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KembaraXtra–Computer Terms – 386DX
The term 386DX refers to the full-featured Intel 80386DX microprocessor, a 32-bit CPU with a 32-bit data bus and 32-bit registers. It supports advanced operating modes, including protected mode, and can address large amounts of memory. Systems built around the 386DX were capable of running sophisticated multitasking operating systems and applications that significantly outperformed earlier 16-bit platforms.
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KembaraXtra–Computer Terms – 386BSD
386BSD is a version of the BSD UNIX operating system created for systems based on the Intel 80386 processor. It is distinct from BSD386, which was produced by Berkeley Software Design, Inc. Released in 1992 as a freely distributable system, 386BSD played a key role in the history of open-source UNIX-like operating systems. Over time, it gave rise to two significant descendants, NetBSD and FreeBSD, each of which evolved into separate, widely used projects. These later systems continued and expanded the design goals of 386BSD, focusing on portability, robustness, and performance across a wide range of hardware platforms.
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KembaraXtra–Computer Terms – 386
The designation 386 typically refers to the Intel 80386DX microprocessor, a 32-bit CPU that marked a major step forward from the earlier 286 line. It introduced full 32-bit registers, a 32-bit data bus, advanced memory management capabilities, and support for protected mode with large address spaces. The 80386DX became the foundation for many desktop and server systems and enabled the development of more powerful operating systems and applications.
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KembaraXtra–Computer Terms – .386
The extension .386 identifies files used as virtual device drivers under Windows 3.1. These files provide low-level services that allow Windows to manage hardware and system resources in its 386 enhanced mode, which leverages features of the 80386 processor such as virtual memory and multitasking. By loading .386 virtual device drivers, Windows 3.1 could simulate multiple virtual machines, provide better memory management, and coordinate access to hardware among multiple running applications.
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KembaraXtra–Computer Terms – 360K
The term 360K is short for 360 kilobytes and represents the storage capacity of a standard double-sided, double-density 5.25-inch floppy disk. These disks were common in early IBM PCs and compatible systems and served as a primary method of loading programs, storing documents, and backing up small amounts of data. Though extremely limited by modern standards, 360K disks played a crucial role in the early personal computing era.
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KembaraXtra–Computer Terms – 3.5-inch floppy disk
A 3.5-inch floppy disk, often called a microfloppy, is a removable magnetic storage medium widely used with both Macintosh systems and IBM-compatible microcomputers. Physically, it consists of a flexible round disk of polyester film coated with ferric oxide, sealed inside a rigid plastic shell equipped with a sliding metal cover that protects the disk surface when not in use. On the Macintosh platform, a single-sided 3.5-inch disk can store about 400 kilobytes of data; a standard double-sided disk can hold approximately 800 kilobytes; and a double-sided high-density disk can hold about 1.44 megabytes. On IBM-compatible systems, common formats for 3.5-inch disks include 720 kilobytes for double-density disks and 1.44 megabytes for high-density disks. During their peak years, these disks were used for everything from system boot disks and software distribution to personal file storage and data transfer between machines.
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KembaraXtra–Computer Terms – 34010, 34020
The 34010 and 34020 are graphics coprocessors developed by Texas Instruments for use in high-end PC graphics boards. They became a de facto standard for programmable graphics processors at a time when offloading graphics calculations from the main CPU was an important performance advantage. Both chips use 32-bit internal registers, but they differ in how they interact with the rest of the system: the 34010 is paired with a 16-bit data bus, while the 34020 uses a full 32-bit bus, allowing higher data throughput. The 34020 is designed to be compatible with the earlier 34010, so software written for the older chip can still run when upgraded hardware is installed. These coprocessors are designed to work with TIGA, the Texas Instruments Graphical Architecture, which defines a standard interface so that a single application driver can support an entire class of graphics boards based on this architecture rather than requiring separate drivers for each different board.
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KembaraXtra–Computer Terms – 33.6
The label 33.6 refers to a dial-up modem whose maximum data transfer rate is in the neighborhood of 33.6 kilobits per second, often implemented in practice as around 33.3 Kbps. Modems at this speed represented a further improvement over earlier 28.8 Kbps models, allowing faster file transfers, quicker e-mail delivery, and slightly more responsive browsing of text-based and low-graphic Web content over telephone lines. This speed tier marked one of the later stages of analog modem development before the industry moved to the 56 Kbps range and, eventually, to broadband technologies.
The label 33.6 refers to a dial-up modem whose maximum data transfer rate is in the neighborhood of 33.6 kilobits per second, often implemented in practice as around 33.3 Kbps. Modems at this speed represented a further improvement over earlier 28.8 Kbps models, allowing faster file transfers, quicker e-mail delivery, and slightly more responsive browsing of text-based and low-graphic Web content over telephone lines. This speed tier marked one of the later stages of analog modem development before the industry moved to the 56 Kbps range and, eventually, to broadband technologies.
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KembaraXtra–Computer Terms – 32-bit operating system
A 32-bit operating system is system software built to process data and instructions in 32-bit units, equivalent to 4 bytes at a time. In practice, this means that the operating system can manage significantly larger memory spaces, perform more sophisticated multitasking, and support richer graphical and networking features than earlier 16-bit systems. Well-known examples include Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT, Linux, and OS/2. These operating systems are typically paired with processors that support 32-bit instruction sets and often make use of protected mode, a CPU mode that enables advanced memory protection, hardware-based task switching, and isolation of applications from one another to improve reliability and security.
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KembaraXtra–Computer Terms – 32-bit machine
A 32-bit machine is a computer whose core architecture processes data in 32-bit groups. This status can derive from both the internal word size of the microprocessor and the width of the system’s data buses. Examples include the Apple Macintosh II and later Macintosh models, which use processors and data paths designed for 32-bit operations, as well as systems built around Intel 80386 processors and newer chips in that family. Such machines can address larger memory spaces, handle more complex instructions in a single operation, and run more advanced operating systems and applications than earlier 16-bit systems, making them a key step in the evolution of personal and professional computing.
