Interesting read
Indeed, some who know the history assert that the Intel 8088 was the worst among several possible 16-bit microprocessors of the day.
It was not. There was a serious alternative that was worse. I know because I was in charge of the organization within Texas Instruments that developed it: the TMS9900. Although this dog of a chip went on to be used in the world’s first 16-bit home computer, you’ve probably never heard of it. As they say, history is written by the winners.
via The Inside Story of Texas Instruments’ Biggest Blunder: The TMS9900 Microprocessor – IEEE Spectrum
Flying Upside Down 