A
16 bit application is software for
MS-DOS or
Microsoft Windows which originally ran on the
16-bit Intel 8088 and
Intel 80286 microprocessors. These used a segmented address space to extend the range of addresses from what is possible with just a 16-bit address. Programs with more than 64 kilobytes of code or data therefore had to waste time switching between segments. Furthermore, programming with segments is more involved than programming in a flat address space, giving rise to warts like memory models in
C programming language and C++.
See also:
This article (or an earlier version of it) contains material from FOLDOC, used with permission. Update as needed. include("../../../footer.php") ?>