019t open source in the modern sense. It was sometimes \u2018source available\u2019 though in the sense that software writers published their source code. I still have a copy of the book \u2018Sargon : A Computer Chess Program\u2019 which listed a chess program, written in 8080 assembly, in full.</p><p>And if the software writers didn't publish their own source then sometimes it would be disassembled and made widely available.</p><h4>Starting an Entrepreneurial Era for Hardware and Software</h4><p>Perhaps most of all though, it was an era that saw a flourishing of hardware and software innovation and entrepreneurship : in microprocessors, in other semiconductors, in the computers that used them and the software that ran on those computers.</p><p>Many famous names started or flourished in this era: Intel, Apple, Microsoft, Atari, Commodore, Nintendo and others. Plus numerous less familiar names that nonetheless had a huge impact: Mostek, MOS Technology, Zilog, Acorn, and lots more. Not forgetting innovative software like VisiCalc.</p><p>And 8-bit processors never went away. They became the basis for billions of microcontrollers, hidden away in devices in homes, offices and factories.</p><div><hr></div><p>I\u2019m not completely overcome by nostalgia. 8-bit was the era of 64k memory, floppy disks, monochrome screens and so on. I wouldn't want any of these back.</p><p>There is an enduring appeal to the simplicity and accessibility of \u20188-bit\u2019 though.</p><div><hr></div><p>In the rest of this post, we\u2019ll have a brief look at eight iconic microprocessors of the 8-bit era.</p><p>First though, paying subscribers can vote to select one of these designs for a more detailed history. I\u2019ve omitted the 6502 as we\u2019ve covered it in some detail already. Do please vote and let me know which you\u2019d like covered next. And let me know if you think I\u2019ve missed an important design. </p><div class=\\\"poll-embed\\\" data-attrs=\\\"{&quot;id&quot;:122748}\\\" data-component-name=\\\"PollToDOM\\\"></div><h4>Intel 8008</h4><p><em>Intel : 1972</em></p><div class=\\\"captioned-image-container\\\"><figure><a class=\\\"image-link image2 is-viewable-imag\\\" target=\\\"_blank\\\" href=\\\"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa9ebd64f-7682-4834-a828-1f439d449931_1026x658.jpeg\\\" data-component-name=\\\"Image2ToDOM\\\"><div class=\\\"image2-inset\\\"><picture><source type=\\\"image/webp\\\" srcset=\\\"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa9ebd64f-7682-4834-a828-1f439d449931_1026x658.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa9ebd64f-7682-4834-a828-1f439d449931_1026x658.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa9ebd64f-7682-4834-a828-1f439d449931_1026x658.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa9ebd64f-7682-4834-a828-1f439d449931_1026x658.jpeg 1456w\\\" sizes=\\\"100vw\\\"><img src=\\\"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa9ebd64f-7682-4834-a828-1f439d449931_1026x658.jpeg\\\" width=\\\"1026\\\" height=\\\"658\\\" data-attrs=\\\"{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/a9ebd64f-7682-4834-a828-1f439d449931_1026x658.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:658,&quot;width&quot;:1026,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:101509,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false}\\\" class=\\\"sizing-normal\\\" alt=\\\"\\\" srcset=\\\"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa9ebd64f-7682-4834-a828-1f439d449931_1026x658.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa9ebd64f-7682-4834-a828-1f439d449931_1026x658.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa9ebd64f-7682-4834-a828-1f439d449931_1026x658.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa9ebd64f-7682-4834-a828-1f439d449931_1026x658.jpeg 1456w\\\" sizes=\\\"100vw\\\" loading=\\\"lazy\\\"></picture><div class=\\\"image-link-expand\\\"><svg xmlns=\\\"http://www.w3.org/2000/svg\\\" width=\\\"20\\\" height=\\\"20\\\" viewBox=\\\"0 0 24 24\\\" fill=\\\"none\\\" stroke=\\\"currentColor\\\" stroke-width=\\\"2\\\" stroke-linecap=\\\"round\\\" stroke-linejoin=\\\"round\\\" class=\\\"lucide lucide-maximize2\\\"><polyline points=\\\"15 3 21 3 21 9\\\"></polyline><polyline points=\\\"9 21 3 21 3 15\\\"></polyline><line x1=\\\"21\\\" x2=\\\"14\\\" y1=\\\"3\\\" y2=\\\"10\\\"></line><line x1=\\\"3\\\" x2=\\\"10\\\" y1=\\\"21\\\" y2=\\\"14\\\"></line></svg></div></div></a><figcaption class=\\\"image-caption\\\">Intel 8008 - By Konstantin Lanzet - CPU Collection Konstantin LanzetCamera: Canon EOS 400D, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5694177</figcaption></figure></div><p><em>Used in : Intel Intellec-8 Development System</em></p><p>The first 8-bit microprocessor. Designed and built by Federico Faggin and his team at Intel in response to a commission from terminal manufacturer Computer Terminal Corporation. The chip was originally meant to replace the \u2018discrete\u2019 logic of the Datapoint 2200 terminal, it was never used for its original purpose.