minicomputer
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minicomputer


DEFINITION - A minicomputer, a term no longer much used, is a computer of a size intermediate between a microcomputer and a mainframe. Typically, minicomputers have been stand-alone computers (computer systems with attached terminals and other devices) sold to small and mid-size businesses for general business applications and to large enterprises for department-level operations. In recent years, the minicomputer has evolved into the "mid-range server" and is part of a network. IBM's AS/400e is a good example.

In an ascending hierarchy of general computer sizes, we find:

  • The embedded systems programming computer, which is embedded in something and doesn't support direct human interaction but nevertheless meets all the other criteria of a microcomputer
  • The microcomputer
  • The workstation, as used to mean a more powerful personal computer for special applications
  • The minicomputer
  • The cluster, which is often several microcomputers or larger computers that share a workload and back each other up
  • The mainframe or mainframe computer, which is now usually referred to by its manufacturers as a "large server"
  • The supercomputer, formerly almost a synonym for "Cray supercomputer" but now meaning a very large server and sometimes including a system of computers using parallel processing
  • The parallel processing system, which is a system of interconnected computers that work on the same application together, sharing tasks that can be performed concurrently

Getting started with minicomputers
To explore how the minicomputer is used in the enterprise, here is an additional resource:
Learning Guide: Steps to secure System i.

CONTRIBUTORS: David Higgins
LAST UPDATED: 13 Aug 2008

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