Technology 1991: minis and mainframes
Glenn Zorpette · IEEE Spectrum · 1991
Developments in microcomputers and mainframes during 1990 are highlighted. The resurgence of the mainframe, with many new product introductions, was noteworthy. Advances in superconductor power were made. The superminicomputer arena saw a downturn, and the industry's response was a migration away from proprietary systems toward more standard (or open) architectures and operating systems-RISC and Intel microprocessors, on the one hand, and Unix and MS DOS on the other. NCR corporation's thrust into open systems, with a family of general-purpose computers based on Intel microprocessors, prompted a hostile takeover bid by AT&T. In Europe, the trend among computer makers was consolidation. Advances in massively parallel computation continued.>