The release of Intel’s 8086 microprocessor in 1978 was a watershed moment for personal computing. The DNA of that chip is likely at the center of whatever computer—Windows, Mac, or Linux—you ...

Initially, the 8086 was intended to be a stopgap product while Intel worked feverishly to finish its real next-generation microprocessor -- the iAPX 432, Intel's first 32-bit microprocessor.

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 ...