Editing Minisupercomputer

{{Distinguish|Superminicomputer}}
{{more references|date=July 2008}}
'''Minisupercomputers''' constituted a short-lived class of [[computer]]s that emerged in the mid-1980s, characterized by the combination of [[vector processing]] and small-scale [[multiprocessing]]. As [[scientific computing]] using vector processors became more popular, the need for lower-cost systems that might be used at the departmental level instead of the corporate level created an opportunity for new computer vendors to enter the market. As a generalization, the price targets for these smaller computers were one-tenth of the larger [[supercomputer]]s.

Several notable technical, economic, and political attributes characterize minisupercomputers. First, they were architecturally more diverse than prior mainframes and minicomputers in hardware and less diverse in software. Second, advances in [[Very-large-scale integration|VLSI]] made them less expensive (mini-price).  These machines were market targeted to be cost-effective and quickly manufactured. Third, it is notable who did not manufacture minisupercomputers: within the USA, IBM and the traditional mainframe makers, outside the USA: the Japanese supercomputer vendors and Russia (despite attempts to manufacture minicomputers).

The appearance of even lower-priced scientific [[workstation]]s (e.g., Dana Computer/Ardent Computer/[[Stellar Computer]] (the merger of these companies)) based on [[microprocessor]]s with high performance [[floating point unit]]s (FPUs) during the 1990s (such as the [[MIPS Technologies|MIPS]] [[R8000]], [[IBM]] [[POWER2]]), and [[Weitek]] eroded the demand for this class of computer.

The industry magazine ''[[Datamation]]'' coined the term "'''Crayette'''" which in short order meant instruction set compatible to [[Cray Research]], Inc.

== Notable minisupercomputer companies ==
This list is sorted alphabetically, and many entries here are to companies that no longer exist.

* [[Ametek]]
* [[Alliant Computer Systems]] (founded 1982 as Dataflow Systems; went bankrupt in 1992)
* [[American Supercomputer]] (founded by [[Michael J. Flynn|Mike Flynn]], failed 2nd round funding)
* [[Astronautics_Corporation_of_America|Astronautics]] (Division founded by Jim Smith, U. Wisc)
* [[BBN Technologies]] (Acquired by Raytheon in 2009)
* [[Convex Computer]] (founded 1982 as Parsec; acquired by [[Hewlett-Packard]] in 1995)
* [[Culler Harris]] (CHI)
* [[Culler Scientific]]
* [[Cydrome]] (founded 1984, closed in 1988)
* [[Digital Equipment Corporation|DEC]] ([[VAX 9000]]) (Acquired by [[Compaq]] in 1998, who was acquired by HP in 2002)
* [[Elxsi]] Corporation (founded 1979) (Acquired by Tata)
* [[Encore Computer]] (founded 1983; acquired in 2002 by Compro Computer Services)
* [[Evans & Sutherland]]
* [[Flexible Computer]]
* [[Floating Point Systems]] (founded 1970; acquired by [[Cray Research]] in 1991)
* [[Guiltech]]/[[SAXPY_(Computer)|SAXPY]]
* [[HAL Computer Systems]] (Closed in 2001)
* [[International Computers Limited|ICL]] ([[ICL DAP|DAP]]) (Acquired by Fujitsu in 2002)
* [[Kendall Square Research]] (Closed in 1994)
* [[Key Laboratories]]
* [[MasPar]] (Ceased operations in 1996)
* [[Meiko Scientific]] (Ceased operations in 1991)
* [[Myrias Research Corporation]] (Canadian firm, Edmonton, AB)
* [[Multiflow|Multiflow Computer]] (founded 1984; ceased operation in 1990)
* [[nCUBE]] (Acquired by C-COR in 2005)
* [[Prisma_(Computer)|Prisma]]
* [[Parsytec]]
* [[Pyramid Technology]] (Acquired by Siemens in 1995)
* [[Scientific Computer Systems]] (founded 1983; switched to high-speed network development in 1989; now defunct)
* [[Sequent Computer Systems|Sequent]] (Acquired by IBM in 1999)
* [[Solbourne Computer|Solbourne]] (Acquired by Deloitte in 2008)
* [[SUPRENUM]] (Started as research in 1985, cancelled in 1990) 
* [[Supertek Computers]] (Founded 1985; acquired by [[Cray Research]] in 1990)
* [[Thinking Machines Corporation]] (Acquired by SUN in 1994)
*[[Vitesse Semiconductor|Vitesse Corporation]] (Closed the computer division in 1987) <ref>{{Cite book|date=2004-02-03|title=Getting Up to Speed|url=https://www.nap.edu/read/11148/chapter/5|language=en|doi=10.17226/11148|isbn=978-0-309-09502-0 }}</ref>

==References==
<references />

==External links==
*[http://www.multiflowthebook.com Book on the history of Multiflow]

{{Computer sizes}}

[[Category:Classes of computers]]
[[Category:Vector supercomputers| ]]