Kevin Krieser <k_krieser at sbcglobal.net> wrote: > This is kind of an issue on the LKML right now. Not 486's, > but trying to support large workloads on 32 bit computers when > people can go to 64 bit CPUs, for example, where many of the > limitations go away. In reality, the i686 was introduced in 1994. Almost everyone implements the i686. And i686 has a _lot_ of benefits. Anything superscalar is almost always i686 compatible (or close to it). i586 is clearly genuine Pentium only, at least performance-wise, and has hacks that run _poorly_ on newer i686 processors. Pentium had a lot of bugs, because it was Intel's first x86 superscalar atempt. i486 is definitely the "next step down" -- and it's a damn big step. ;-> -- Bryan J. Smith b.j.smith at ieee.org http://thebs413.blogspot.com --------------------------------------------------------------- "On the basis of the American view, which may be right, the success of the Iraqi political experiment is bound to provide a model to be emulated in Syria and in the various countries neighbouring Iraq" -- Nur-Al-Din, Al-Safir (Lebanon Periocial)