18 Aug
2010
18 Aug
'10
4:43 p.m.
>> But it all depends on how you define
"minicomputer" as to what
>> specifically falls in the category.
> Who originally created the term? marketing??
On Wed, 18 Aug 2010, Al Kossow wrote:
The earliest use of the term as we use it today was an
ad in
Datamation announcing the (Varian) Data 520i in April, 1968.
Therefore, the (Varian) Data 520i was the "first" minicomputer, although
there were other computers around that had not been "minicomputers", but
BECAME "minicomputers" when the term became popular.
Before that the class was called "small
computers",
ie. the PDP-8 "Small Computer Handbook".
Fall JCC, December 1968 had several papers using the term
"mini-computer" or "minicomputer".
Spring 1970 JCC is the first time DEC uses the term with the
annoucement of the PDP-11 and the paper "A new architecture
for mini-computers -- the DEC PDP-11"
Therefore, DEC acknowledged the existence of "mini-computers"
prior to the PDP-11 providing a "new architecture" for them.
Thank you for looking up the history of the term!
--
Grumpy Ol' Fred cisin at xenosoft.com