Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!ncrlnk!ncr-sd!rb-dc1!shapiro
From: shapiro@rb-dc1.UUCP (Mike Shapiro)
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: What is a Mainframe?
Message-ID: <577@rb-dc1.UUCP>
Date: 29 Jun 89 22:01:35 GMT
References: <8906271822.AA12529@drizzle.cs.uoregon.edu>
Reply-To: shapiro@rb-dc1.SanDiego.gould.UUCP (Michael Shapiro)
Organization: Encore Computer, San Diego (was Gould, soon to be extinct)
Lines: 33

In article <8906271822.AA12529@drizzle.cs.uoregon.edu> chung@CS.UOREGON.EDU writes:
 ...
>> How about:
>> If a single user can afford it, it's a micro.
>> If a department can afford it, it's a mini.
>> If a corporation can afford it, it's a mainframe.
>
>Sounds good, but 
>	o if a millionaire buys a mainframe just for personal
>          use, then the mainframe is just a PC (micro).
 ...

Ah, one of our jargon problems.  I maintain that from a historical
perspective, "personal computer" is not necessarily a synonym for
"micro computer."  Use of the term as a synonym really came into
widespread use with the introduction of the IBM Personal Computer.

At times during my career, I have used Control Data 6500 and Cyber
175, IBM 360, and many other non-micro computers as "personal"
computers, in this case meaning I was the only user at the time; the
machine was dedicated to me.

The first computer I worked on was an LGP-30 personal desk computer.
It allowed one user at a time (with punched paper tape i/o) and was
about the size of desk (including the magnetic drum memory).

So there we have it.  A mainframe or mini can be a personal computer
by my definition.  It's just not necessarily a microcomputer.

                              :-)-- 
Michael Shapiro, Encore Computer Corporation (formerly Gould/GSD)
15378 Avenue of Science, San Diego, CA 92128
(619)485-0910    UUCP: shapiro@rb-dc1  
(This location will close, starting July 10.  I will be moving on.)