Intel’s next-gen 80386 processor was introduced in 1987, debuting in the Compaq Presario 386, and would quickly dominate in performance systems. However, commodity pricing of 286 systems and ‘good enough’ performance made the transition a long one. Speedy clones helped eke out some more time at the top of the popularity table for the 286.
As the major PC OS in this era was still DOS, though, much of the 386’s potential would remain untapped by apps of the day. In effect, you could say that the dominance of DOS stunted the 386’s adoption – alongside a chasm in pricing.
Intel’s intro of the more affordable 386SX would start to turn the tide. Meaning 286’s significant cost advantage would be lost in 1991-ish. Then, in 1992, Windows 3.1 helped turn the tide. This new GUI operating environment would be a key Windows release due to its soaring popularity. Win 3.1 also eliminated Real Mode (8086/8088) support, and its updated minimum requirement of a 386SX CPU finally kicked the 286 off the playing field and cemented the Wintel hegemony in place.
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Mark Tyson is a news editor at Tom's Hardware. He enjoys covering the full breadth of PC tech; from business and semiconductor design to products approaching the edge of reason. ","collapsible":{"enabled":true,"maxHeight":250,"readMoreText":"Read more","readLessText":"Read less"}}), "https://slice.vanilla.futurecdn.net/13-4-13/js/authorBio.js"); } else { console.error('%c FTE ','background: #9306F9; color: #ffffff','no lazy slice hydration function available'); } Mark Tyson Social Links Navigation News Editor Mark Tyson is a news editor at Tom's Hardware. He enjoys covering the full breadth of PC tech; from business and semiconductor design to products approaching the edge of reason.
Key considerations
- Investor positioning can change fast
- Volatility remains possible near catalysts
- Macro rates and liquidity can dominate flows
Reference reading
- https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/cpus/SPONSORED_LINK_URL
- https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/cpus/the-intel-286-cpu-was-introduced-on-this-day-in-1982-16-bit-x86-chip-introduced-protected-mode-memory-and-would-power-the-ibm-pc-at-and-a-tidal-wave-of-clones#main
- https://www.tomshardware.com
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