Minisupercomputer

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Minisupercomputers^[1] constituted a class of computers that emerged in the mid-1980s. As scientific computing using vector processors became more popular, the need for lower-cost systems that might be used at the departmental level instead of the corporate level created an opportunity for new computer vendors to enter the market. As a generalization, the price targets for these smaller computers were one-tenth of the larger supercomputers. These computer systems were characterized by the combination of vector processing and small-scale multiprocessing.

The appearance of even lower-priced scientific workstations based on microprocessors with high performance floating point units (FPUs) during the 1990s (such as the MIPS R8000 and IBM POWER2) eroded the demand for this class of computer.

Notable minisupercomputer companies (Alphabetically)

• Alliant Computer Systems (founded 1982 as Dataflow Systems; went bankrupt in 1992)
• Convex Computer (founded 1982 as Parsec; acquired by Hewlett-Packard in 1995)
• Cydrome (founded 1984)
• Elxsi Corporation (founded 1979)
• Encore Computer (founded 1983; acquired by SEL)
• Floating Point Systems (founded 1970; acquired by Cray Research in 1991)
• Multiflow Computer (founded 1984; ceased operation in 1990)
• Scientific Computer Systems (founded 1983; switched to high-speed network development in 1989; now defunct)
• Supertek Computers (Founded 1985; acquired by Cray Research 1990)

Notes

1. ^  Note that minisupercomputers are not to be confused with superminicomputers.

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