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From: jabusch@osiris.cso.uiuc.edu (John Jabusch)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc
Subject: Re: Intel Processors
Keywords: i486
Message-ID: <1990Aug7.151649.29488@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>
Date: 7 Aug 90 15:16:49 GMT
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bcw@rti.rti.org (Bruce Wright) writes:

>As I said before, I suspect it is short for "iAPX", which is an
>acronym of some sort that Intel seems to use for processor chips.
>My guess is that it stands for something on the order of "Intel
>Application Processor Architecture" (or something like that).

>Suggest that you take the time to actually try to find an Intel
>book from before the days of the 486, and maybe even (horrors)

>						Bruce C. Wright

Bruce is correct.  I have several older (than Bruce's) manuals, and
I will quote from the "iAPX 86/88, 186/188 User's Manual," which was
printed in May of 1983: (on page ii)

	The Intel Microsystem 80 Nomenclature
	
	As Intel's product lin has evolved, its component-based product 
	numbering system has become inappropriate for all the possible VLSI
	computer solutions offered.  While the components retain their names,
	Intel has moved to a new system-based naming scheme to accommodate
	these new VLSI systems.

	The following prefixes have been adopted for Intel's product lines, 
	all of them under the general heading of Microsystem 80:

		iAPX 	- Processor Series
		iRMX	- Operating Systems
		iSCB	- Single Board Computers
		iSBX	- MULTIMODULE Boards

	In the iAPX Series, the following processor lines are currently
	defined:

		iAPX 86		- 8086 CPU-based system
		iAPX 88		- 8088 CPU-based system
		iAPX 186	- 80186 CPU-based system
		iAPX 188	- 80188 CPU-based system
		iAPX 286	- 80286 CPU-based system


As you can see, this was a fairly new naming system at that time, over
seven years ago, and the 286 was a real product, although I don't
believe that it was introduced in the IBM PC/AT until very late in 1984
or early 1985.  Perhaps this will shed a little more light on the
subject.


John W. Jabusch
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--
John W. Jabusch
INTERNET: jabusch@cerl.cecer.army.mil    MILNET: jabusch@osiris.arpa        
US Mail: USA CERL, PO Box 4005 Newmark Drive, Champaign, Il 61824-4005
Voice/Phone: Commercial (217) 352-6511