Compaq actually made some servers that could use dual 386 and/or 486 CPUs.
 But if I recall correctly, those CPUs were really not designed for
multiprocessor systems, so they had to do in external support chips the kind
of extras that the Pentium through P3 included in the CPU chip.  (Oh, and it
ran, I think, a "LAN Manager" version of OS/2....)  As far as I recall, none
of Compaq's work on this made it into end-user desktop systems.

  NT was not the first OS to support multiple processors, but it was the
first *Windows* OS to do so.


  My favorite retro beast would be a PC/370 with its 5 processor chips:

On the motherboard:
    - the normal (original) PC 8088
    - a stock 8087 floating-point coprocessor
On the two-board expansion:
    - an 8087 customized by IBM
    - TWO Motorola 68000 chips customized by IBM
The result would run single-user versions of several then-current IBM
mainframe OSes.

David Gillett


On 6 Jun 2005 at 7:54, Lynn Tracy wrote:

> Lol- of course, I have to find one first.
>
> The PC is old (obviously) but I'm having a very nice time playing with it.  I got a brand new copy of DOS 6.22 & WFWG 3.11 ($1) at a recent rummage sale.  It's freshly reloaded & I'd like to see what I can do with it for learning's sake.
>
> I would really like to get it online- just to see it happen.  I have a sound card w/CD-ROM ports that I have yet to locate drivers for- but that would allow me CD usage on my ancient Sony 2X.
>
> Ok- here's the question: the thing only runs at 25mhz & has all memory banks filled (8 x 1mb sticks).  Running 3.11 w/Calmira- it's amazingly speedy- but I have a second, empty CPU slot.
>
> Would there be any difference in performance- if I were lucky enough to find one?  It is marked "Intel i386"- AB0386DX-33 IV- SX386- Intel '85.
>
> Guess I need some PC "old-timers" help on this one?
>
> LT
>
>          PCBUILD maintains hundreds of useful files for download
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         PCBUILD maintains hundreds of useful files for download
                     visit our download web page at:
                  http://freepctech.com/downloads.shtml