minicomputer

A minicomputer is a mid-range computer class that emerged in the 1960s as a smaller, more affordable alternative to mainframes while still supporting multi-user operation and time sharing. The term was used to distinguish these machines from large mainframes and from the later microcomputers that would dominate personal and small-business computing. Minicomputers were typically hosted in offices or laboratories and served several users at once, often via terminal devices.

Historically, minicomputers began with affordable, compact designs that could perform batch and interactive processing. Notable systems include the DEC PDP-8 (one of the first successful minicomputers), the Data General Nova, and the DEC PDP-11, followed by the 32-bit VAX line. These machines commonly used modular hardware, multiple I/O channels, and timesharing operating systems such as DEC's TOPS-10 and RT-11, Unix on the PDP-11 era, and other vendor-specific systems. Memory sizes ranged from a few kilobytes to a few megabytes, with disk storage and peripheral expansion contributing to their versatility.

Typical characteristics of minicomputers include multi-user support, relatively lower cost than mainframes, and capabilities for interactive computing, process control, and business data processing. They found use in scientific laboratories, manufacturing environments, educational settings, and small to medium-sized businesses.

The minicomputer era declined in the 1980s and 1990s as microprocessors enabled inexpensive personal computers and networks, leading to a shift toward distributed computing and client-server models. Nevertheless, the term helped establish the notion of scalable, mid-range computing and influenced the design of later workstation and server architectures.