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From: jlh@loral.UUCP (Desperatly seeking happiness)
Newsgroups: net.lang.c
Subject: Re: 16 v. 32 bit
Message-ID: <991@loral.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 23-Dec-85 16:27:31 EST
Article-I.D.: loral.991
Posted: Mon Dec 23 16:27:31 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 25-Dec-85 03:49:56 EST
References: <730@brl-tgr.ARPA> <988@loral.UUCP>
Organization: The bottom of a bottle
Lines: 22
Keywords: 32 bits! 32 bits! 32 bits!

> 
>   The 8088 is indeed a 16-bit machine (very strangely put together, it's true)
> which is then squished down onto an 8-bit data bus. Seems Intel wanted to make
> it `compatible' with the old 8-bit machines.
>

The 8088 is a 16 bit machine because IBM says it is.  If you look in some
of Intel's early data books (1978 or so) you'll see the 8088 referred to
as an 8 bit processor.  They didn't call it a 16 bitter until IBM needed
to sell their pieces of junk, which would have been instantly recognized
as junk had it been advertised correctly, i.e., having an 8 bit processor.


							Jim

	"When in trouble or in doubt
	 run in circles, scream and shout"