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From: vjs@rhyolite.wpd.sgi.com (Vernon Schryver)
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: The CPU with 3 brains---486 compatibility with 8008
Message-ID: <74460@sgi.sgi.com>
Date: 8 Nov 90 05:07:34 GMT
References: <42737@mips.mips.COM> <1990Nov4.014901.23819@zoo.toronto.edu> <1990Nov6.223738.13265@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>
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There may be an ancient INTEL source for the continuing statements about
8085/8080/8008/4004 and 8086 binary compatibility.

In the spring of 1978, I was convinced by INTEL rep's in Ohio that the 8086
would be binary compatible with the 8085, and that resulting software base
in things like RMX85 was one advantage of the 8086 compared to the 68000
and the Z8000.  I was somewhat confused by that conviction weeks later when
I got official chip documentation, and amused still later when I received
CONV86 (or was it CONV85?).  Fortunately, I didn't care when RMX86 finally
appeared a couple of years later.

It might have been a just communications error between the local rep and
the factory.  Then again, maybe it shows they're all the same.


Vernon Schryver,    vjs@sgi.com