This dissertation explores the birth and evolution of the personal computing industry and, in particular, Intel as a corporation. Founded by Gordon Moore and Robert Noyce in 1968, Intel was initially destined to produce large-scale semiconductor memories. However, fierce competition in the memory market coupled with the rising potential of the microprocessor market in the early 1980s prompted Intel to shift its core business. The corporation has never looked back since, and Intel revolutionized the personal computing industry with the introduction of its x86 series of microprocessors. Intel...