Mini-computers; What are they, what are they for and what are they for?

If i talk about mini-computers… what would you say I'm talking about? They launched smaller computers and you haven't heard of them? Do you live in a world where there are computers you don't know?

Let me tell you that the minicomputer is older than you and I am surely. So much so, in fact, that no one uses that term anymore, and whoever does is either a computer scientist or mistakenly refers to a tiny computer.

Are you curious? Do you really want to know what are minicomputers ? We will tell you about it, specifying at what they are for and , of course, in how they differ from other computer equipment .

What are minicomputers in computer science? Definition

A mini - computer , although its name may mislead us, is a computer bigger than our computers . This is because the term was coined when computers were huge and so this new equipment turned out to be mini in comparison.

Regarding its characteristics, the first thing that we must indicate is that we are talking about a multi-user system team. In other words, it is a type of server capable of supporting other computers , which act as clients in what would be a client-server model.

In turn, it should be mentioned that multi-user computers, it is the smallest (until the development of microcomputers also allows them to be used as servers if desired).

They were born from the availability of the use of integrated circuits , which allowed us to create systems smaller than what had been seen until now (the 70s), and the development of a better design of RAM memories , which allowed us to have more quantity and variety of resources.

Of course, some credit should also be given to operating systems with multitasking support and server functions which, after all, are the ones that made the machines run the way the user required them to.

They had notable success in the 80s, when terminals and mainframes were replaced by a system of interconnected personal computers, all connected to the same device, the minicomputer.

What are minicomputers used for and what are they for?

The essence of this device is the same as that of a mainframe or central unit , a system that allows management of information given in thousands to perform calculations and store content . Thus, we can say that its use is the same. What changes, besides the size of the device and its components, is the target audience.

The power of minicomputers, although also being a server, is lower, it will be therefore used for smaller scale tasks, where the computing power should not be so high or an absolutely specialized machine is not needed .

It is intended for general use and, at the same time, cheaper and usable by a greater number of users. It works the data very well, quickly and correctly to 100% and supports a large number of connected teams (clients), in storing information related to these and the information that they themselves include in the system of their own free will.

What are the differences between a minicomputer and a microcomputer?

While their names may lead us to error, the truth is that these teams are totally different in terms of their essence, or at least they were when they first hit the market.

On the one hand, we have the mini - computer which, as we have seen, is always a server to support multiple users who connect to it and who is smaller in size and capacity than a mainframe .

The mic - computer , for its part, is this computer machine equipped with a microprocessor . At the time of their appearance, the mini-computers did not have microprocessors , so in that respect they were totally different and it's the micro-prefix that makes the difference.

It should also be said, of course, that the microphone - computers were geared towards single-user use . Today everything has changed , because we have both a minicomputer integrating microprocessors and a microcomputer is able to act as a user, so that the two points that differentiate them are reversed without problem, making it difficult to differentiate between them. concepts.

To the extent that any good desktop computer can function as a server no problem, being both micro and mini - computer and making both concepts completely obsolete.

In other words, nowadays nobody talks about mini or microphone - computers , and, if we do, we mistakenly associate the concepts to mini-computers, netbook type or similar . But, now you know what the two concepts are and how they are different.

If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments, we will get back to you as soon as possible, and it will be a great help for more community members as well. Thank you!