Looking to get into a Mini Computer, PDP or something Like that

I remember reading an article in an old, old, old magazine that talked a little bit about Perkin-Elmer computers but those that were being referenced were little desktop UNIX machines, kind of reminiscent of a Fortune 32:16 or something (IIRC??)... Maybe I am just getting my wires crossed with the Fortune 32:16 itself, LOL. I never really knew of any Perkin-Elmer minis, but from what I've read, apparently that was once Interdata. My assumption then is that any P-E branded mini is simply a descendent of the Interdata line? I suppose the computer biz was just a distraction for P-E (as it was for, say, Gould, Harris, etc); their primary line of business was producing stuff like laboratory instruments (more for chemistry and biology labs than HP's generally electronics-focused test gear), photolithography equipment, military equipment, etc. Best, Sean On Thu, Jul 24, 2014 at 4:18 AM, Philip Belben <philip at axeside.co.uk> wrote: > There were lots of minicomputer makers. For example, I've seen no >> discussion on Varian minis and darned little on TI 990s or CDC 1700s, as >> a start. >> > > A name that I remember from advertisements in the 1980s (I don't think I > ever encountered a machine) was Perkin Elmer, who made 32-bit minis. Does > anyone recall them? The Wikipedia article concentrates on the much more > recent history of the corporation, but it does seem that, like HP, their > computers were a spinoff of their scientific instruments. > > Philip. > >