</p><p>As is often the case Ken Shiriff has a series of great posts analysing the 8008\u2019s die together with lots of detail on its history, starting <a href=\\\"http://www.righto.com/2016/12/die-photos-and-analysis-of_24.html\\\">here</a> and with follow-ups <a href=\\\"http://www.righto.com/2017/03/analyzing-vintage-8008-processor-from.html\\\">here</a>, <a href=\\\"http://www.righto.com/2020/11/reverse-engineering-carry-lookahead.html\\\">here</a> and <a href=\\\"http://www.righto.com/2017/02/reverse-engineering-surprisingly.html\\\">here</a>.</p><p><em>Quirks : 16 pin package so heavy use of multiplexing was needed. 14-bit program counter.</em></p><h4>Intel 8080</h4><p><em>April 1974</em></p><div class=\\\"captioned-image-container\\\"><figure><a class=\\\"image-link image2 is-viewable-imag\\\" target=\\\"_blank\\\" href=\\\"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg\\\" data-component-name=\\\"Image2ToDOM\\\"><div class=\\\"image2-inset\\\"><picture><source type=\\\"image/webp\\\" srcset=\\\"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 1456w\\\" sizes=\\\"100vw\\\"><img src=\\\"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg\\\" width=\\\"1017\\\" height=\\\"720\\\" data-attrs=\\\"{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:720,&quot;width&quot;:1017,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:124664,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false}\\\" class=\\\"sizing-normal\\\" alt=\\\"\\\" srcset=\\\"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F184cb273-33c8-4d42-b7ce-245fa607d084_1017x720.jpeg 1456w\\\" sizes=\\\"100vw\\\" loading=\\\"lazy\\\"></picture><div class=\\\"image-link-expand\\\"><svg xmlns=\\\"http://www.w3.org/2000/svg\\\" width=\\\"20\\\" height=\\\"20\\\" viewBox=\\\"0 0 24 24\\\" fill=\\\"none\\\" stroke=\\\"currentColor\\\" stroke-width=\\\"2\\\" stroke-linecap=\\\"round\\\" stroke-linejoin=\\\"round\\\" class=\\\"lucide lucide-maximize2\\\"><polyline points=\\\"15 3 21 3 21 9\\\"></polyline><polyline points=\\\"9 21 3 21 3 15\\\"></polyline><line x1=\\\"21\\\" x2=\\\"14\\\" y1=\\\"3\\\" y2=\\\"10\\\"></line><line x1=\\\"3\\\" x2=\\\"10\\\" y1=\\\"21\\\" y2=\\\"14\\\"></line></svg></div></div></a><figcaption class=\\\"image-caption\\\"></figcaption></figure></div><p><em>Used in : Altair 8800</em></p><p>Intel followed the 8008 with the code compatible 8080 in 1974, again designed under the supervision of Federico Faggin.</p><p>The 8080 \u2018filled out\u2019 gaps in the 8008\u2019s instruction set and expanded addresses to 16-bit giving a maximum memory size of 64 KB. It moved to a 40-pin dual-in-line package, avoiding the need to multiplex address and data loads.</p><p><em>Notable facts : Microsoft\u2019s first product, Microsoft BASIC, was written for the Intel 8080.</em></p><h4>Motorola MC 6800</h4><p><em>1974</em></p><div class=\\\"captioned-image-container\\\"><figure><a class=\\\"image-link image2 is-viewable-imag\\\" target=\\\"_blank\\\" href=\\\"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc61a7e96-0036-46d3-8893-6fba65f55309_1575x975.jpeg\\\" data-component-name=\\\"Image2ToDOM\\\"><div class=\\\"image2-inset\\\"><picture><source type=\\\"image/webp\\\" srcset=\\\"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc61a7e96-0036-46d3-8893-6fba65f55309_1575x975.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc61a7e96-0036-46d3-8893-6fba65f55309_1575x975.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc61a7e96-0036-46d3-8893-6fba65f55309_1575x975.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc61a7e96-0036-46d3-8893-6fba65f55309_1575x975.jpeg 1456w\\\" sizes=\\\"100vw\\\"><img src=\\\"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc61a7e96-0036-46d3-8893-6fba65f55309_1575x975.jpeg\\\" width=\\\"1456\\\" height=\\\"901\\\" data-attrs=\\\"{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/c61a7e96-0036-46d3-8893-6fba65f55309_1575x975.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:901,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:180702,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false}\\\" class=\\\"sizing-normal\\\" alt=\\\"\\\" srcset=\\\"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc61a7e96-0036-46d3-8893-6fba65f55309_1575x975.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc61a7e96-0036-46d3-8893-6fba65f55309_1575x975.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc61a7e96-0036-46d3-8893-6fba65f55309_1575x975.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc61a7e96-0036-46d3-8893-6fba65f55309_1575x975.jpeg 1456w\\\" sizes=\\\"100vw\\\" loading=\\\"lazy\\\"></picture><div class=\\\"image-link-expand\\\"><svg xmlns=\\\"http://www.w3.org/2000/svg\\\" width=\\\"20\\\" height=\\\"20\\\" viewBox=\\\"0 0 24 24\\\" fill=\\\"none\\\" stroke=\\\"currentColor\\\" stroke-width=\\\"2\\\" stroke-linecap=\\\"round\\\" stroke-linejoin=\\\"round\\\" class=\\\"lucide lucide-maximize2\\\"><polyline points=\\\"15 3 21 3 21 9\\\"></polyline><polyline points=\\\"9 21 3 21 3 15\\\"></polyline><line x1=\\\"21\\\" x2=\\\"14\\\" y1=\\\"3\\\" y2=\\\"10\\\"></line><line x1=\\\"3\\\" x2=\\\"10\\\" y1=\\\"21\\\" y2=\\\"14\\\"></line></svg></div></div></a><figcaption class=\\\"image-caption\\\">Motorola 6800 - By Swtpc6800 en:User:Swtpc6800 Michael Holley - Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10363668</figcaption></figure></div><p><em>Used in : many industrial applications.