The 386 and the 32-Bit Era

It’s difficult to overstate the 386’s importance. In short, the 32-bit 386 is where modern computing began. List the features of a modern OS, and for the PC, these abilities started with the 386, serving as the basis and minimum spec for the next generation of OSes in the ’90s.

With the 386, PC operating systems immediately became more advanced, with a flood of Unix variants being ported to the platform. Advanced computing was previously dominated by expensive Unix workstations, but once the PC went 32-bit, they grew redundant, and big Unix companies such as DEC and Sun Microsystems started falling away. Until late 2012, a 386 could still run Linux (now it requires a decadent 486).

Put a squeaky millennial in front of a 16-bit machine and they won’t know what they’re looking at, but with a 386, they might stand a chance.