The MP944 wasn't a single microprocessor chip, nor was it really general purpose or user programmable. It was apparently a multi chip set, consisting of separate chips like multiplier, divider, special logic (special arithmetic operations like value clamping), and a "steering unit" steering data from data sensors to the math chips, etc. It was programmed in microcode.
The Intel 4004 in comparison, while being designed for calculator use, had a general purpose instruction set, and was a single chip CPU.
Mainframes, such as the IBM System/360 with programmable processing units consisting of multiple LSI chips had existed before the Intel 4004, but it's claim to fame was being the first single chip processor, a claim that the MP944 can't take away.
Are you sure ? /s
klelatti•2mo ago
First Microprocessor – 50th Anniversary 2020
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45932051