Full Answer
Why did Dec create the minicomputer?
DEC identified a demand for more affordable and high-performing computing systems that could be used in scientific research and other technological settings. DEC introduced a mid-range computing solution, the minicomputer, at a time when the alternative was too bulky and costly for most people.
How much did Dec sell its first computer for?
By the end of that year, DEC sold $94,000 worth of its first product. DEC began selling its first computer at the end of 1960. But it was aware of people’s reluctance to invest in “computer” technology at the time, so it named the computer a “programmable data processor”, or PDP.
What happened to the DEC Pro computer?
The PRO was never widely accepted as an office personal computer, nor as a scientific workstation, where the market was also headed to Intel 8086, or alternately to Motorola 68000 -based computers. The failure of DEC to gain a significant foothold in the high-volume PC market would be the beginning of the end of the computer hardware industry in...
What is a superminicomputer?
The first model in the VAX “superminicomputer” line was the VAX-11/780. The line rivaled “much more expensive mainframe computers in performance,” according to the online Computer History Museum. The VAX line also featured “the ability to address over 4GB of virtual memory, hundreds of times the capacity of most minicomputers.”
What happened to DEC computers?
DEC was acquired in June 1998 by Compaq in what was at that time the largest merger in the history of the computer industry. During the purchase, some parts of DEC were sold to other companies; the compiler business and the Hudson, Massachusetts facility, were sold to Intel.
What are minicomputers used for?
minicomputer, computer that was smaller, less expensive, and less powerful than a mainframe or supercomputer but more expensive and more powerful than a personal computer. Minicomputers were used for scientific and engineering computations, business transaction processing, file handling, and database management.
Does DEC still exist?
The official end of DEC as a standalone company came in 1998 when it was acquired by Compaq for $9.6 billion. Unfortunately, Compaq didn't know what to do with DEC's overseas business, and so it was inevitable that neither DEC nor Compaq would exist for much longer.Dec 26, 2021
What is the full form of DEC in computer?
DEC is an abbreviation of "Digital Equipment Corporation".Nov 24, 2020
Are Minicomputers still used?
Today, only a few proprietary minicomputer architectures survive. The IBM System/38 operating system, which introduced many advanced concepts, lives on with IBM's AS/400.
Where can Minicomputers be found?
Minicomputers are generally used as mid-range servers, where they can operate mid-sized software applications and support numerous users simultaneously. Minicomputers may contain one or more processors, support multiprocessing and tasking, and are generally resilient to high workloads.Jun 15, 2017
What does PDP-11 stand for?
Programmed Data Processor-11PDP-11 (Programmed Data Processor-11) is one of the most famous computers in computing history, one of a series manufactured by Digital Equipment Corporation ( DEC ) from the early 1960s through the mid-1990s.
Who invented DEC PDP?
The PDP-1 (Programmed Data Processor-1) is the first computer in Digital Equipment Corporation's PDP series and was first produced in 1959....PDP-1.DEC PDP-1 Demo Lab at Mountain View's Computer History MuseumDeveloperDigital Equipment CorporationTypeMinicomputerRelease date195912 more rows
What happened to Ant from Ant and DEC?
In August 2018 McPartlin announced he would be taking a break from television presenting duties until 2019, saying: "My recovery is going very well and for that to continue having spoken to Dec and ITV, I have made the decision to take the rest of the year off."
What's a DEC?
DEC is the acronym for “diploma of college studies” in French. There are 2 types of programs that can lead to a DEC: 1- Pre-university programs. Two years in length for a total of four semesters, these programs prepare students for university studies.
What is DEC tablet?
Dec Tablet is a combination of two medicines used to treat parasites and worm infestations in the body. It helps to treat the infection by inhibiting the growth of the parasites. MRP ₹35. BANNED FOR SALE. As per Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.Apr 5, 2021
When was DEC founded?
1957, Maynard, MADigital Equipment Corporation / Founded
When were mini computers invented?
Minimal, or small, general purpose computers were first introduced in the late 1950s, although they were not given the name “minicomputer” until 1967. By 1970 almost 100 companies had formed to manufacture these computers for new applications using integrated circuits. Minicomputers were distinguished from the larger “mainframes” by price, function, size, use, and marketing methods. By 1968 they formed a new class of computers, representing the smallest general purpose computers. While mainframes cost up to $1,000,000, minicomputers cost well under $100,000. The computer that defined the minicomputer, the PDP-8, cost only $18,000. — Rise and Fall of Minicomputers (Engineering and Technology History Wiki)
How were minis different from mainframes?
