wasn't the page mode mmu the most important new feature? iirc this allowed for f...

happycube · on Oct 15, 2023

I'd say equally important to 32bitness, both were needed to run a proper BSD4.x/SystemV Unix (or clone ;) )

(The 286 was enough for a PDP-11 style UNIX, and the 8088 could run a hobbyest-level one OK.)

a-dub · on Oct 15, 2023

> The 286 was enough for a PDP-11 style UNIX,

i remember MWC coherent well! it was where i was first learned unix. :)

(except for maybe some vague memories of some unix like os for the atari st that i didn't really understand at the time, but those memories are extremely vague)