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.