</em></p><p>Motorola\u2019s entrant into the microprocessor market was the MC 6800. Unlike the 8008 and the 8080 it was a design built from scratch, although modelled somewhat after the PDP-11 minicomputer. It also took quite a different approach to the 8080, with fewer registers and a more \u2018regular\u2019 instruction set.</p><p><em>Quirks : The design supported Direct Memory Access for peripherals - the 6800\u2019s access to the address bus could be disabled.</em></p><h4>Fairchild F8</h4><p><em>1974</em></p><div class=\\\"captioned-image-container\\\"><figure><a class=\\\"image-link image2 is-viewable-imag\\\" target=\\\"_blank\\\" href=\\\"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2569e91f-b766-4fcb-8a22-ebacba0044d0_1317x681.jpeg\\\" data-component-name=\\\"Image2ToDOM\\\"><div class=\\\"image2-inset\\\"><picture><source type=\\\"image/webp\\\" srcset=\\\"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2569e91f-b766-4fcb-8a22-ebacba0044d0_1317x681.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2569e91f-b766-4fcb-8a22-ebacba0044d0_1317x681.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2569e91f-b766-4fcb-8a22-ebacba0044d0_1317x681.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2569e91f-b766-4fcb-8a22-ebacba0044d0_1317x681.jpeg 1456w\\\" sizes=\\\"100vw\\\"><img src=\\\"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2569e91f-b766-4fcb-8a22-ebacba0044d0_1317x681.jpeg\\\" width=\\\"1317\\\" height=\\\"681\\\" data-attrs=\\\"{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/2569e91f-b766-4fcb-8a22-ebacba0044d0_1317x681.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:681,&quot;width&quot;:1317,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:112857,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false}\\\" class=\\\"sizing-normal\\\" alt=\\\"\\\" srcset=\\\"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2569e91f-b766-4fcb-8a22-ebacba0044d0_1317x681.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2569e91f-b766-4fcb-8a22-ebacba0044d0_1317x681.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2569e91f-b766-4fcb-8a22-ebacba0044d0_1317x681.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2569e91f-b766-4fcb-8a22-ebacba0044d0_1317x681.jpeg 1456w\\\" sizes=\\\"100vw\\\" loading=\\\"lazy\\\"></picture><div class=\\\"image-link-expand\\\"><svg xmlns=\\\"http://www.w3.org/2000/svg\\\" width=\\\"20\\\" height=\\\"20\\\" viewBox=\\\"0 0 24 24\\\" fill=\\\"none\\\" stroke=\\\"currentColor\\\" stroke-width=\\\"2\\\" stroke-linecap=\\\"round\\\" stroke-linejoin=\\\"round\\\" class=\\\"lucide lucide-maximize2\\\"><polyline points=\\\"15 3 21 3 21 9\\\"></polyline><polyline points=\\\"9 21 3 21 3 15\\\"></polyline><line x1=\\\"21\\\" x2=\\\"14\\\" y1=\\\"3\\\" y2=\\\"10\\\"></line><line x1=\\\"3\\\" x2=\\\"10\\\" y1=\\\"21\\\" y2=\\\"14\\\"></line></svg></div></div></a></figure></div><p>If Motorola was the promising new entrant to the microprocessor market then Fairchild was the \u2018fading star\u2019, as the once pioneering company was gradually drained of talent. Most key employees had already left to start their own semiconductor companies, most notably of course Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore at Intel.</p><p>It\u2019s debatable whether the F8 was really a microprocessor, as it needed two chips to deliver the functionality equivalent to a microprocessor like the Intel 8080 or Motorola 6800. It was left to \u2018upstart\u2019 Mostek to release a single chip version of the F8, the Mostek 3870.</p><h4>MOS Technology 6502</h4><p><em>1975</em></p><div class=\\\"captioned-image-container\\\"><figure><a class=\\\"image-link image2 is-viewable-imag\\\" target=\\\"_blank\\\" href=\\\"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4cd1b64c-00cd-4612-975e-d4941d1ecab9_971x1080.jpeg\\\" data-component-name=\\\"Image2ToDOM\\\"><div class=\\\"image2-inset\\\"><picture><source type=\\\"image/webp\\\" srcset=\\\"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4cd1b64c-00cd-4612-975e-d4941d1ecab9_971x1080.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4cd1b64c-00cd-4612-975e-d4941d1ecab9_971x1080.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4cd1b64c-00cd-4612-975e-d4941d1ecab9_971x1080.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4cd1b64c-00cd-4612-975e-d4941d1ecab9_971x1080.jpeg 1456w\\\" sizes=\\\"100vw\\\"><img src=\\\"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4cd1b64c-00cd-4612-975e-d4941d1ecab9_971x1080.jpeg\\\" width=\\\"971\\\" height=\\\"1080\\\" data-attrs=\\\"{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/4cd1b64c-00cd-4612-975e-d4941d1ecab9_971x1080.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1080,&quot;width&quot;:971,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:619297,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false}\\\" class=\\\"sizing-normal\\\" alt=\\\"\\\" srcset=\\\"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4cd1b64c-00cd-4612-975e-d4941d1ecab9_971x1080.