X86: Difference between revisions
imported>Pat Palmer (added categories) |
imported>Eric M Gearhart (I'm looking for a citable source on the 8086 as well) |
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'''x86''' is an [[instruction set architecture]] (ISA) for the Intel 8086 microprocessor, a chip which was first produced in the late 1970's | '''x86''' is an [[instruction set architecture]] (ISA) for the Intel 8086 microprocessor, a 16-bit chip which was first produced in the late 1970's and is notable for being the chip used in the very first [[IBM compatible PC]] sold by IBM beginning in 1983. The 8086 would later come to be called the "186" line of processors. | ||
Remarkably, around this time Intel and Microsoft jointly made a decision to maintain [[backward compatibility]] in both hardware and software, with the result that all subsequent "Intel" processor chips could always execute the original '''x86''' instructions. This agreement would later have a profound impact on the Personal Computer industry, and came to be known as the "WinTel" agreement. | |||
Furthermore, this joint decision meant that any program which ran on the original Microsoft DOS operating system, whose hardware platform was always guaranteed to be x86, continued to execute successfully on later versions of Microsoft operating systems. | |||
This decision to maintain backward compatibility of hardware and software laid the groundwork for the subsequent success of the x86 family of microprocessors, and the IBM compatible PC's which contain them. | This decision to maintain backward compatibility of hardware and software laid the groundwork for the subsequent success of the x86 family of microprocessors, and the IBM compatible PC's which contain them. | ||
Revision as of 10:32, 9 April 2007
x86 is an instruction set architecture (ISA) for the Intel 8086 microprocessor, a 16-bit chip which was first produced in the late 1970's and is notable for being the chip used in the very first IBM compatible PC sold by IBM beginning in 1983. The 8086 would later come to be called the "186" line of processors.
Remarkably, around this time Intel and Microsoft jointly made a decision to maintain backward compatibility in both hardware and software, with the result that all subsequent "Intel" processor chips could always execute the original x86 instructions. This agreement would later have a profound impact on the Personal Computer industry, and came to be known as the "WinTel" agreement.
Furthermore, this joint decision meant that any program which ran on the original Microsoft DOS operating system, whose hardware platform was always guaranteed to be x86, continued to execute successfully on later versions of Microsoft operating systems.
This decision to maintain backward compatibility of hardware and software laid the groundwork for the subsequent success of the x86 family of microprocessors, and the IBM compatible PC's which contain them.