Well you have a very valid question... The Atari ST used a 32 bit processor but had a 16 bit bus....so is it 32 bit or 16 bit. Well for Atari and other legitmit computer companies they classified the computer by what the straight bus pass could do. Which is mearly what can go from CPU to RAM. Easy huh?
Essentially the 68000 was similar to a 80386...which Intel seemed to call a 32 bit processor. 32 bit was only internal that was passed through a 16 bit interface.
Atari said 16 bit, Intel said 32 bit. Cheap huh?
By the way the PC is still plagued with 16 bit limitations in on certain hardware bus.
Hardware IRQ's are still duplexed 8 bit controllers! It's funny how many people think the PC is the greatest thing and yet those machines are just now barely caught up to where the AtariST was in 1985. I dont think they have yet figured out that the motherboard makes the machine not frilley crap in a CPU.