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4cd1b64c-00cd-4612-975e-d4941d1ecab9_971x1080.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4cd1b64c-00cd-4612-975e-d4941d1ecab9_971x1080.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4cd1b64c-00cd-4612-975e-d4941d1ecab9_971x1080.jpeg 1456w\\\" sizes=\\\"100vw\\\" loading=\\\"lazy\\\"></picture><div class=\\\"image-link-expand\\\"><svg xmlns=\\\"http://www.w3.org/2000/svg\\\" width=\\\"20\\\" height=\\\"20\\\" viewBox=\\\"0 0 24 24\\\" fill=\\\"none\\\" stroke=\\\"currentColor\\\" stroke-width=\\\"2\\\" stroke-linecap=\\\"round\\\" stroke-linejoin=\\\"round\\\" class=\\\"lucide lucide-maximize2\\\"><polyline points=\\\"15 3 21 3 21 9\\\"></polyline><polyline points=\\\"9 21 3 21 3 15\\\"></polyline><line x1=\\\"21\\\" x2=\\\"14\\\" y1=\\\"3\\\" y2=\\\"10\\\"></line><line x1=\\\"3\\\" x2=\\\"10\\\" y1=\\\"21\\\" y2=\\\"14\\\"></line></svg></div></div></a></figure></div><p><em>Used in : Apple II, Commodore PET, BBC Micro, Commodore 64 and many more (sometimes derivatives of the 6502).</em></p><p>After Motorola made a promising entry with the 6800, much of the team behind that design soon moved on to MOS Technology, where they designed the 6502.</p><p>The 6502 used the team\u2019s experience in developing the 6800 but refined the approach to create a design that was both more elegant and could be made more cheaply than the 6800.</p><p>For me the 6502 is the iconic design of the 8-bit era. It was an elegant, spare design. Crucially, its low price enabled a new generation of affordable computers from the Apple II to the Commodore PET to the BBC Micro that, quite simply, changed the world.</p><p>I\u2019ve written about the 6502 before, with \u201865 Reasons to Celebrate the 6502\u2019.</p><div class=\\\"captioned-image-container\\\"><figure><a class=\\\"image-link image2\\\" target=\\\"_blank\\\" href=\\\"https://thechipletter.substack.com/p/65-reasons-to-celebrate-the-6502\\\" data-component-name=\\\"Image2ToDOM\\\"><div class=\\\"image2-inset\\\"><picture><source type=\\\"image/webp\\\" srcset=\\\"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd6dd768c-a339-4fef-8705-3c09abd03eed_1584x998.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd6dd768c-a339-4fef-8705-3c09abd03eed_1584x998.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd6dd768c-a339-4fef-8705-3c09abd03eed_1584x998.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd6dd768c-a339-4fef-8705-3c09abd03eed_1584x998.jpeg 1456w\\\" sizes=\\\"100vw\\\"><img src=\\\"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd6dd768c-a339-4fef-8705-3c09abd03eed_1584x998.jpeg\\\" width=\\\"1456\\\" height=\\\"917\\\" data-attrs=\\\"{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/d6dd768c-a339-4fef-8705-3c09abd03eed_1584x998.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:917,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:78406,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https://thechipletter.substack.com/p/65-reasons-to-celebrate-the-6502&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false}\\\" class=\\\"sizing-normal\\\" alt=\\\"\\\" srcset=\\\"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd6dd768c-a339-4fef-8705-3c09abd03eed_1584x998.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd6dd768c-a339-4fef-8705-3c09abd03eed_1584x998.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd6dd768c-a339-4fef-8705-3c09abd03eed_1584x998.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd6dd768c-a339-4fef-8705-3c09abd03eed_1584x998.jpeg 1456w\\\" sizes=\\\"100vw\\\" loading=\\\"lazy\\\"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><h4>Zilog Z80</h4><p><em>March 1976</em></p><p></p><div class=\\\"captioned-image-container\\\"><figure><a class=\\\"image-link image2 is-viewable-imag\\\" target=\\\"_blank\\\" href=\\\"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9d0e303f-e419-4474-a2f5-0416c6e9b9ed_588x324.jpeg\\\" data-component-name=\\\"Image2ToDOM\\\"><div class=\\\"image2-inset\\\"><picture><source type=\\\"image/webp\\\" srcset=\\\"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9d0e303f-e419-4474-a2f5-0416c6e9b9ed_588x324.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9d0e303f-e419-4474-a2f5-0416c6e9b9ed_588x324.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9d0e303f-e419-4474-a2f5-0416c6e9b9ed_588x324.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9d0e303f-e419-4474-a2f5-0416c6e9b9ed_588x324.jpeg 1456w\\\" sizes=\\\"100vw\\\"><img src=\\\"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9d0e303f-e419-4474-a2f5-0416c6e9b9ed_588x324.jpeg\\\" width=\\\"588\\\" height=\\\"324\\\" data-attrs=\\\"{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/9d0e303f-e419-4474-a2f5-0416c6e9b9ed_588x324.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:324,&quot;width&quot;:588,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:15758,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false}\\\" class=\\\"sizing-normal\\\" alt=\\\"\\\" srcset=\\\"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9d0e303f-e419-4474-a2f5-0416c6e9b9ed_588x324.