CPU popularity contest: and the winner is...

[qubit]

Intel’s x86 microprocessor wins INQUIRER readers’ vote

CHIPMAKER Intel's x86 architecture has beaten its rivals by far to become The INQUIRER readers' favourite microprocessor architecture of the past four decades.

In our latest poll we asked, "It was the 40th anniversary of the Intel 4004 chip last week. What is your favourite microprocessor architecture of the last four decades?"

When it launched in November 1971, The Intel 4004 was the first commercially available microprocessor, combining all the components of a processor onto a single chip for the first time.

And it wasn't too shocking when you voted Intel's server and desktop giant, the X86 architecture the winner, with 53 per cent of the vote.

In second place was ARM, which was originally conceived by Acorn Computers for use in its personal computers, with 18 per cent of the vote. The first ARM-based products were the Acorn Archimedes range introduced in 1987 and the firm has seen recent success thanks to the success of low power chips based on its microprocessor architecture in smartphones and other mobile devices.

DEC's Alpha microprocessor also made a fairly good impression on The INQUIRER's readers, and took 16 per cent of the vote.

Meanwhile, Sun Microsystem's Sparc microprocessor, which was launched in 1987, didn't prove so popular with just four per cent of your votes. IBM's Power chip got just six per cent of the vote, while MIPs processors got a last place three per cent.

Not surprising, is it? x86 is the best known in the common mind.

The Inquirer

[erixx]

Live started to be appassionato with the 386 and never stoped since then : )

[Super XP]

Just like the un-famous, un-popular and un-compatible ITANIUM fiasco. No really, Intel had control of this market for decades upon decades and did not allow for fair competition via smaller companies. So there’s no surprise they would win this hands down.