CPU bus architectures Was: Identifying CPU and current OS

[John Hasler <john@sugarbit.com>]

 alain williams writes:
> A great example of that was the Motorola M68000 series of processors, it was a
> serious contender for "the" CPU to be used in the 1980s. Logically (ie from the
> programming PoV) it was 32 bit but physically (ie looking at how it connected
> to the mother board) it was 8, 16, 32 bit - depending on how much you wanted to

The 8088 (used in the original pc) had an 8 bit external data bus while
the 8086 had a full 16 bit bus.  The programming model was the same.
Later Intel processors also offered a choice of external bus sizes, such
as the 32 bit 386DX and the 16/24 bit 386SX (the 386DX could also use a 16
bit bus).

It has been argued that IBM chose Intel over Motorola because the 68000
was so powerful that a pc based on it might have competed with some of
their entry level business systems.
-- 
John Hasler 
john@sugarbit.com
Elmwood, WI USA