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An important part of computer history, the world's first microprocessor, was auctioned at the Christie's auction house.
The world's first integrated circuit, created by Texas Instruments engineer Jack Kilby in 1958, was put up for auction. Experts estimated this lot within 1-2 million dollars, because in fact this scheme is the progenitor of all modern microchips. Thanks to his invention, Jack Kilby received the Nobel Prize in physics in 2000. The merit of the engineer was estimated only 42 years later.
The integrated circuit is a thin plate of germanium with gold-painted tracks on it, and all of this is located on a glass substrate. This lot was put up for auction along with his twin, which was developed by another engineer, Tom Yergan, in his model and likeness, and represents a further development of the idea of Jack Kilby.
"We can consider this integrated circuit as a testament to the birth of modern computers," said James Hislop, a leading scientist at the Christie's auction house, "The creation of the first microchip is indeed the starting point for the emergence of all modern computers."
Despite the historical value of this lot, bidders evaluated the first microchip not as highly as the auction house would like. The rates reached a mark of only 850 000 dollars, not reaching to the minimum declared value of the lot. Now it is not entirely clear what will happen to the chip further - whether it will be re-put up for auction or temporarily lie on the storage shelf, next to other historical values.
Chip Kilby is not the only reminder of how computer technology was born. In the Smithsonian Museum of Technology in Chicago, you can see two other early prototypes of integrated circuits. The head of the museum nevertheless believes that the price tag on the microchip put up for auction is too high, and he is not even able to guess which museum can afford to buy it for such huge money.
The article is based on materials .
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