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Midrange computers, or midrange systems, were a class of computer systems that fell in between mainframe computers and microcomputers.^[1]^{[failed verification]}

This class of machine emerged in the 1960s, with models from Digital Equipment Corporation (PDP lines), Data General (NOVA), and Hewlett-Packard (HP 2100 and HP 3000) widely used in science and research as well as for business - and referred to as minicomputers.^[2]^{[disputed – discuss]}

IBM favored the term "midrange computer" for their comparable, but more business-oriented systems.^[3]

IBM midrange systems

System/3 (1969) was the first IBM midrange system.^[4]
System/32 (introduced in 1975) ^[5] was a 16-bit single-user system also known as the IBM 5320.
System/34 (1977) was intended to be a successor to both the 3 and the 32.
System/38 (1979) was the first midrange system to have an integrated relational database management system (DBMS). The S/38 had 48-bit addressing, and ran the CPF operating system.
System/36 (1983) had two 16-bit processors with an operating system that supported multiprogramming.
AS/400 was introduced under that name in 1988, renamed eServer iSeries in 2000, and subsequently became the IBM System i in 2006. It runs the OS/400 operating system.
IBM Power Systems were introduced in April 2008, a convergence of IBM System i and IBM System p.

Positioning

The main similarity of midrange computers and mainframes is that they are both oriented for decimal-precision computing^{[citation needed]} and high volume input and output (I/O), but most midrange computers have a reduced and specially designed internal architecture, with limited compatibility with mainframes. A low-end mainframe can be more affordable and less powerful than a high-end midrange system, but a midrange system is still a "replacement solution" with another service process, different OS and internal architecture.

The difference between similar-size midrange computers and superminis/minicomputers is the purpose for which they are used - supers/minis are oriented towards floating-point scientific computing, and midrange computers are oriented towards decimal business-oriented computing - but without a clear distinction border between classes.

The earliest midrange computers were single-user business calculation machines. Virtualization, a typical feature of mainframes since 1972 (partially from 1965), was ported to midrange systems only in 1977; multi-user support was added to midrange systems in 1976 compared to 1972 for mainframes (but that's still significantly earlier than the limited release of x86 virtualization (1985/87) or multi-user support (1983)^[6]).

The latest midrange systems are primarily mid-class multi-user local network servers^[7] that can handle the large-scale processing of many business applications. Although not as powerful and reliable as full-size mainframe computers, they are less costly to buy, operate, and maintain than mainframe systems and thus meet the computing needs of many organizations. Midrange systems were relatively popular as powerful network servers to help manage large Internet Web sites, but more oriented for corporate intranets and extranets, and other networks. Today, midrange systems include servers used in industrial process-control and manufacturing plants and play major roles in computer-aided manufacturing (CAM). They can also take the form of powerful technical workstations for computer-aided design (CAD) and other computation and graphics-intensive applications. Midrange system are also used as front-end servers to assist mainframe computers in telecommunications processing and network management.

Since the end of 1980s, when the client–server model of computing became predominant, computers of the comparable class are instead usually known as workgroup servers^[8] and online transaction processing servers to recognize that they usually "serve" end users at their "client" computers. During the 1990s and 2000s, in some non-critical cases both lines were replaced by web servers, oriented for working with global networks, but with less security background,^[9] and mainly using General purpose architectures (currently x86 or ARM).

References

^ Estabrooks, Maurice (1995). Electronic technology, corporate strategy, and world transformation. Westport, Conn.: Quorum Books. p. 53. ISBN 0899309690.
^ Bell, Gordon (9 January 2015). "Rise and Fall of Minicomputers". Engineering and Technology History Wiki. Archived from the original on 5 April 2017. Retrieved 28 January 2017.
^ "1969 IBM System/3 promotional ad - midrange, minicomputer, Computer History, RPG". Computer History Archives Project. Netherlands. Archived from the original on 2021-12-14.
^ "IBM System/3 announcement" (PDF).
^ "IBM System/32". IBM Corporation. 23 January 2003. Archived from the original on January 27, 2008.
^ Digital Research (1984). "PC-Mode bridges CP/M and PC DOS". Digital Dialogue - Employee Newsletter of Digital Research Inc. 3 (1): 3. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-01-04. Retrieved 2017-01-03.
^ "PC Magazine, Definition of: midrange computer".
^ "now referred to as small or midsize servers." "Minicomputer". Britannica.com.
^ "Channel Surfing: IBM Brings One Voice to Server Group Reseller Channel". Enterprise System Journal.

[1] Estabrooks, Maurice (1995). Electronic technology, corporate strategy, and world transformation. Westport, Conn.: Quorum Books. p. 53. ISBN 0899309690.

[Bell_2013-2] Bell, Gordon (9 January 2015). "Rise and Fall of Minicomputers". Engineering and Technology History Wiki. Archived from the original on 5 April 2017. Retrieved 28 January 2017.

[3] "1969 IBM System/3 promotional ad - midrange, minicomputer, Computer History, RPG". Computer History Archives Project. Netherlands. Archived from the original on 2021-12-14.

