16) “Calculator with Built-in Printer”, the First Application Product

  
Picture A (left) : Busicom’s “Calculator with Built-in Printer” using [4004]
Picture B (right): Kojima, former President of Busicom

Picture A is Busicom’s “Calculator with Built-in Printer” which was the first application product using [4004]. I took this photograph when I visited Intel Museum in 2005. This product was displayed somewhat proudly in the corner close to the entrance. The explanatory note stated, “The total number of sales reached 100 thousand.”

Intel’s microprocessors rapidly increased the application fields, but what’s interesting is that Intel initially did not realize the versatility of this chip. G. Moore, former Chairman and the current Supreme Advisor of Intel wrote in his book titled, “Together With Intel”, “We highly evaluated Dr. Hoff’s invention as an epoch-making idea, but we considered it only as a specific semiconductor product for calculator use. We never thought of PC applications at that time.”

Answering to my question about the reason why Busicom could not keep an exclusive right to use the chip developed by the consignment of Busicom, Kojima, former President of Busicom said, “The exclusive right was limited only for calculator use, and for 4 bit chip”.

Kojima is 87 years old today, and he is still in good health. (Picture B was taken in 2007).

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