One thing that I have been wondering for a while is what the current
definition of minicomputer is.
It used to be contrasted with microcomputers, the telling difference being a
multichip processor implementation versus a single-chip microprocessor [if so,
are the POWER1 and POWER2 processors
minicomputer processors?] but now, with microprocessors being used in
I used to think of a micro as having a processor that was either a single
chip _or a chipset that was only used to make that processor_. That means
the 11/03 amd 11/23 are micros, soe are the the POWER1 and POWER2, but
things like the 11/45, VAX 11/730, PERQ 1, rtc are minis because the CPU
is bullt from TTL, bitslice chips, etc that are used for many things
other than making that particular processor.
mainframes (and even on-topic mainframes) is this
distinction meaningless [i.e.
should the designation "microcomputer" in its size/power context be replaced
with
something else?] and, if so, does the [whatever micro becomes]/mini/mainframe
become a question of mass (>700 lbs mainframe, >100 lbs mini, <100 lbs [???]),
or history (the HP3000 started life as a mini, therefore the spectrum models
continue as minis . . .), or does the venerable minicomputer cease to exist?
any other ideas?
'If you've lost your logic probe inside it, it's a micro. If you've lost
your oscilloscope inside it, it's a mini. If you've lost yourself inside
it, it's a mainframe' :-)
-tony