The impact of the Intel 8086 processor on the computer industry is hard to overestimate. It pioneered the x86 architecture, which is still used in most computers today. Intel 8086, introduced on June 8, 1978, 46 years ago.
The Intel 8086 was developed by a team led by Stephen Morse. At the time, Intel was facing fierce competition from Motorola, whose 6800 processor was popular in the market, although it used a flat address space instead of segmented memory addressing. The 8086 was Intel’s response to the need for more powerful and versatile computing devices.
With clock speeds of up to 10 MHz and a 16-bit architecture, the 8086 was a big step forward from its predecessors. It used the complex instruction set computing (CISC) architecture, which is still used in processors today. Its versatility made it popular for business and personal computing. It also set the stage for Intel’s commitment to the CISC architecture, while companies like Arm used RISC.
The Intel 8086 also introduced several important features, such as segmented memory addressing, which allowed access to more memory space than previous 8-bit processors. Dividing 1 MB of memory into 64 KB segments was important for running more complex programs and operating systems. The chip architecture paved the way for the next 8088 processor, which became the basis for the IBM PC.
The 1978 processor established a line of chips that included the 80286, 80386, 80486, and the 80486’s successor, the legendary Pentium series. The most notable thing about the 8086’s legacy is its instruction set architecture (ISA), which has been maintained and expanded over the decades. Intel also recognizes its importance: in 2018, the company celebrated the fortieth anniversary of 8086 processor release Core i7-8086K.
Source: XDA
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