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A 16 bit computer is one where the internal registers in the computer's CPU are made from 16 wires in parallel.

Computer registers, in the main, started with 8bits, grew to 16 bits, then to 32 bits and now are mainly 64 bits wide. You need an operating system 'made' for each 'bit' size. For instance Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system is currently available in both 32 and 64 bit versions.

The more the bits available the larger the value of an integer number that can be processed by the CUP in a single clock cycle.

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Q: What is meaning 16 bit machine?
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Quite simply, a 16-bit compiler is a compiler for a 16-bit machine.


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