Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A mid-sized computer, usually fitting within a single cabinet about the size of a refrigerator, that has less memory than a mainframe.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun (Computers) a mid-sized digital computer; at any given point in the development of computer technology, a
minicomputer will be faster and have greater capacity than amicrocomputer , but will be slower and have less capacity than amainframe computer .
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun computer hardware A
computer smaller than amainframe , but larger than amicrocomputer .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a digital computer of medium size
Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
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Examples
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Around 1971, the work was moved to a Univac 1108 machine and then, in 1978, we were fortunate enough to acquire the first VAX/780 minicomputer from the Digital Equipment
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Back then a minicomputer was the size of a desk, whereas a microcomputer could fit on top of a desk.
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Back then a minicomputer was the size of a desk, whereas a microcomputer could fit on top of a desk.
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He formed the Digital Equipment Corporation to manufacture and sell computer components, and then he built something radically different from what had existed before: a smaller computer called a minicomputer that interacted directly with the user.
Where Wizards Stay Up Late Katie Hafner 2001
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He formed the Digital Equipment Corporation to manufacture and sell computer components, and then he built something radically different from what had existed before: a smaller computer called a minicomputer that interacted directly with the user.
Where Wizards Stay Up Late Katie Hafner 2001
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Of course, they were "mini" in name only: Back in the early 1970s, a "minicomputer" was a series of cabinets that dominated a room, made more noise than an asthmatic air conditioner, and had five- and six-figure price tags.
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Dr. Brilliant's company supplied what was then considered fairly advanced technology: a "minicomputer" that took up most of a modified closet, as well as conferencing software.
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Dr. Brilliant's company supplied what was then considered fairly advanced technology: a "minicomputer" that took up most of a modified closet, as well as conferencing software.
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Rather, the machine was sold as a "minicomputer" and was aimed exclusively at electronics hobbyists.
The Guardian World News Martin Campbell-Kelly 2010
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That they were able to do this was due to two factors: their coding ability; and the fact that Allen had created a software simulator of the Altair machine that ran on a Harvard minicomputer.
Idea Man: A Memoir by the Co-founder of Microsoft by Paul Allen – review 2011
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