 As a result, the total system cost was several hundred (1970s US) dollars, making it impossible to economically computerize small appliances.MOS Technology introduced sub-$100 microprocessors, the 6501 and 6502, with the chief aim of addressing this economic obstacle, but these microprocessors still required external support, memory, and peripheral chips which kept the total system cost in the hundreds of dollars.One book credits TI engineers Gary Boone and Michael Cochran with the successful creation of the first microcontroller in 1971.