Happy birthday, x86! An industry standard turns 30

jmke · 9th June 2008, 14:39

Thirty years ago, on June 8, 1978, Intel Corp. introduced its first 16-bit microprocessor, the 8086, with a splashy ad heralding "the dawn of a new era." Overblown? Sure, but also prophetic. While the 8086 was slow to take off, its underlying architecture -- later referred to as x86 -- would become one of technology's most impressive success stories.

"X86" refers to the set of machine language instructions that certain microprocessors from Intel and a few other companies execute. It essentially defines the vocabulary and usage rules for the chip. X86 processors -- from the 8086 through the 80186, 80286, 80386, 80486 and various Pentium models, right down to today's multicore chips and processors for mobile applications -- have over time incorporated a growing x86 instruction set, but each has offered backward compatibility with earlier members of the family.

http://www.computerworld.com/action/...leId=9090 978

geoffrey · 9th June 2008, 17:01

Still have one of those running over here

jmke · 9th June 2008, 17:12

SuperPi?

geoffrey · 9th June 2008, 17:38

its running early DOS

jmke · 9th June 2008, 17:48

run this tool to get CPU-Z ranking

http://hwbot.org/signature.img?iid=97919&thumb=false

geoffrey · 9th June 2008, 18:13

no hotlinking

Massman · 9th June 2008, 19:23

C'mon, windows 95 should be doable

9th June 2008, 14:39	#1
jmke Madshrimp Join Date: May 2002 Location: 7090/Belgium Posts: 78,419	Happy birthday, x86! An industry standard turns 30 Thirty years ago, on June 8, 1978, Intel Corp. introduced its first 16-bit microprocessor, the 8086, with a splashy ad heralding "the dawn of a new era." Overblown? Sure, but also prophetic. While the 8086 was slow to take off, its underlying architecture -- later referred to as x86 -- would become one of technology's most impressive success stories. "X86" refers to the set of machine language instructions that certain microprocessors from Intel and a few other companies execute. It essentially defines the vocabulary and usage rules for the chip. X86 processors -- from the 8086 through the 80186, 80286, 80386, 80486 and various Pentium models, right down to today's multicore chips and processors for mobile applications -- have over time incorporated a growing x86 instruction set, but each has offered backward compatibility with earlier members of the family. http://www.computerworld.com/action/...leId=9090 978 __________________

9th June 2008, 17:01	#2
geoffrey [M] Reviewer Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 4,117	Still have one of those running over here __________________

9th June 2008, 17:12	#3
jmke Madshrimp Join Date: May 2002 Location: 7090/Belgium Posts: 78,419	SuperPi? __________________

9th June 2008, 17:38	#4
geoffrey [M] Reviewer Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 4,117	its running early DOS __________________

9th June 2008, 17:48	#5
jmke Madshrimp Join Date: May 2002 Location: 7090/Belgium Posts: 78,419	run this tool to get CPU-Z ranking http://hwbot.org/signature.img?iid=97919&thumb=false __________________

9th June 2008, 18:13	#6
geoffrey [M] Reviewer Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 4,117	no hotlinking __________________

9th June 2008, 19:23	#7
Massman [M] Reviewer Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Waregem Posts: 6,465	C'mon, windows 95 should be doable __________________

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