What does it mean "x86"?

[night_mare]

Some times I ve seen this "x86" in some software issue and also in some hardware issue. Is it hardware based something or software base???
Please help me to clearly understand this . 

[Rute]

Its mean “86-processors compatible “ – by example: I80386, 486 or 586 processor compatible.

[night_mare]

Rute  please explain a bit more.............

[sphinx]

its starts with 8088 and continues with 8086 80186 80286 80386 80486 pentium p2 p3 p4 ....
are all in same family of processors, with all the things extra the bigger types include like mmx and other things
are updated. a program made on a lower model or processor will most likely run on a bigger one with no or minor changes. look at the z80 processor is similar to the x86 family except some specific stuff like protected modes. the family has adress based I/O and memory based can be used as well depending on the hardware and developer, this family is commonly used in todays "PC's" even todays MAC's are also using this processors.
i dont know if its used on any other hardware.

regards

[pickit2]

To carry on from sphinx's post early cpu's starting with the 8080 that was 8bit
then came the 8088 16bit followed by 32bit cpu's 386 and 486.
from the 486 which was in two types 32 and 64 bit, we now have two main types 32/and/64 bit.
Today known as x86 = 32bit systems and x64 = 64bit systems.

if you need to know more ask google

[night_mare]

yah, Its now a bit clear to me about x86 and x64, pickit2 some times I ve also found x86(64)  or x86_64 something like that. what does it mean?  is it 64 bit supported or some thing like that? if so than where is the difference with x64?

[DreamCat]

x86 means that all this serials base on 386 cpu, it is a 32bit cpu.
x64 is a all new struct , only 64bit OS can run on it.

x86_64 is a compatible structure, 32bit and 64 bit all can....