Like many pre-21st-century technological artifacts including steam locomotives, audio tapes, and 4-bit microprocessors—16-bit processors have reached the end of their useful life. Steve Leibson, ...

Thirty years ago, on June 8, 1978, Intel Corp. introduced its first 16-bit microprocessor, the 8086, with a splashy ad heralding “the dawn of a new era.” Overblown? Sure, but also prophetic. While the ...