10 Mar
2023
10 Mar
'23
7:41 a.m.
On Mar 10, 2023, at 10:05 AM, Kevin Monceaux via
cctalk <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote:
On Thu, Mar 09, 2023 at 03:51:44PM -0600, Steve Lewis via cctalk wrote:
Similarly, supercomputers tend to be physically small, because it can't be really fast
if it's big -- speed of light considerations. That's why supercomputer design has
a major packaging and cooling element to it. Both the CDC 6600 (1964) and the Cray 1 show
this very clearly: a great deal of effort went into making them unusually small for the
amount of stuff inside.
You can't really get inside a 6600. You can get inside a Cray 1, just barely.
paul
I always considered a mainframe to basically be a
"fully decked out"
minicomputer.
I've always considered a fully decked out minicomputer to be a fully decked
out minicomputer. :-)
What do you guys think? Or is a mainframe one
of those giants so large,
you walk inside its CPU?
Mainframes used to be that large. But these days it's hard to tell by size.