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9d0e303f-e419-4474-a2f5-0416c6e9b9ed_588x324.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9d0e303f-e419-4474-a2f5-0416c6e9b9ed_588x324.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9d0e303f-e419-4474-a2f5-0416c6e9b9ed_588x324.jpeg 1456w\\\" sizes=\\\"100vw\\\" loading=\\\"lazy\\\"></picture><div class=\\\"image-link-expand\\\"><svg xmlns=\\\"http://www.w3.org/2000/svg\\\" width=\\\"20\\\" height=\\\"20\\\" viewBox=\\\"0 0 24 24\\\" fill=\\\"none\\\" stroke=\\\"currentColor\\\" stroke-width=\\\"2\\\" stroke-linecap=\\\"round\\\" stroke-linejoin=\\\"round\\\" class=\\\"lucide lucide-maximize2\\\"><polyline points=\\\"15 3 21 3 21 9\\\"></polyline><polyline points=\\\"9 21 3 21 3 15\\\"></polyline><line x1=\\\"21\\\" x2=\\\"14\\\" y1=\\\"3\\\" y2=\\\"10\\\"></line><line x1=\\\"3\\\" x2=\\\"10\\\" y1=\\\"21\\\" y2=\\\"14\\\"></line></svg></div></div></a><figcaption class=\\\"image-caption\\\">Zilog Z80 - Damicatz, CC BY 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1830432</figcaption></figure></div><p><em>Used in : Tandy TRS-80, Sinclair ZX81, Sinclair ZX Spectrum, MSX and many CP/M compatible computers of the 1970s</em></p><p>Having fallen out with Andy Grove at Intel, Federico Faggin started Zilog, with a focus on building microprocessors, in 1975. The Z80 was an updated version of the Intel 8080. It was code compatible but added more registers and addressing modes.</p><p>If Faggin wanted to demonstrate what Intel had lost with his departure, then the Z80 made his point very clearly. It outclassed Intel\u2019s 8085 update of the 8080 in almost every way: it was faster, had a more versatile instruction set and was easier for hardware designers to use in their computers. </p><p><em>Quirks : The Z80\u2019s 8-bit arithmetic was implemented by using a 4-bit arithmetic and logic unit.</em></p><h4>National Semiconductor SC/MP</h4><p><em>April 1976</em></p><div class=\\\"captioned-image-container\\\"><figure><a class=\\\"image-link image2 is-viewable-imag\\\" target=\\\"_blank\\\" href=\\\"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F913ef723-c61a-46e3-ab39-17ae3cb4d795_653x595.jpeg\\\" data-component-name=\\\"Image2ToDOM\\\"><div class=\\\"image2-inset\\\"><picture><source type=\\\"image/webp\\\" srcset=\\\"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F913ef723-c61a-46e3-ab39-17ae3cb4d795_653x595.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F913ef723-c61a-46e3-ab39-17ae3cb4d795_653x595.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F913ef723-c61a-46e3-ab39-17ae3cb4d795_653x595.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F913ef723-c61a-46e3-ab39-17ae3cb4d795_653x595.jpeg 1456w\\\" sizes=\\\"100vw\\\"><img src=\\\"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F913ef723-c61a-46e3-ab39-17ae3cb4d795_653x595.jpeg\\\" width=\\\"653\\\" height=\\\"595\\\" data-attrs=\\\"{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/913ef723-c61a-46e3-ab39-17ae3cb4d795_653x595.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:595,&quot;width&quot;:653,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:122333,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false}\\\" class=\\\"sizing-normal\\\" alt=\\\"\\\" srcset=\\\"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F913ef723-c61a-46e3-ab39-17ae3cb4d795_653x595.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F913ef723-c61a-46e3-ab39-17ae3cb4d795_653x595.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F913ef723-c61a-46e3-ab39-17ae3cb4d795_653x595.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F913ef723-c61a-46e3-ab39-17ae3cb4d795_653x595.jpeg 1456w\\\" sizes=\\\"100vw\\\" loading=\\\"lazy\\\"></picture><div class=\\\"image-link-expand\\\"><svg xmlns=\\\"http://www.w3.org/2000/svg\\\" width=\\\"20\\\" height=\\\"20\\\" viewBox=\\\"0 0 24 24\\\" fill=\\\"none\\\" stroke=\\\"currentColor\\\" stroke-width=\\\"2\\\" stroke-linecap=\\\"round\\\" stroke-linejoin=\\\"round\\\" class=\\\"lucide lucide-maximize2\\\"><polyline points=\\\"15 3 21 3 21 9\\\"></polyline><polyline points=\\\"9 21 3 21 3 15\\\"></polyline><line x1=\\\"21\\\" x2=\\\"14\\\" y1=\\\"3\\\" y2=\\\"10\\\"></line><line x1=\\\"3\\\" x2=\\\"10\\\" y1=\\\"21\\\" y2=\\\"14\\\"></line></svg></div></div></a><figcaption class=\\\"image-caption\\\">National Semiconductor SC/MP Die Shot - Wosch21149, CC BY-SA 3.0 &lt;https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0&gt;, via Wikimedia Commons</figcaption></figure></div><p><em>Used in : <a href=\\\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MK14\\\">Science of Cambridge (later Sinclair Research) MK14</a> Single Board Computer</em></p><p>The SC/MP for \u201CSimple Cost-effective Micro Processor\u201D was pronounced \u2018SCAMP\\\"\u2018.</p><p><em>Quirks : The program counter was only 12-bits and moving from one 4KB \u2018page\u2019 to another needed special instructions.