Well I can tell that the average reader on this list has been a MAC user
there entire life and doesn't really know anything about the Intel
processor architecture.
While I will agree that there are VERY FEW SIMILARITIES between the
current Intel Core Duo processor and any OFFICIALLY x86 LABELED INTEL
PROCESSORS, I will never concede that the Intel Core Duo is not an x86
processor.............Actually, yes I will. It is two x86 processors on
1 chip.
How about them apples? Here is why I say that:
1.) The 8086 was a 8 bit processor.
2.) The 80286 was a 16bit processor with new instructions added.
3.) The 80386 was a 32bit processor with enhanced memory management unit
added, along with new instructions.
4.) The 80486 was a 32 bit processor. It was the first significant
design change. It featured a reduced instruction-execution time,
Internal Level1 Cache, Burst-mode memory cycles and a built in math
co-processor.
5.) The 80586 (Pentium) was a 32 bit processor. Intel officially dropped
the x86 designation on October 19, 1992 and started referring to its
processors as Pentium. It was still, however, an x86 processor with TWIN
DATA PIPES, a 64bit external data bus and lots of new instructions.
6.) The 80686 (P6) was a 32 bit processor. There were numerous
processors made in this line, they include the Pentium Pro, Pentium II,
Pentium II Xeon, Celeron, Celeron-A, Pentium III, PentiumIIPE,
PentiumIII Xeon. They all featured Dynamic Execution and Dual
Independent Bus architecture.
7.) The 80787 (P7/Merced/Itanium) is a 64bit processor. It was also the
first processor to bear the new designation IA-XX and it is an IA-64
processor (Intel Architecture 64).
8.) The Intel "Dual Core" or "Core Duo" processors are Pentium D (686)
or Pentium M (686) processors, actually they are two Pentium D/M
processors on a single chip (die). Officially the Pentium D is "Two Full
Prescott Cores". While they are technically two 32bit processors the
chip supports EM64T (64bit computing). The Pentium M is also known as a
P4. It is a Dual Core (686) processor with either two Banias (130nm)
cores or two Dothan (90nm) cores.
Sources:
Items 1-7 found at
http://www.informit.com/articles/article.asp?p=130978&seqNum=33
Item 8 found at http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=145&type=expert
and http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/270
Now with the history laid out, let me reiterate there is VIRTUALLY
NOTHING THE SAME between a Core Duo processor and an 8086/286/386/486
processor. However, the fact that INTEL doesn't call it an X86 processor
does not mean that it isn't. As you can see from the history above and
accompanying sources it is in fact TWO 686 Pentium4 cpu's on 1 chip.
Thus making it a "Dual Core" x86 processor.
Thank You and have a wonderful day!
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