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ThrowBack Thursday: First Integrated Circuit

Old Integrated Circuit

Throwback Thursday : First Integrated Circuit prototype 1958

Spotted this in my Facebook feed this morning. Didn’t even know existed

It hailed the switch (sorry, pun!) to integrated Circuits and miniaturization in computers.

Back in 1958, People saw the big box of computers being fitted into offices and research areas, and thought ‘This is a bit silly’. Along them was a few staff at Texas Instruments  who came up with the above.

Eventually led to some people trying strands of materials with different currents and scenarios and produced the first Integrated Circuit prototype. A basic automated switch in other words..

Above is what it looks like courtesy of Engadget

Funnily enough, it’s survived to this day and is being auctioned off at Christies for an expected 1 to 2 million Dollars

This little prototype doesn’t look like its worth that, but it’s what made phones possible. Along with every other electronic device we have. Even CPU technology owes a lot to this, Although we are on a much, much smaller scale now, possibly billions of switches like that in a CPU today.

[Edit] No it won’t run Crysis before anyone tries that old joke..

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