Why do we have only 32 bit and 64 bit OS?

Question

johndoe0815 · Accepted Answer

Because it's quite difficult to find a PDP10 or DECsystem-20 today...https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TOPS-10https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TENEX_(operating_system)

beardyw · Answer

I worked on ICL computers in the 1970s with 24 bit words made up of four 6 bit bytes. Having just 64 characters limited text output a lot. Having 8 bits was much better and it stuck.Using 4 or 8 of those is just about address space.

rurban · Answer

Because 8-16 bit cpu's are fine without. Eg baremetal AVR firmware comes without all the OS bloat, it does one thing only.

db48x · Answer

What other sizes would you like?

detaro · Answer

because that's what's native to the processors we have.

Why do we have only 32 bit and 64 bit OS?

Why do we have only 32 bit and 64 bit OS?

Because it's quite difficult to find a PDP10 or DECsystem-20 today...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TOPS-10
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TENEX_(operating_system)

I worked on ICL computers in the 1970s with 24 bit words made up of four 6 bit bytes. Having just 64 characters limited text output a lot. Having 8 bits was much better and it stuck.
Using 4 or 8 of those is just about address space.

Because 8-16 bit cpu's are fine without. Eg baremetal AVR firmware comes without all the OS bloat, it does one thing only.

What other sizes would you like?

because that's what's native to the processors we have.