Forty years ago, Intel released the 8086 processor, introducing the x86 architecture that underlies every PC—Windows, Mac, or Linux—produced today.

The impact of the Intel 8086 processor on the computer industry is hard to overestimate. It pioneered the x86 architecture, which is still used in most computers today. Intel 8086, introduced on June ...

Die shot of the 16-bit Intel 8086 microprocessor. The 8086 gave rise to the famed x86 architecture which eventually turned out as Intel's most successful line of processors.

Forty-two years ago today, Intel launched the original 8086 microprocessor -- the grandfather of every x86 CPU ever built, including the ones we use now.