Strangely, the 1978 Z80 datasheet [1] describes it as a third generation microprocessor. So somehow the Z80 added another generation between 1978 and 2016. Gen

Strangely, the 1978 Z80 datasheet [1] describes it as a third generation microprocessor. So somehow the Z80 added another generation between 1978 and 2016. Generations are sort of nonsense, but you could say the first generation microprocessors were PMOS processors like the 4004 and 8008 that were barely usable. Second generation would be the "classic" NMOS microprocessors like the 8080 and 6502. The Z80 is a step more advanced so maybe you could call it a generation, but I don't know how you'd get to fourth generation. Usually 16-bit microprocessors are considered the third generation, which makes more sense. [1] Second paragraph, http://www.bitsavers.org/components/zilog/z80/03-0027-02_Z80_CPU_Product_Specification_Mar78.pdf http://www.bitsavers.org/components/zilog/z80/03-0027-02_Z80...