[NCommander]

They did in 32-bit Windows (NT3.1 is pretty much the same on a core level from Win 10). The problem here was that the 8088 suffered from segmentation which put "interesting" constraints on programs, and then Intel's 80286 was alded to the point that it was only successful in the sense of "faster 8088" and not bringing 32-bit computing as was promised.

[CyberDildonics]

I was talking about linux in the era of virtual memory.

[Narishma]

The 286 is a 16-bit CPU, it never promised 32-bit computing. That was its successor, the 386.