There is a claim by Texas Instruments that they invented the microprocessor at same time or even before Intel, but this processor was never put onto the market. They did, however, release the TMS 1000 in 1974, which was the first microcontroller, a microprocessor able to include enough RAM (random access memory), ROM (read only memory) and I/O (input output) support to allow it to operate without external support chips.

The next microprocessor released by Intel in 1972, the 8008, was twice as powerful as the 4004. However, it was not until 2 years later with the introduction of the 8080 processor that computers really started to take off - in fact, with the invention of this microprocessor nothing would ever be the same again. The 8080 was used in the Altair, the first computer which people could use at home. Although clearly targeted just for the electronics hobby market, the Altair, which came in kit-form only, still sold tens of thousands in the first few months of its release.