In 1965, three years before he helped found Intel, Gordon Moore observed that the number of transistors on a microprocessor doubles every eighteen to twenty-four months. He concluded that the trend would cause computing power to rise exponentially over time. His prediction, now known as Moore's law, has held true in the years since, though some industry experts believe the physical limitations of silicon will cause it to fail at some future time.

The resulting trend toward ever-smaller chip design explains the falling prices of microprocessors. As Moore has noted, "If the auto industry advanced as rapidly as the semiconductor industry, a Rolls Royce would get a half a million miles per gallon, and it would be cheaper to throw it away than to park it."