The MP944 wasn't a single microprocessor chip, nor was it really general purpose or user programmable. It was apparently a multi chip set, consisting of separate chips like multiplier, divider, special logic (special arithmetic operations like value clamping), and a "steering unit" steering data from data sensors to the math chips, etc. It was programmed in microcode.
The Intel 4004 in comparison, while being designed for calculator use, had a general purpose instruction set, and was a single chip CPU.
Mainframes, such as the IBM System/360 with programmable processing units consisting of multiple LSI chips had existed before the Intel 4004, but it's claim to fame was being the first single chip processor, a claim that the MP944 can't take away.
This seems like a bit of a questionable claim.
The MP944 wasn't a single microprocessor chip, nor was it really general purpose or user programmable. It was apparently a multi chip set, consisting of separate chips like multiplier, divider, special logic (special arithmetic operations like value clamping), and a "steering unit" steering data from data sensors to the math chips, etc. It was programmed in microcode.
The Intel 4004 in comparison, while being designed for calculator use, had a general purpose instruction set, and was a single chip CPU.
Mainframes, such as the IBM System/360 with programmable processing units consisting of multiple LSI chips had existed before the Intel 4004, but it's claim to fame was being the first single chip processor, a claim that the MP944 can't take away.
Discussed a few days ago:
First Microprocessor – 50th Anniversary 2020
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45932051
`Alexander the ok` did a nice video on this a while ago.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpruA5mC7wg
I'll wait for @kens's take...
> The MP944 was the 'real' first microprocessor, but it was top secret
Are you sure ? /s