Mainframes required specialized rooms and technicians for operation, thus separating the user from the computer, whereas minis were designed for direct , personal interaction with the programmer. Mainframes operated in isolation; minis could communicate with other systems in real time. In contrast with much larger mainframe memories needed for scientific calculations and business records, the first minis stored only 4,096 words of 12- or 16-bits. Unlike larger computers featuring expensive input/output devices, early minis used only a Teletype or Flexowriter and a paper-tape punch/reader. Minis were designed for process control and data transmission and switching, whereas mainframes emphasized data storage, processing, and calculating. Minicomputers that did the most to define the new class of computers were sold to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) that incorporated minis into larger control systems. — Rise and Fall of Minicomputers (Engineering and Technology History Wiki)
Who is the director of the Rhode Island Computer Museum?
In a visit to Rhode Island Computer Museum (RICM) by New Computer Museum (NEWCM) Director, Mary Hopper, Mike Thompson explained some aspects of the restoration of their functioning PDP-9.
Is the New Computer Museum a preservation museum?
Much like in the mainframe arena, The New Computer Museum is not positioned to be an active member of the minicomputer preservation community. There will be no systematic collection strategy for minicomputers and the goals will be primarily educational and informational. That being said, we do have a number of advisers, donors and supporters who are highly interested in the area and have artifacts to donate or loan, so from time to time there will be some minicomputer related exhibits supported by partner organizations. For example, we have a DECmate I in good condition that has been donated, and so we might ask for help to have it restored for display. Beyond that, we would work with other local collectors and organizations in the New England area who do have the expertise to preserve minicomputers.
What is a mini computer?
A minicomputer is a computer that is medium powered. These computers are not as capable as a mainframe, but much more advanced than a microcomputer. Minicomputers can perform the same functions as a mainframe but with less complexities and a smaller physical size involved. Minicomputers are also sometimes referred to as a mid-range computer ...
When was the mini computer invented?
Minicomputers first came about in the 1960’s by IBM Corporation behind the development. These computers were designed to operate for medium and small sized businesses that needed the efficiency ...
Is microprocessor obsolete?
Microprocessors are now becoming so powerful that CPUs that have been built using many different components, which was a distinguishing factor of the difference between a mainframe and a system that is mid-range, are quickly becoming obsolete.
What is DEC in computer science?
DEC was an early champion of time-sharing systems. The command-line interfaces found in DEC's systems, eventually codified as DCL, would look familiar to any user of modern microcomputer CLIs; those used in earlier systems, such as CTSS, IBM 's JCL, or Univac 's time-sharing systems, would look utterly alien.
What character set does DEC use?
DEC supported the ANSI standards, especially the ASCII character set, which survives in Unicode and the ISO 8859 character set family. DEC's own Multinational Character Set also had a large influence on ISO 8859-1 (Latin-1) and, by extension, Unicode.
What was the first 32 bit minicomputer?
Originally designed as a follow-on to the PDP-11, DEC's VAX-11 series was the first widely used 32-bit minicomputer, sometimes referred to as " superminis ". These systems were able to compete in many roles with larger mainframe computers, such as the IBM System/370.
When did Compaq acquire DEC?
When Compaq acquired DEC in 1998, the users group was renamed CUO, the Compaq Users' Organisation. When HP acquired Compaq in 2002, CUO became HP-Interex, although there are still DECUS groups in several countries. In the United States, the organization is represented by the Encompass organization; currently Connect.
When did DEC Alpha get acquired?
DEC was acquired in June 1998 by Compaq in what was at that time the largest merger in the history of the computer industry.
When did DEC replace their PDP-11?
Looking to simplify and update their line, DEC replaced most of their smaller machines with the PDP-11 in 1970, the year they became the third largest computer manufacturer after IBM and the UNIVAC Division of Sperry Rand. The rising corporation eventually sold over 600,000 PDP-11s.
Who is Digital Equipment Corporation?
Digital Equipment Corporation ( DEC / dɛk / ), using the trademark Digital, was a major American company in the computer industry from the 1960s to the 1990s. The company was co-founded by Ken Olsen and Harlan Anderson in 1957.
History
Like the cosmetically similar Rainbow 100 and DECmate II (also introduced at that time), the PRO series used the LK201 keyboard and 400kB single-sided quad-density floppy disk drives (known as RX50 ), and offered a choice of color or monochrome monitors.
Technical specifications
The PRO-325 and -350 used the F-11 chipset (as used in LSI-11/23 systems) to create a single-board PDP-11 with up to six expansion slots of a proprietary CTI (Computing Terminal Interconnect) bus using 90-pin ZIF connectors.