</em></p><h4>Motorola 6809</h4><p><em>1978</em></p><div class=\\\"captioned-image-container\\\"><figure><a class=\\\"image-link image2 is-viewable-imag\\\" target=\\\"_blank\\\" href=\\\"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F34b4c53a-da08-4517-ac31-eba30423236d_1086x1080.jpeg\\\" data-component-name=\\\"Image2ToDOM\\\"><div class=\\\"image2-inset\\\"><picture><source type=\\\"image/webp\\\" srcset=\\\"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F34b4c53a-da08-4517-ac31-eba30423236d_1086x1080.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F34b4c53a-da08-4517-ac31-eba30423236d_1086x1080.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F34b4c53a-da08-4517-ac31-eba30423236d_1086x1080.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F34b4c53a-da08-4517-ac31-eba30423236d_1086x1080.jpeg 1456w\\\" sizes=\\\"100vw\\\"><img src=\\\"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F34b4c53a-da08-4517-ac31-eba30423236d_1086x1080.jpeg\\\" width=\\\"1086\\\" height=\\\"1080\\\" data-attrs=\\\"{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/34b4c53a-da08-4517-ac31-eba30423236d_1086x1080.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1080,&quot;width&quot;:1086,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:588498,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false}\\\" class=\\\"sizing-normal\\\" alt=\\\"\\\" srcset=\\\"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F34b4c53a-da08-4517-ac31-eba30423236d_1086x1080.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F34b4c53a-da08-4517-ac31-eba30423236d_1086x1080.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F34b4c53a-da08-4517-ac31-eba30423236d_1086x1080.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F34b4c53a-da08-4517-ac31-eba30423236d_1086x1080.jpeg 1456w\\\" sizes=\\\"100vw\\\" loading=\\\"lazy\\\"></picture><div class=\\\"image-link-expand\\\"><svg xmlns=\\\"http://www.w3.org/2000/svg\\\" width=\\\"20\\\" height=\\\"20\\\" viewBox=\\\"0 0 24 24\\\" fill=\\\"none\\\" stroke=\\\"currentColor\\\" stroke-width=\\\"2\\\" stroke-linecap=\\\"round\\\" stroke-linejoin=\\\"round\\\" class=\\\"lucide lucide-maximize2\\\"><polyline points=\\\"15 3 21 3 21 9\\\"></polyline><polyline points=\\\"9 21 3 21 3 15\\\"></polyline><line x1=\\\"21\\\" x2=\\\"14\\\" y1=\\\"3\\\" y2=\\\"10\\\"></line><line x1=\\\"3\\\" x2=\\\"10\\\" y1=\\\"21\\\" y2=\\\"14\\\"></line></svg></div></div></a><figcaption class=\\\"image-caption\\\">Motorola 6809 Die Shot - Pauli Rautakorpi, CC BY 3.0 &lt;https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0&gt;, via Wikimedia Commons</figcaption></figure></div><p><em>Used in : Tandy Color Computer, Dragon 32</em></p><p>The 6809 was the last of the \u2018classic\u2019 8-bit microprocessors, used in home and small business computers of the 1970s and early 1980s. It was backwards compatible with the 6800 but added more instructions.</p><div><hr></div><p>By 1978 the first 16-bit designs such as the 8086 had started to appear. The \u20188-bit era\u2019 was coming to an end.</p><div class=\\\"subscription-widget-wrap-editor\\\" data-attrs=\\\"{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://thechipletter.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}\\\" data-component-name=\\\"SubscribeWidgetToDOM\\\"><div class=\\\"subscription-widget show-subscribe\\\"><div class=\\\"preamble\\\"><p class=\\\"cta-caption\\\">The Chip Letter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class=\\\"subscription-widget-subscribe\\\"><input type=\\\"email\\\" class=\\\"email-input\\\" name=\\\"email\\\" placeholder=\\\"Type your email\u2026\\\" tabindex=\\\"-1\\\"><input type=\\\"submit\\\" class=\\\"button primary\\\" value=\\\"Subscribe\\\"><div class=\\\"fake-input-wrapper\\\"><div class=\\\"fake-input\\\"></div><div class=\\\"fake-button\\\"></div></div></form></div></div>\",\"truncated_body_text\":\"For some readers, when we talk today about \u20188-bit\u2019 then it probably evokes a certain aesthetic : simple, blocky, colourful design. I think for anyone who was around at the time, though, it also generates a lot of nostalgia.\",\"wordcount\":1487,\"postTags\":[],\"postCountryBlocks\":[],\"coverImagePalette\":{\"Vibrant\":{\"rgb\":[212,164,76],\"population\":2},\"DarkVibrant\":{\"rgb\":[153,100,31],\"population\":330},\"LightVibrant\":{\"rgb\":[220,204,162],\"population\":38},\"Muted\":{\"rgb\":[152,133,90],\"population\":265},\"DarkMuted\":{\"rgb\":[47,46,42],\"population\":413},\"LightMuted\":{\"rgb\":[193,181,152],\"population\":63}},\"publishedBylines\":[{\"id\":102722254,\"name\":\"Babbage\",\"handle\":\"thechipletter\",\"previous_name\":\"The Chip Letter\",\"photo_url\":\"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F82525b9c-ee3c-4996-916c-54267a4d354b_416x416.png\",\"bio\":\"Using the history of computing to understand the future\",\"profile_set_up_at\":\"2022-08-28T13:07:25.701Z\",\"publicationUsers\":[{\"id\":1012118,\"user_id\":102722254,\"publication_id\":1063960,\"role\":\"admin\",\"public\":true,\"is_primary\":false,\"publication\":{\"id\":1063960,\"name\":\"The Chip Letter\",\"subdomain\":\"thechipletter\",\"custom_domain\":null,\"custom_domain_optional\":false,\"hero_text\":\"Byte sized stories about the history of computing.