In the early microprocessor 1970 period, the primary microprocessor use was for high-end calculators, cash registers, and simple laboratory instruments. These early chips lacked the speed and memory for general-purpose computing. However, as the decade progressed and chips like the microprocessor Z80 arrived, the use cases expanded into arcade games, traffic light controllers, and the very first home computer systems like the Altair 8800 and the ZX Spectrum.