Minicomputer

Noun · Development

Definitions

  1. A mid-range computer class popular from the 1960s-1980s, smaller and cheaper than mainframes but more powerful than microcomputers. The PDP-11 and VAX were iconic examples. Unix was developed on a PDP-7 minicomputer, and C was created to port Unix to the PDP-11.

    In plain English: A medium-sized computer from the '60s-'80s that was more affordable than mainframes — where Unix was invented.

    Example: "Unix was born on a PDP-7 minicomputer at Bell Labs — a machine with 18-bit words and 9KB of memory."

Related Terms