Early chip engineer Victor Poor dies at 79

The 4004 microprocessor, which Victor Poor helped create.

(Credit: Intel)

Victor Poor, one of the founding fathers of early computer innovation, died Friday at the age of 79. He was one of the handful of engineers who helped develop Intel's first single chip microprocessor -- the 4004. Poor continued to be instrumental in microprocessor and computer advancement throughout his life.

According to the New York Times, Poor died of pancreatic cancer in Palm Bay, Fla.

Poor, who was a self-taught engineer, began working with Intel in 1969 when he met with well-known engineer Stanley Mazor to discuss the idea of building a processor for a programmable terminal, according to the New York Times. Intel was already working on the 4004 at the time.

The 4004 was Intel's first microprocessor. It sparked a technological revolution because it was the first product to fuse the essential elements of a programmable computer into a single chip. It was designed to be a calculator component for a Japanese manufacturer, which initially owned all rights to the chip. At the time, most Intel executives saw little promise in the product. Since then, processors have allowed manufacturers to embed ... [Read more]