Abstract
The minicomputer was a new class of low-cost computers that arose during the 1960s, and its development was facilitated by the introduction of integrated circuits, and their improved performance and declining cost. Minicomputers were distinguished from the large mainframe computers by price and size, and they formed a class of the smallest general-purpose computers. We discuss minicomputers such as DEC’s PDP-1, PDP-11, and VAX 11/780 minicomputers, which were popular with the engineering and scientific communities. Later, mainframes are discussed including the Amdahl 470V/6, and the intense competition between IBM and Amdahl in the high-end mainframe market.
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References
Giants of Computing. Gerard O’ Regan. Springer Verlag. 2013.
Pillars of Computing. Gerard O’ Regan. Springer Verlag. 2015.
DEC is Dead, Long Live DEC. The Lasting Legacy of Digital Equipment Corporation. Edgar Schein. Barrett-Koehler Publishers. 2004.
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O’Regan, G. (2021). Minicomputers and Later Mainframes. In: A Brief History of Computing. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66599-9_9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66599-9_9
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