I have learned three different syntaxes for the same x86 instruction set: [MBTN]ASM (DOS/WIN16/32), GNU assembly, and Amsterdam compiler kit (Minix). All of the

I have learned three different syntaxes for the same x86 instruction set: [MBTN]ASM (DOS/WIN16/32), GNU assembly, and Amsterdam compiler kit (Minix). All of them used different mnemonics, a different notation for addressing, and couldn't decide between MOV SRC,DST and MOV DST,SRC. Then you had real mode vs protected mode which used the same segmented registers in a completely different way -- a clever way to be backwards compatible -- long story. In real mode you have a variety of different memory models: tiny, small, large, ... -- near and far ptrs? -- ugh. 20-bit physical addresses from segment << 4 | offset. Uggggllllyyyyy.... Forget about the x87 floating point processor -- arguments go on a 8-level deep stack -- really? I got to push and pop to do floating point? Now you have AMD-64. But all that old stuff is still there taking up transistors!