The Computer of the Future: The 386 – Ahmed Faisal
"The 386 was arguably the most influential processor ever released by Intel. Released in 1985, it was a fully 32-bit processor which featured innovations such as protected mode (multitasking), virtual memory, and the IA-32 standard. By the late 80s, the 386 was becoming more affordable for the general public, with more OEMs opting for it over the 286.
The 386 was important for two reasons: Being that it allowed for multitasking in DOS and Windows, and that it introduced the Expanded Memory Specification (EMS). Windows took advantage of “386 Enhanced Mode” to create virtual memory, and DOS programs utilized EMS to access more than 640kb of memory. With more memory, programs could have more sound, colorful graphics, and more innovative features.
There are two variants: The DX and the SX. The DX was the full package, while the SX was a cost-reduced variant that had a 16-bit data bus and a 24-bit address bus, only allowing for 16MB of total memory. Despite this, it was functionally still a 32-bit CPU. The computer you see here is a 386SX-33 with 4 Megabytes of RAM and a Sound blaster-compatible sound-card.
This computer also runs Microsoft Windows 3.1 and has a simple dot-matrix printer which can be used to print documents. It can play many games such as Wing Commander, Wolfenstien 3D, and Simcity, making it perfect for earlier DOS games. Despite this, it is unsuitable for more resource-demanding games such as DOOM or Ultima, considered unplayable by modern standards."
I like the woodgrain case.
