Current Trends, Issues and Strategies in the Development of the Microprocessor Industry

Abstract

There are few microelectronic technologies which hold such a strong appeal as microprocessors. They emerged on the industrial scene about two decades ago and, since then, their evolution has been dominated by a specific form of architecture known as 'Cisc' (complex instruction set computer). In addition, Cisc has been the foundation on which two companies (Intel and Motorola) have established a strong dominance of the industry. Around the mid-1980s, however, the first products of a new microprocessor technology - based on an architectural approach known as 'Risc' (reduced instruction set computer) - began to reach the market. This signaled the start of one of the most common processes within the realm of technology - namely, the struggle between a new emerging technology and an older, established technology completely occupying the field. This paper is about the current trends, issues and strategies in the microprocessor industry - and, consequently, very much about the struggle between Cisc and Risc. Its intention is to provide a picture which indicates what the future in microprocessors may hold. It contains an exhaustive characterization of the commercial microprocessor arena, and an overview of related developments and trends in semiconductor technology. This provides the background for a detailed examination of the character and state of development of Risc and Cisc and the strategies being implemented by their leading players. The conclusion discusses some of the implications of these strategies. The analysis is centred around the idea that both Cisc and Risc technologies can be better understood by treating them as evolving 'sociotechnical constituencies' These are defined as dynamic ensembles of technical constituents (expertise, tools, machines, etc.) and social constituents (people and their values, interest groups, etc, which interact and shape each other in the course of the creation, production and diffusion of specific technologies.