> "The Intel 8086, a new microcomputer, extends the midrange
> 8080 family into the 16-bit arena. The chip has attributes of
> both 8- and 16-bit processors. By executing the full set of 8080A/8085
> 8-bit instructions plus a powerful new set of 16-bit
> instructions, it enables a system designer familiar with existing 8080
> devices to boost performance by a factor of as much as 10 while using
> essentially the same 8080 software package and development tools.
This is a major stretch. There is backwards source compatibility using
special tools or assembly macros, but there isn't anywhere near binary
compatibility.
Eric
