Superminicomputer

A superminicomputer, or supermini, was “a minicomputer with high performance compared to ordinary minicomputers.” The term was an invention used from the mid-1970s^[1] mainly to distinguish the emerging 32-bit minis from the classical 16-bit minicomputers.^[2] The term is now largely obsolete but still remains of interest for students/researchers of computer history.

Significant superminis

Norsk Data NORD-5, first supermini, 1972
Norsk Data Nord-50, 1975
Interdata 7/32 and 8/32 later taken over by PerkinElmer
Systems Engineering Laboratories 32/55, 1976
DEC VAX-11/780, shipped February 1978
Data General Eclipse MV/8000, 1980
Norsk Data ND-500, 1981
MAI Basic Four MAI 8000, 1983 and MPx
Gould Electronics Powernode 9080
Gould Electronics NP-1
Norsk Data ND-570/CX, fastest supermini, 1983, at 7.1 Whetstone MIPS
Prime Computer 750

References

↑ Koudela, J., Jr. (Nov 1973), "The past, present, and future of minicomputers: A scenario", Proceedings of the IEEE, 61 (11): 1526–1534, doi:10.1109/PROC.1973.9322
↑ Flowers, Jeff (Feb 1982), "The Use of the 32-Bit Minicomputer for Data Acquisition", IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, 29 (1): 927–931, doi:10.1109/TNS.1982.4335992

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[1] Koudela, J., Jr. (Nov 1973), "The past, present, and future of minicomputers: A scenario", Proceedings of the IEEE, 61 (11): 1526–1534, doi:10.1109/PROC.1973.9322

[2] Flowers, Jeff (Feb 1982), "The Use of the 32-Bit Minicomputer for Data Acquisition", IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, 29 (1): 927–931, doi:10.1109/TNS.1982.4335992