Re: Bound to be a success
The main issue with the 286 was that once in protected mode, it needed a reset to get out of it. Windows 3.x needed real mode for some DOS tasks, but memory beyond 1MB was available only in protected mode. That slowed down things a lot, even on the fastest 286s. It needed a full CPU architecture change (the Virtual 86 mode, and being able to switch mode) to work, not just better performance. The 386 also introduced pagination which made memory management more powerful.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
