The 6502 Microprocessor Turns 35

The 6502 Microprocessor Turns 35

The 6502 microprocessor is 35 years old as of September 16th. Introduced in 1975 at WesCon in San Francisco, the chip cost $25. Many early, hugely-popular home computers and gaming consoles sported it, including: Apple 1 & ][; Commodore PET & Vic 20; Atari 2600, 400 & 800.

The 6502 came into being when a Motorola team led by Chuck Peddle and Bill Mensch started designing a low-cost competitor Motorola’s own 6800. It was a rogue project as far as the executives were concerned. So, out came a memo: Shut.It.Down. In retaliation, Peddle and Mensch’s entire team left the company to join MOS Technologies where they designed and manufactured the semi-conducting super-star.

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1 Comment

  1. Still have my KIM-1 somewhere…

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