i386s

The i386, officially known as the Intel 80386, is a 32-bit microprocessor introduced by Intel in 1985. It was a significant advancement over its 16-bit predecessors, the 8086 and 80286, offering a much larger addressable memory space and a more sophisticated architecture.

One of the key innovations of the i386 was its support for virtual memory, allowing operating systems to run more programs simultaneously and manage memory more efficiently. It also introduced protected mode, which provided memory protection and multitasking capabilities, laying the groundwork for modern operating systems like Windows and Linux. The i386 had three main variants: the i386DX, the i386SX, and the i386SL. The DX was the full 32-bit version, while the SX was a cost-reduced version with a 16-bit external data bus. The SL was designed for low power consumption, making it suitable for laptops.

The i386 architecture became the de facto standard for personal computers for many years, and its influence can still be seen in modern x86 processors. It was widely adopted by manufacturers and was a crucial component in the rise of the personal computing revolution. Its success paved the way for subsequent Intel processors, including the i486 and the Pentium series, which continued to build upon the foundation established by the i386.