Tom's Hardware The Intel 286 CPU was introduced on this day in 1982 — 16-bit x86 chip introduced protected mode memory, and would power the IBM PC/AT and a tidal wave of clones
Today, in 1982, Intel introduced its “showstopping” 80286 processor. This 16-bit fully x86 software compatible CPU delivered some major performance and architectural advancements over the 8086 and 8088, and would continue to be produced and feature in PC systems well into the 1990s.