Clones
Like the PDP-8 and PDP-11 before it, the Professional 350 was cloned by Elektronika in the Soviet Union as Elektronika MS-0585 (article in Russian from Russian Wikipedia ).
External links
DEC's PC Challenge 1982, This corporate documentary produced by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) chronicled DEC's two year odyssey to bring three personal computers, the Professional 325 (PRO-325), the Professional 350 (PRO-350), and the Rainbow 100 to market, a year after IBM launched their personal computer.
Who bought DEC?
Compaq bought DEC in 1998, and the combined company was later bought by Hewlett Packard in 2002.
What computer system did the National Institutes of Health use?
For example, the National Institutes of Health, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, used a VAX-11/750-based computer system linked to a satellite for biomedical research. VAX computers were also used by the Energy Department’s Combustion Research Facility to experiment on combustion engines.
Why is the PDP 8/E considered a minicomputer?
The PDP-8/E was considered a general purpose minicomputer, because its configuration allowed many types of peripheral devices to be connected to it. It is shown here configured for data processing, with conventional teletypewriters (front foreground), and a line printer (back left). View Artifact Detail.
What is a DEC PDP-8/E?
A DEC PDP-8/E monitors and controls equipment used in a surgical operating room suite.
What is a PDP-8?
The PDP-8's electronic components were mounted on small inexpensive "Flip Chip" modules about the size of playing cards, plugged into connectors on a panel. The wire interconnections on the back of the panel were automatically made by a machine that wrapped wires around metal pins sticking out of the connectors, which significantly reduced cost.
When did the PDP 8E come out?
The PDP-8E appeared in 1970, the sixth generation of 12-bit computers from DEC able to run the same software. The price for this newest member of the PDP family had dropped to $6,500, which made it inexpensive enough to serve as an embedded controller for other equipment.
How does an automated machine save time?
An automated machine took over the tedious and error-prone job of wiring all the connector pins on the backplane. This saved both time and money.
What is PDP 8 used for?
Engineers used the inexpensive PDP-8 in many varied applications, such as the control of the news display in New York’s Times Square, inexpensive time sharing at Carnegie Mellon University, signal analysis in physics labs, and lighting control in New York’s Shubert Theater for the musical “A Chorus Line”.
Overview
History
From 1957 until 1992, DEC's headquarters were located in a former wool mill in Maynard, Massachusetts. The headquarters buildings were vacated in 1993, renamed Clock Tower Place, and subsequently redeveloped as Mill & Main Place, a 1.1 million square foot facility for offices and light industry.
Initially focusing on the small end of the computer market allowed DEC to gro…
Products
Beyond DECsystem-10/20, PDP, VAX and Alpha, DEC was known for its work in communication subsystem designs, such as Ethernet, DNA (DIGITAL Network Architecture: predominantly DECnet products), DSA (Digital Storage Architecture: disks/tapes/controllers), and its "dumb terminal" subsystems including VT100 and DECserver products.
Research
DEC's Research Laboratories (or Research Labs, as they were commonly known) conducted DEC's corporate research. Some of them were continued in operation by Compaq and are still operated by Hewlett-Packard. The laboratories were:
• Cambridge Research Laboratory (CRL) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US
• MetroWest Technology Campus (MTC) in Maynard, Massachusetts, US
Accomplishments and legacy
DEC supported the ANSI standards, especially the ASCII character set, which survives in Unicode and the ISO 8859 character set family. DEC's own Multinational Character Set also had a large influence on ISO 8859-1 (Latin-1) and, by extension, Unicode.
• The first versions of the C language and the Unix operating system ran on DEC's PDP series of computers (first on a PDP-7, then the PDP-11), which were among the first commercially viable m…
User organizations
Originally the users' group was called DECUS (Digital Equipment Computer User Society) during the 1960s to 1990s. When Compaq acquired DEC in 1998, the users group was renamed CUO, the Compaq Users' Organisation. When HP acquired Compaq in 2002, CUO became HP-Interex, although there are still DECUS groups in several countries. In the United States, the organization is re…
Small Computer Handbook
Several editions of the Small Computer Handbook were published by DEC, giving information about their PDP line of computers. The editions were:
• Small Computer Handbook (1973)
• PDP8/e, PDP8/m & PDP8/f, Small Computer Handbook
• Small Computer Handbook (1970 edition)
Notes
1. ^ "Dell topples Compaq in U.S. market share".
2. ^ "What was left was a stalled engine with a very expensive head count." "Buying Digital played into Eckhard's fantasy, but it's turning out to be a beast that's consuming the company," said one former executive who left before the acquisition."Compaq Message Board - Msg: 9675868".