AMD

 Home > Browse Our Collection > Computing Companies > AMD
 

Advanced Micro Devices or AMD was founded on May 1, 1969, by a group of former executives from Fairchild Semiconductor, including Jerry Sanders III, Ed Turney, John Carey, Sven Simonsen, Jack Gifford and three members from Gifford's team, Frank Botte, Jim Giles, and Larry Stenger.

The company began as a producer of logic chips, producing its first product the AM9300 after moving to Sunnyvale.

They started producing RAM chips in 1975, whil also bringing to market a clone of the Intel 8080 microprocessor, the AM 9080.

During this period, AMD also designed and produced more original products, among them the Am2900, Am29116, Am293xx) which were used in various minicomputer designs.

In 1977, AMD partnered with Siemens who gave a cash injection for 20% of company stock, the money giving them greater manufacturing ability, and forming the division AMC, enabling the company to enter the Microcomputer manufacturing sector.

This division was folded in 1981, after buying out the Siemen's share, and AMD switched focus to producing second source Intel x86 chips.

Investing heavily during the 1980s to counter the downturn in the chip markets, mainly due to increased competition from Japan, the company would eventualy go on to purchase the graphics processor company ATI in a multi billion dollar industry in 2006, and continues today as one of the leading processor manufacturers of the world.

Timeline for AMD :

Date Event
1 May 1969 AMD, Advanced Micro Devices, is founded
12 Apr 1973 Amdahl plans to corner large scale market
18 Nov 2012 Nintendo releases Wii U
15 Nov 2013 Sony releases PlayStation 4
22 Nov 2013 Microsoft releases Xbox One


Software Products

Crossword Puzzler

Crossword Puzzler
1983
This software package contains a program tape for crossword puzzle generation and crossword puzzle playing.

Manufacturer : Microtrust Software/ National Extension College
Type : Software

Sega Ages Volume 1

Sega Ages Volume 1
1996
Afterburner II Space Harrier Outrun...

Manufacturer : Sega
Type : Software - Game


Magazine Articles About AMD

 

AMD

 

 

Help support the museum by buying from the museum shop

View all items

Founding Sponsors
redgate Google ARM Real VNC Microsoft Research
Heritage Lottery Funded
Heritage Lottery Fund
Accredited Museum