minicomputer
noun
mini·com·put·er
ˌmi-nē-kəm-ˈpyü-tər 
: a small computer that is intermediate between a microcomputer and a mainframe in size, speed, and capacity, that can support time-sharing, and that is often dedicated to a single application
Examples of minicomputer in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The EyePal uses a quality camera, a Raspberry Pi minicomputer, machine-learning technology, and a mobile app.
—
IEEE Spectrum, 25 July 2023
Neither Rifkin nor his co-author had heard the story about minicomputers, or parts of minicomputers, taking a swim.
—Scott Kirsner, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Feb. 2023
Clay led the development of the HP 2116A minicomputer, the company's first computer.
—Jessica Guynn, USA TODAY, 7 June 2023
So in March 1969, Xerox agreed to acquire computer-manufacturer SDS—which had made some inroads into the timeshared-computing market with minicomputers—for the eyebrow-raising price of $900 million (a value of more than $7 billion today).
—IEEE Spectrum, 1 Mar. 2023
Zeh worked on assembling and testing the minicomputers before they were shipped to customers.
—Scott Kirsner, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Feb. 2023
These and the other mainframes and minicomputers of the era were room-size affairs, almost always located somewhere away from the user and almost always under the control of someone else.
—IEEE Spectrum, 1 Mar. 2023
First published in 1981, the book reveals the inner workings of Data General in the 1970s as the company strives to design and release a successful next-generation minicomputer.
—Simon Hill, WIRED, 14 Dec. 2022
IEEE Spectrum, 25 July 2023
Neither Rifkin nor his co-author had heard the story about minicomputers, or parts of minicomputers, taking a swim.
—Scott Kirsner, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Feb. 2023
Clay led the development of the HP 2116A minicomputer, the company's first computer.
—Jessica Guynn, USA TODAY, 7 June 2023
So in March 1969, Xerox agreed to acquire computer-manufacturer SDS—which had made some inroads into the timeshared-computing market with minicomputers—for the eyebrow-raising price of $900 million (a value of more than $7 billion today).
—IEEE Spectrum, 1 Mar. 2023
Zeh worked on assembling and testing the minicomputers before they were shipped to customers.
—Scott Kirsner, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Feb. 2023
These and the other mainframes and minicomputers of the era were room-size affairs, almost always located somewhere away from the user and almost always under the control of someone else.
—IEEE Spectrum, 1 Mar. 2023
First published in 1981, the book reveals the inner workings of Data General in the 1970s as the company strives to design and release a successful next-generation minicomputer.
—Simon Hill, WIRED, 14 Dec. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'minicomputer.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near minicomputer
Cite this Entry
“Minicomputer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/minicomputer. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
minicomputer
noun
mini·com·put·er
ˌmin-i-kəm-ˈpyüt-ər
: a small computer that is between a mainframe and a personal computer in size and speed
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share