On some older IBM PC–compatible computers, the turbo button selects one of two run states: the default “turbo” speed or a reduced speed closer to the Intel 8086 CPU. It was relatively common on computers using the Intel 80286,[1] 80386 and 80486 processors,[2] from the mid 1980s to mid 1990s. The name is inspired by turbocharger, a device which increases an engine’s power and efficiency. When pressed, the “turbo” button is intended to let a computer run at the highest speed for which it had been designed.[3]
With the introduction of CPUs which ran faster than the original 4.77 MHz Intel 8088 used in the IBM Personal Computer, programs which relied on the CPU’s frequency for timing were executing faster than intended. Games in particular were often rendered unplayable, due to the reduced time allowed to react to the faster game events. To restore compatibility, the “turbo” button was added.[4] Disengaging turbo mode slows the system down to a state compatible with original 8086/8088 chips.
IBM’s early desktop computers (e.g. IBM Personal Computer, IBM PC/AT) were beige, and box-shaped, and most manufacturers of clones followed suit.[citation needed] As IBM and its imitators came to dominate the industry, these features became standards of desktop computer design.
Variants on that problem have been around for quite some time.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turbo_button
Every time I wonder why they decided to call a button ‘Turbo’ if fast was the default mode
Its all true, I was there. Its all coming back to me.
The beige. Computers were all beige.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beige_box