Guest M.I.5¾ Posted August 4, 2008 Posted August 4, 2008 Re: XP (x86) or (x64) "Bill in Co." <not_really_here@earthlink.net> wrote in message news:%23wL9vz68IHA.4588@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl... > M.I.5¾ wrote: >> "Bob I" <birelan@yahoo.com> wrote in message >> news:%23sCL9A18IHA.356@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl... >> >> >> Bill in Co. wrote: >>> Ken Blake, MVP wrote: >>> >>>> On Thu, 31 Jul 2008 12:56:13 +0100, "M.I.5¾" >>>> <no.one@no.where.NO_SPAM.co.uk> wrote: >>>> >>>> >>>>> "Ken Blake, MVP" <kblake@this.is.an.invalid.domain> wrote in message >>>>> news:7o5294pkro0kbun757ct26s2g1n93u8vf3@4ax.com... >>>>> >>>>>> On Wed, 30 Jul 2008 18:08:43 -0700 (PDT), Mike <SulfateIon@gmail.com> >>>>>> wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>>> Hi >>>>>>> >>>>>>> I'd like to know what Windows XP (x86) and Windows XP (x64) are? >>>>>>> I use Windows XP, but I don't know which one I use. >>>>>>> How do I know? >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> x86 is 32-bit Windows, and x64 is 64-bit Windows. >>>>>> >>>>>> The answer, for almost everyone who has to ask, is that you using >>>>>> 32-bit (x86). >>>>>> >>>>> >>>>> For the curious: x86 is a reference to the x86 series of processors >>>>> which >>>>> started with the intel 8086 processor (which was a 16 bit processor >>>>> and >>>>> wouldn't be able to run a 32 bit operating system). >>>> >>>> >>>> And interestingly was never used in a PC. The first PC used an 8088 >>>> instead. >>> >>> >>> Pretty similar, though. :-) >>> It's been awhile, though, and I can't remember the difference between >>> the >>> 8088 and 8086 anymore. I seem to remember 20-bit *addressing*, and a >>> 16 >>> bit word size for the *data* bus. >>> >> >> Yep, the 8088 only had an 8 bit memory bus as compared the 16 bit bus on >> the 8086. > > You mean the external *data bus*. (the term "memory bus" is a bit > ambiguous to me) > > What about the address bus? Well, they both had 20 bit addressing, as I > recall, so I presume that meant both had twenty *actual* address lines > (i.e. A0 thru A19), (unless some tricks were used, an example of which is > noted below). > > This just reminded me; one of these older chips had a *multiplexed* > address and data bus! I think it was the 8085. What a mess. > (Well, ok, not exactly, as it was sorted out to the outside world by > another chip). > The 8086 and 8088 also both had a multiplexed adress and data bus.
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