Historic Integrated Circuit Expected To Fetch Up To $2M At Auction

Fox News ^ | 6-19-2014 | AP

[blam]

Historic Integrated Circuit Expected To Fetch Up To $2M At Auction

An integrated circuit that Texas Instruments engineer Jack Kilby used in 1958 to demonstrate his invention of the new technology is expected to sell for up to $2 million at auction.

(snip)

[blam]

The Chip That Jack Built

The picture below is a picture of the original chip that Jack built and (presumably) will continue to be held by Texas Instruments:

[jsanders2001]

And a wealthy elite liberal will buy it and write it off as an operating expense like office equipment of course and the IRS won’t question it one bit if he’s an Obama donor..

[Dr. Sivana]

They can incorporate it in the IRS backup system.

[skeeter]

I used to work at the old Sun HQ, which was across the street from the little building where Robert Noyce independently invented the first commercially practical IC a few months after Kilby's.

I was sorry to learn the building has since been been torn down.

[jsanders2001]

> They can incorporate it in the IRS backup system.

Probably 10 times more dependable than what they have...lol

[Gay State Conservative]

My Dad used to travel routinely to Dallas during the 60’s to establish specs for transistors and ICs from TI to be placed into Polaroid cameras.

[blam]

"I used to work at the old Sun HQ, which was across the street from the little building where Robert Noyce independently invented the first commercially practical IC a few months after Kilby's."

Was that on Middlefield road?

For years Noyce claimed that he had 'notes' in his engineering book supporting his claim that he was the inventor of the first chip.

Kilby had the chip in the picture above that predated Noyce's notes.

As I understand it, The Nobel committee did a thorough study of the subject and awarded the Nobel Prize in physics to Jack for the invention.

[The Cajun]

The outfit I worked for started using chips in downhole well logging equipment in 1970-71, sent the techs like me in quite a tizzy for a while, LOL.

We were running equipment with Vacuum tubes, transistors and chips all in one package.

[TangoLimaSierra]

When I went thru tech school for Ground Radio in 68-69 we were being taught solid state along with tube-type circuits.

[The Cajun]

Tech school (Communications radio, microwave, radar) in 67-68, we were taught primarily on tube stuff with some transistor, don't think there was ever a mention of IC’s.

[-YYZ-]

Arguably the most important technological/scientific advancement of the last 60+ years. I don’t think people even realize just how ubiquitous the IC is. We wouldn’t have the TVs, the home theatres, the cell phones, laptops, tablets, PCs, publicly available internet, fuel injection, etc, etc, without the invention of the IC. And those things have changed our lives in ways we don’t even realize until we really think about it.

[ResponseAbility]

Microwave ovens, GPS, the Weather Channel, CNC Machining etc. etc. etc........

[Verginius Rufus]

One of the lesser-known consequences of the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision. Before that they used to make segregated circuits.

[skeeter]

Charleston Rd. not far from Middlefield.

The plaque says the first 'commercially practical' IC was invented there.

BTW I just checked Google Earth and the building seems to still be there.

[TangoLimaSierra]

...we were taught primarily on tube stuff with some transistor, don't think there was ever a mention of IC’s.

You are correct.

[blam]

"And those things have changed our lives in ways we don’t even realize until we really think about it."

You're correct, I know.

I started out making chips at National Semiconductor (employee #54) in 1967 and retired from TI in 1994. I knew some of the great ones...a fascinating and 'fast-lane' career for sure.

I retired at 50, lol.