Superminicomputer

[1] The term is used to distinguish the emerging 32-bit architecture midrange computers introduced in the mid to late 1970s from the classical 16-bit systems that preceded them.

[7] The name has at times been described as a "frivolous" term created by "marketeers" that lacks a specific definition.

Describing a class of system has historically been seen as problematic: "In the computer kingdom, taxonomic classification of equipment is more of a black art than a science.

[9] Companies that sold mainframe computers began to offer machines in the same price and performance range as superminicomputers.

Notable manufacturers of superminicomputers in 1980 included: Digital Equipment Corporation, Perkin-Elmer, and Prime Computer.