Intel

US manufacturer of the microprocessors that form the basis of the IBM PC range and its clones. Intel developed the first microprocessor, the 4004, in 1971. They continued to develop the x86 range, culminating in the 586, or Pentium, released in 1993. In November 2000, Intel released the Pentium 4 processor, running at 1.5 GHz. By 2004, P4 chips were available at 3.0 to 3.4 GHz speeds.

In March 2003, Intel launched its Centrino mobile technology (including the Pentium M processor) for Wi-Fi enabled laptop computers and personal digital assistants (PDAs). At the same time, the company introduced a ‘wireless verification programme’ to ensure that public hotspot services were compatible with the new technology.

A boycott of the Pentium III processor was called for on 25 January 1999 by several groups worried about Internet privacy. The chip was to carry a built-in identification number (Processor Serial Number; or PSN) that would allow Web site operators to identify the computer and record the user's surfing habits. Intel believed the identification number would cut down on computer fraud. In April 2000, in response to the protests, Intel announced that it would not be including the PSN in any of its new processors.