Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!njin!princeton!udel!burdvax!gvlv2!kleonard
From: kleonard@gvlv2.GVL.Unisys.COM (Ken Leonard)
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: What is a ...-computer
Keywords: supermini mini mainframe
Message-ID: <234@gvlv2.GVL.Unisys.COM>
Date: 6 Jun 89 13:54:03 GMT
References: <512@prles2.UUCP>
Distribution: usa
Organization: Unisys Great Valley Laboratory
Lines: 47

In article <512@prles2.UUCP> winter@doomb.prl.philips.nl () writes: 
* ... 
* How can you define a: 
*       - Minicomputer 
*       - Supermini computer 
* ... 
*    - What is the difference between a mainframe and a (super)-mini computer, 
* ... 
-- 
Mainframe:  physically/electrically tightly integrated (by assertion even if 
   not de facto) with variability defined primarily in terms of "horsepower" 
   or number of (attached) functional units and delivered in a form which 
   favors economy of computation across many, but usually predictable, 
   applications over economy of adaptation to particular applications or 
   ease of highly variable applications. 
-- 
Minicomputer:  physically/electrically based on a user-perceptible bus (de 
   facto if not by assertion) to permit maximum variability and adaptability 
   of the complement of functional units (e.g. CPU, memory, I/O controllers) 
   and delivered in a form which favors economy of adaptation to particular 
   applications and/or basic capability of highly variable applications over 
   economy of computation across many applications. 
-- 
Microcomputer:  more like a minicomputer than a mainframe, delivered to 
   permit maximum adaptability per machine to the requirements of one 
   particular user's applications. 
-- 
Supercomputer:  designed, in all respects, for maximum technologically 
   achievable performance (not quite the same as maximum efficiency) on a 
   relatively small range of computational requirements, and delivered in 
   a form which strongly favors economy of computation on the design range 
   over all other functions including computations outside the design range. 
-- 
Super-Mainframe:  definitely like a mainframe with a (usually additional) 
   supercomputer-class computational engine as a "native" functional resource. 
-- 
Super-Minicomputer:  definitely like a minicomputer with a (sometimes 
   additional, sometimes primary) supercomputer-like (in function, in 
   performance relative to a "plain" minicomputer, not at all necessarily 
   in total performance) computational engine. 
-- 
Mini-Supercomputer:  a (very near-) supercomputer-class computational 
   engine and core system with added, well-coupled minicomputer-like 
   complement of application-adaptable functional units. 
----- 
Have fun, folks, 
Ken Leonard