Final answer:
Modern CPUs are called microprocessors because they are small integrated circuits that contain a complete computer processor. The correct answer is B.
Step-by-step explanation:
Modern CPUs are called microprocessors because they are small integrated circuits that contain a complete computer processor. Microprocessors revolutionized computing by holding all of a computer's processing power in a single chip. They allowed computers to be smaller, cheaper, and more powerful, making them accessible to a wider market. Microprocessors are the reason why personal computers became common and are found in various devices today.
Modern CPUs are called microprocessors because they integrate an entire computer's processing power onto a single chip, making them smaller than ever before. The invention of the microchip and the consequent reduction in size and cost led to the widespread availability of personal computers. The term reflects the significant miniaturization of processing technology.
The term microprocessor originates from the integration of an entire computer processor onto a single chip. The invention of the microchip, which integrated hundreds or thousands of circuits that previously required a lot of material and space, led to the significant reduction in size and cost of computers. This made it feasible to convert large machines that once filled entire rooms into the size of a desktop box. The first commercial microprocessor was developed independently around the same time at Texas Instruments and Intel in 1971. It played a pivotal role in the development of personal computers like the Apple II and the IBM personal computer. Consequently, as microprocessors became cheaper and their capabilities increased, a company like Apple Computer, co-founded by Steve Jobs in 1976, successfully entered the market by selling personal computers to a much broader audience beyond just hobbyists.
Microprocessors have also facilitated the doubling of electronic capabilities approximately every 18 months to two years, a trend described by Moore's Law. This rapid evolution has resulted in the contemporary desktops and laptops that remarkably execute more than 100 million instructions per second. Therefore, despite the multiple advantages offered by modern CPUs including speed and capability, they are referred to as microprocessors primarily because they are smaller than ever before.