Modern x86 CPUs aren't that much closer to being x86 than to being 68k since the Pentium Pro: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentium_Pro#Summary http://en.wikiped

Modern x86 CPUs aren't that much closer to being x86 than to being 68k since the Pentium Pro: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentium_Pro#Summary http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentium_Pro#Summary They expose the x86 instruction set externally for compatibility, but translate it to a different instruction set internally. It is conceivable that you could have instead translate 68k instructions and the rest of the CPU would have remained the same.