What is big iron? [Was: Re: FAFNER is shut down]

On 01/29/2013 02:23 AM, Pontus wrote: How big (and how many) MG sets does it take to power it, how many gallons/minute of chilled water does it take to keep it cool? If you suffer a power outage, how long do the CEs have to work on it to get it going again? I'd always considered VAX-en to be minicomputers. Does anyone remember the term "midi-computer?" Actually, most of these terms are ridiculous holdovers from a bygone age. "Microcomputer" used to have a specific meaning of a system whose CPU was integrated into an IC. Arguments could be brought forward that Beacon, with its mass of Xeon Phis is still a microcomputer--and a supercomputer--and a mainframe. It's a hopeless distinction. We can sit around and play Humpty-Dumpty attempting to define or redefine old terms of art, but that isn't going to change anything. --Chuck