\",\"logo_url\":\"https://bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/fe3b8c39-e578-48d7-9459-79948f1259eb_720x720.png\",\"author_id\":102722254,\"theme_var_background_pop\":\"#FF6B00\",\"created_at\":\"2022-08-28T13:07:52.880Z\",\"rss_website_url\":null,\"email_from_name\":\"The Chip Letter\",\"copyright\":\"The Chip Letter\",\"founding_plan_name\":\"Founding Member\",\"community_enabled\":true,\"invite_only\":false,\"payments_state\":\"enabled\",\"language\":null,\"explicit\":false,\"is_personal_mode\":false}},{\"id\":1841726,\"user_id\":102722254,\"publication_id\":1855156,\"role\":\"admin\",\"public\":true,\"is_primary\":false,\"publication\":{\"id\":1855156,\"name\":\"Babbage\u2019s Substack\",\"subdomain\":\"babbage\",\"custom_domain\":null,\"custom_domain_optional\":false,\"hero_text\":\"Coming soon!\",\"logo_url\":\"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F82525b9c-ee3c-4996-916c-54267a4d354b_416x416.png\",\"author_id\":102722254,\"theme_var_background_pop\":\"#FF81CD\",\"created_at\":\"2023-08-05T08:29:46.732Z\",\"rss_website_url\":null,\"email_from_name\":null,\"copyright\":\"Babbage\",\"founding_plan_name\":null,\"community_enabled\":true,\"invite_only\":false,\"payments_state\":\"disabled\",\"language\":null,\"explicit\":false,\"is_personal_mode\":false}}],\"is_guest\":false,\"bestseller_tier\":100}],\"reaction\":null,\"reaction_count\":27,\"comment_count\":23,\"child_comment_count\":10,\"audio_items\":[{\"post_id\":139145891,\"voice_id\":\"en-US-JennyNeural\",\"audio_url\":\"https://substack-video.s3.amazonaws.com/video_upload/post/139145891/tts/34dd0d35-2322-4678-b28e-4927df27bd70/en-US-JennyNeural.mp3\",\"type\":\"tts\",\"status\":\"completed\"}],\"is_geoblocked\":false,\"hasCashtag\":false},\"comments\":[{\"id\":44300617,\"body\":\"That poll widget is terrible \u2014 I can\u2019t tell whether I was allowed to vote in the poll or not, or whether I did vote \u2014 I am a subscriber, but the poll is grayed out. I touched it (I\u2019m on an iPad), and it immediately went to the results, and I have no idea whether my vote was registered or ignored. It seems to be indicating I voted for the Intel 8-bits, which was not what I wanted to vote for, but I can\u2019t really tell.\\n\\nFor what it\u2019s worth: IMHO, enough has been written (in incredible detail) elsewhere about the Intel 8008 and derivatives; I\u2019d prefer to see a deep dive on any of the others. The 6809, F8, SC/MP all seem interesting. Z80 a bit less so, just because again it\u2019s a very widely covered/emulated CPU.\",\"publication_id\":1063960,\"post_id\":139145891,\"user_id\":55269436,\"ancestor_path\":\"\",\"type\":\"comment\",\"deleted\":false,\"date\":\"2023-11-26T19:49:52.528Z\",\"edited_at\":null,\"reply_from_post_id\":null,\"status\":\"published\",\"pinned_by_user_id\":null,\"restacks\":0,\"name\":\"Frog Pozzle\",\"photo_url\":\"https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/dfdd2dad-d976-4635-83c1-c5cef7fffeb5_144x144.png\",\"handle\":\"frogpozzle\",\"reactor_names\":[\"Babbage\"],\"reaction\":null,\"reactions\":{\"\u2764\":4},\"reaction_count\":4,\"children\":[],\"bans\":[],\"suppressed\":false,\"user_banned\":false,\"user_banned_for_comment\":false,\"user_slug\":\"frogpozzle\",\"metadata\":{\"is_author\":false,\"membership_state\":\"subscribed\",\"eligibleForGift\":false},\"user_bestseller_tier\":null,\"can_dm\":false,\"score\":9,\"children_count\":2,\"reported_by_user\":false,\"restacked\":false,\"childrenSummary\":\"3 replies by Babbage and others\"},{\"id\":44771570,\"body\":\"The Z80 was also big in at least the GDR (East Germany), not sure how many were exported to other East Bloc countries.\\n\\nThe GDR produced an unlicensed clone, the U880: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U880\\n\\nIt was the CPU for GDR-made computers like the KC 85 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KC_85) or the (office PC) PC1715 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PC_1715).\",\"publication_id\":1063960,\"post_id\":139145891,\"user_id\":186986093,\"ancestor_path\":\"\",\"type\":\"comment\",\"deleted\":false,\"date\":\"2023-12-04T17:00:19.459Z\",\"edited_at\":null,\"reply_from_post_id\":null,\"status\":\"published\",\"pinned_by_user_id\":null,\"restacks\":0,\"name\":\"Moerre\",\"photo_url\":null,\"handle\":\"moerre\",\"reactor_names\":[\"Babbage\"],\"reaction\":null,\"reactions\":{\"\u2764\":2},\"reaction_count\":2,\"children\":[],\"bans\":[],\"suppressed\":false,\"user_banned\":false,\"user_banned_for_comment\":false,\"user_slug\":\"moerre\",\"metadata\":{\"is_author\":false,\"membership_state\":null,\"eligibleForGift\":true},\"user_bestseller_tier\":null,\"can_dm\":false,\"score\":7,\"children_count\":0,\"reported_by_user\":false,\"restacked\":false}],\"canonicalUrl\":\"https://thechipletter.substack.com/p/the-virtues-of-the-8-bit-era-eight\",\"inlineComments\":false,\"readerIsSearchCrawler\":false,\"ogUrl\":\"https://thechipletter.substack.com/p/the-virtues-of-the-8-bit-era-eight\",\"bannedFromNotes\":false,\"themeVariables\":{\"color_theme_bg_pop\":\"#538cfa\",\"background_pop\":\"#538cfa\",\"color_theme_bg_web\":\"#ffffff\",\"cover_bg_color\":\"#ffffff\",\"background_pop_darken\":\"#3a7bf9\",\"print_on_pop\":\"#ffffff\",\"color_theme_bg_pop_darken\":\"#3a7bf9\",\"color_theme_print_on_pop\":\"#ffffff\",\"border_subtle\":\"rgba(204, 