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This article is about the class of computer. For the European car size class, see supermini car.
A superminicomputer, or supermini, is, by definition, “a minicomputer with high performance compared to ordinary minicomputers.” The term was an invention used from the mid-1970s [1] mainly to distinguish the emerging 32-bit minis from the classical 16-bit minicomputers. [2]
The term is now largely obsolete—like minicomputers as such—but still remains of interest for students/researchers of computer history.
Note that superminicomputers should not be confused with the similarly named minisupercomputers, which is a class of supercomputer.
Significant superminis
- Norsk Data Nord-5, first supermini, 1972
- Norsk Data Nord-50, 1975
- Interdata 7/32 and 8/32 later taken over by Perkin-Elmer
- Systems Engineering Laboratories 32/55, 1976
- DEC VAX-11/780, shipped February 1978
- Data General Eclipse MV/8000, 1980
- MAI Basic Four MAI 8000, 1983 [1] and MPx [2]
- Gould Electronics Powernode 9080
- Gould Electronics NP-1
- Norsk Data ND-500, 1981
- Norsk Data ND-570/CX, fastest supermini, 1983, at 7.1 Whetstone MIPS
- Prime Computer 750
References
- ^ Koudela, J., Jr. (Nov. 1973), "The past, present, and future of minicomputers: A scenario", Proceedings of the IEEE 61 (11): 1526-1534
- ^ Flowers, Jeff (Feb. 1982), "The Use of the 32-Bit Minicomputer for Data Acquisition", IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science 29 (1): 927-931
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