Mini Computer

 Minicomputers were used for scientific and engineering computations, business transaction processing, file handling, and database management. Minicomputers as a distinct class of computers emerged in the late 1950s and reached their peak in the 1960s and '70s before declining in popularity in the 1980s and '90s.

A minicomputer is also called as a mid-range computer. Minicomputers are mainly multi-users systems where more than one user can work simultaneously. Mini computer examples: IBM's AS/400e, Honeywell200, TI-990. Minicomputer can support multi-users at a time or you can say that minicomputer is a multiprocessing system.
The minicomputer has the following characteristics:
  • It is smaller in size than a mainframe computer.
  • It is less expensive than a super and mainframe computer.
  • It is not much more powerful than the mainframe and supercomputer, but powerful than microcomputers.
  • It supports multiprocessing and multi-tasking.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

History of Computer

Image
  History of Computer Topics  Definition of computer  Earliest computer  Computer History  Computer Generations Definition of Computer  Computer is a programmable machine.  Computer is a machine that manipulates data according to a list of instructions.  Computer is any device which aids humans in performing various kinds of computations or calculations.  Definition of Computer Three principles characteristic of computer:  It responds to a specific set of instructions in a well-defined manner.  It can execute a pre-recorded list of instructions.  It can quickly store and retrieve large amounts of data.  Earliest Computer  Originally calculations were computed by humans, whose job title was computers.  These human computers were typically engaged in the calculation of a mathematical expression.  The calculations of this period were specialized and expensive, requiring years of training in mathematics.  T...
Read more

Introduction to Computer

Image
Computers are electronic devices that are designed to process, store, and retrieve data. They are used for a wide variety of purposes, from personal computing to complex scientific simulations and industrial automation. A computer consists of various hardware components, including a central processing unit (CPU), memory, storage devices, input/output (I/O) devices such as keyboards, mice, and displays, and various other peripherals. Computers communicate with each other over networks, which are interconnected groups of computers that share resources and information. The internet is a global network that connects millions of computers around the world and enables communication and information sharing on an unprecedented scale. The field of computer science is concerned with the study of computers and computational systems, including their design, development, and application. It encompasses many subfields, including artificial intelligence, computer graphics, databases, programming lang...
Read more

Computer Generation

Image
 There are five generations of computer:  First generation– 1946 - 1958  Second generation– 1959 - 1964  Third generation– 1965 - 1970  Fourth generation– 1971 - today  Fifth generation– Today to future The First Generation   The first computers used vacuum tubes for circuitry and magnetic drums for memory, and were often enormous, taking up entire rooms.  They were very expensive to operate and in addition to using a great deal of electricity, generated a lot of heat, which was often the cause of malfunctions. The Second Generation   Transistors replaced vacuum tubes and ushered in the second generation of computers.  One transistor replaced the equivalent of 40 vacuum tubes.    Allowing computers to become smaller, faster, cheaper, more energy-efficient and more reliable.  Still generated a great deal of heat that can damage the computer. The Third Generation  The development of the integrated circuit was ...
Read more