204, 204, 0.5)\",\"background_subtle\":\"rgba(229, 238, 254, 0.4)\",\"print_pop\":\"#538cfa\",\"color_theme_accent\":\"#538cfa\",\"cover_print_primary\":\"#363737\",\"cover_print_secondary\":\"#757575\",\"cover_print_tertiary\":\"#b6b6b6\",\"cover_border_color\":\"#538cfa\",\"font_family_headings_preset\":\"'SF Pro Display', -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Inter', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol'\",\"font_weight_headings_preset\":900,\"font_family_body_preset\":\"'SF Pro Display', -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Inter', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol'\",\"font_weight_body_preset\":400,\"font_preset_heading\":\"heavy_sans\",\"font_preset_body\":\"sans\",\"home_hero\":\"magazine-5\",\"home_posts\":\"grid\",\"home_show_top_posts\":true,\"web_bg_color\":\"#ffffff\",\"background_contrast_1\":\"#f0f0f0\",\"color_theme_bg_contrast_1\":\"#f0f0f0\",\"background_contrast_2\":\"#dddddd\",\"color_theme_bg_contrast_2\":\"#dddddd\",\"background_contrast_3\":\"#b7b7b7\",\"color_theme_bg_contrast_3\":\"#b7b7b7\",\"background_contrast_4\":\"#929292\",\"color_theme_bg_contrast_4\":\"#929292\",\"background_contrast_5\":\"#515151\",\"color_theme_bg_contrast_5\":\"#515151\",\"color_theme_detail\":\"#e6e6e6\",\"background_contrast_pop\":\"rgba(83, 140, 250, 0.4)\",\"color_theme_bg_contrast_pop\":\"rgba(83, 140, 250, 0.4)\",\"input_background\":\"#ffffff\",\"cover_input_background\":\"#ffffff\",\"tooltip_background\":\"#191919\",\"web_bg_color_h\":\"0\",\"web_bg_color_s\":\"0%\",\"web_bg_color_l\":\"100%\",\"print_on_web_bg_color\":\"#363737\",\"print_secondary_on_web_bg_color\":\"#868787\",\"selected_comment_background_color\":\"#fdf9f3\",\"background_pop_rgb\":\"83, 140, 250\",\"background_pop_rgb_pc\":\"83 140 250\",\"color_theme_bg_pop_rgb\":\"83, 140, 250\",\"color_theme_bg_pop_rgb_pc\":\"83 140 250\",\"color_theme_accent_rgb\":\"83, 140, 250\",\"color_theme_accent_rgb_pc\":\"83 140 250\"},\"recentEpisodes\":null,\"trackFrontendVisit\":true,\"isChatActive\":false,\"isMeetingsActive\":false,\"features\":{},\"showCookieBanner\":false,\"disabledCookies\":[],\"dd_env\":\"prod\",\"dd_ti\":true}")</script> <script>window._analyticsConfig = JSON.parse("{\"properties\":{\"subdomain\":\"thechipletter\",\"publication_id\":1063960,\"has_plans\":true,\"pub_community_enabled\":true,\"is_personal_publication\":false,\"is_subscribed\":false,\"is_free_subscribed\":false,\"is_author\":false,\"is_contributor\":false,\"is_admin\":false,\"is_founding\":false},\"adwordsAccountId\":\"AW-316245675\",\"adwordsEventSendTo\":\"Tf76CKqcyL4DEKuN5pYB\"}")</script> <script type="module" src="https://substackcdn.com/bundle/assets/main-fd7bd0e8.js" charset="utf-8" defer></script> <script nomodule> (function() { var message = 'Your browser does not support modern JavaScript modules. Please upgrade your browser for the best experience.'; var warningDiv = document.createElement('div'); warningDiv.style.color = 'red'; warningDiv.style.padding = '10px'; warningDiv.style.margin = '10px 0'; warningDiv.style.border = '1px solid red'; warningDiv.style.backgroundColor = 'lightyellow'; warningDiv.innerText = message; document.body.prepend(warningDiv); })(); </script> <!-- Datadog Analytics --> <script> (function(h,o,u,n,d) { h=h[d]=h[d]||{q:[],onReady:function(c){h.q.push(c)}} d=o.createElement(u);d.async=1;d.src=n n=o.getElementsByTagName(u)[0];n.parentNode.insertBefore(d,n) })(window,document,'script','https://www.datadoghq-browser-agent.com/us1/v5/datadog-rum.js','DD_RUM') window.DD_RUM.onReady(function() { window.DD_RUM.init({ clientToken: 'puba71073f072643721169b68f352438710', applicationId: '2e321b35-c76b-4073-8d04-cc9a10461793', site: 'datadoghq.com', service: 'substack-web', env: window._preloads.dd_env, version: 'a7c68745f002f24e4d98fb6e9e8b5b139184066e', sessionSampleRate: 1, sessionReplaySampleRate: 100, trackUserInteractions: window._preloads.dd_ti, trackResources: true, trackLongTasks: true, defaultPrivacyLevel: 'mask-user-input', allowedTracingUrls: [/https?:\/\/(.+\/.)?substack(cdn)?\.com/] }); }) </script> <!-- End Datadog Analytics --> <!-- Cloudflare Web Analytics --> <script defer src="https://static.cloudflareinsights.com/beacon.min.js" data-cf-beacon='{"token": "216309cffb464db4b0e02daf0b8e8060"}'></script> <!-- End Cloudflare Web Analytics --> <!-- Fallback tracking pixels --> <noscript> <style> #nojs-banner { position: fixed; bottom: 0; left: 0; padding: 16px 16px 16px 32px; width: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; background: red; color: white; font-family: -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px; } #nojs-banner a { color: inherit; text-decoration: underline; } </style> <div id="nojs-banner"> This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. Please <a href="https://enable-javascript.com/" target="_blank">turn on JavaScript</a> or unblock scripts </div> </noscript> </body> </html>

Pages： 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10