* Operand Flexibility: Instructions can operate on bytes (.b), words (.w), and long words (.l) without restrictions imposed by the addressing mode. Even though arithmetic is executed in 16‑bit chunks, the compiler and assembly programmer can manipulate 32‑bit values seamlessly.
* Addressing Modes: The 68000 supports an extensive range of addressing modes—including register direct, register indirect (with post‑increment, pre‑decrement, offset, and index variations), immediate, absolute, and PC‑relative addressing—which enhances code density and simplifies the generation of position‑independent and reentrant code.
* Dyadic Operations: Most operations in the 68000’s CISC architecture are dyadic (i.e. they have a source and a destination), enabling complex operations in fewer instructions compared to earlier 8‑bit designs. In contrast, many arithmetic and logical operations on the [[Z80 ]] CPU are designed around the accumulator register (A).
This comprehensive and flexible instruction set was one of the reasons the 68000 became popular in systems that required multitasking and graphical interfaces, such as early Macintosh and Amiga computers.