Intel Marketing of the 4004, 8008 and PL/M

This cover picture on my book, “The Accidental Engineer“, was staged but it was also a very significant time for the Intel Microcomputer Marketing team. The cover picture (which is actually flipped horizantally on the book) is the team that started the microprocessor customer training for Intel, circa 1973. From the right to left (on the original photo here) : Manny Lemas, President and Co-Founder of Microcomputer Associates Inc.; Bob Garrow, Intel marketing; Ray Holt, Executive Vice-President and Co-Founder of Microcomputer Associates Inc.; Phil Tai (front), Intel Marketing;

Intel Marketing was told by Intel’s President, Dr Robert Noyce, that if they don’t find a way to sell the microprocessor then he would cancel the program. The reason was Intel was in the memory business and sold 10,000’s a month and microprocessors were only selling around 200+ a month. Intel microprocessor marketing consulted with Manny and I and decided to train engineers around the country how to program.

Intel, based on our advice, realized that engineers did not know how to program and so contracted Manny and I for two years to travel the USA teaching Intel microprocessors. The course was a 5-day course. The last day of the course was taught by Mr Gary Kildall on PL/M, his high level language for microcomputers.

Bob Garrow left Intel soon after this and started Convergent Technologies which later was bought by Unisys in 1988. Gary Kildall started Digital Research and created the CP/M and MP/M operating systems. Gary was a creative and brilliant pioneering computer scientist who, in 1973, created PL/M and CP/M, the first popular operating systems for personal computers.

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