8088 is simply a 8-bit version of the 8086, thus the "8" in 8088. It was developed because the 16-bit 8086 was somewhat ahead of its time - back then, everythin

8088 is simply a 8-bit version of the 8086, thus the "8" in 8088. It was developed because the 16-bit 8086 was somewhat ahead of its time - back then, everything in existence - PCBs, interface and driver chips, backplanes, connectors, etc - was still centered around the 8-bit data bus and it was impractical to redesign them. Until they start becoming obsolete, allowing 16-bit successors to take over gradually.