8-bit computing

Computing built around processors that handle data in 8-bit units, commonly using 8-bit registers and arithmetic. The term also describes the early computers and consoles associated with these processors.

Bit: A binary digit, the smallest unit of information in digital computing. Eight-bit values consist of eight binary digits.
Intel 8008: An 8-bit microprocessor introduced by Intel in 1972. It was among the earliest commercially available 8-bit microprocessors.
Nintendo Entertainment System: A home video game console released by Nintendo in 1983 in Japan and 1985 in North America. Its 8-bit processor helped define a generation of console games.
16-bit computing: Computing centered on processors that handle data in 16-bit units. Wider datapaths expand arithmetic range and often improve memory addressing.
Assembly language: A low-level programming language whose instructions correspond closely to a processor’s machine instructions. Programmers often used it to control limited 8-bit hardware precisely.
Byte: A unit of digital information, usually consisting of eight bits. The processor’s characteristic data unit is one byte.
Intel 8080: An 8-bit microprocessor introduced by Intel in 1974. Its performance helped make hobbyist microcomputers practical.
Game Boy: A handheld video game system released by Nintendo in 1989, using an 8-bit processor. It showed how compact 8-bit hardware could support a durable portable game system.
32-bit computing: Computing centered on processors that handle data in 32-bit units. Its larger words and address spaces mark a major step beyond 8-bit systems.
Chiptune: Music made using sound-generating hardware associated with early computers and video game systems. The distinctive sound grew from the capabilities and limits of 8-bit audio chips.

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