[4] "IBM System/3 announcement" (PDF).

[5] "IBM System/32". IBM Corporation. 23 January 2003. Archived from the original on January 27, 2008.

[DRI_1984_PCMODE-6] Digital Research (1984). "PC-Mode bridges CP/M and PC DOS". Digital Dialogue - Employee Newsletter of Digital Research Inc. 3 (1): 3. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-01-04. Retrieved 2017-01-03.

[7] "PC Magazine, Definition of: midrange computer".

[Brit-8] "now referred to as small or midsize servers." "Minicomputer". Britannica.com.

[9] "Channel Surfing: IBM Brings One Voice to Server Group Reseller Channel". Enterprise System Journal.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{More citations needed|date=July 2021}}
 [[File:IBM System3 (1).jpg|thumb|IBM System/3, a midrange computer introduced in 1969]]{{short description|Class of computer systems that fall in between mainframes and minicomputers}}
-'''Midrange computers''', or '''midrange systems''', are a class of [[computer]] systems which fall in between [[mainframe computer]]s and [[microcomputer]]s.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Estabrooks|first1=Maurice|title=Electronic technology, corporate strategy, and world transformation|url=https://archive.org/details/electronictechno0000esta|url-access=registration|date=1995|publisher=Quorum Books|location=Westport, Conn.|isbn=0899309690|page=[https://archive.org/details/electronictechno0000esta/page/53 53]}}</ref>
+'''Midrange computers''', or '''midrange systems''', were a class of [[computer]] systems that fell in between [[mainframe computer]]s and [[microcomputer]]s.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Estabrooks|first1=Maurice|title=Electronic technology, corporate strategy, and world transformation|url=https://archive.org/details/electronictechno0000esta|url-access=registration|date=1995|publisher=Quorum Books|location=Westport, Conn.|isbn=0899309690|page=[https://archive.org/details/electronictechno0000esta/page/53 53]}}</ref>{{failed verification|date=November 2023}}
-This class of machine emerged in the 1960s, with models from [[Digital Equipment Corporation]] ([[Programmed Data Processor|PDP]] line), [[Data General]] ([[Data_General#Origin, founding and early years: Nova and SuperNova|NOVA]]), [[Hewlett-Packard]] ([[HP3000]]) widely used in science and research as well as for business - and referred to as [[minicomputer]]s.<ref name="Bell 2013">{{cite web|last1=Bell|first1=Gordon|author-link1=Gordon Bell|title=Rise and Fall of Minicomputers|url=http://ethw.org/STARS:Rise_and_Fall_of_Minicomputers#Introduction|website=Engineering and Technology History Wiki|access-date=28 January 2017|language=en|date=9 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170405013653/http://ethw.org/STARS:Rise_and_Fall_of_Minicomputers#Introduction|archive-date=5 April 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>{{disputed-inline|recentism|reason=midrange computers came after minicomputers and before microprocessors.|date=November 2020}}
+This class of machine emerged in the 1960s, with models from [[Digital Equipment Corporation]] ([[Programmed Data Processor|PDP]] lines), [[Data General]] ([[Data_General#Origin, founding and early years: Nova and SuperNova|NOVA]]), and [[Hewlett-Packard]] ([[HP 2100]] and [[HP 3000]]) widely used in science and research as well as for business - and referred to as [[minicomputer]]s.<ref name="Bell 2013">{{cite web|last1=Bell|first1=Gordon|author-link1=Gordon Bell|title=Rise and Fall of Minicomputers|url=http://ethw.org/STARS:Rise_and_Fall_of_Minicomputers#Introduction|website=Engineering and Technology History Wiki|access-date=28 January 2017|language=en|date=9 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170405013653/http://ethw.org/STARS:Rise_and_Fall_of_Minicomputers#Introduction|archive-date=5 April 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>{{disputed-inline|recentism|reason=midrange computers came after minicomputers and before microprocessors.|date=November 2020}}
-IBM favored the term "midrange computer" for their comparable, but more business-oriented systems.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLI50ZbXeuQ  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211214/TLI50ZbXeuQ |archive-date=2021-12-14 |url-status=live|title=1969  IBM System/3 promotional ad - midrange, minicomputer, Computer History, RPG |work=Computer History Archives Project |location=Netherlands}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
+IBM favored the term "midrange computer" for their comparable, but more business-oriented systems.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLI50ZbXeuQ  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211214/TLI50ZbXeuQ |archive-date=2021-12-14 |url-status=live|title=1969 IBM System/3 promotional ad - midrange, minicomputer, Computer History, RPG |work=Computer History Archives Project |location=Netherlands}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
 [[File:IBM midrange computers (1).jpg|thumb|The S/38 (without case), the S/36, and the S/34 systems]]
-== IBM Midrange Systems ==
+== IBM midrange systems ==
-* [[System/3]] is the first IBM midrange system (1969)<ref>{{cite web
+* [[System/3]] (1969) was the first IBM midrange system.<ref>{{cite web
 |url=http://www.ibmsystem3.nl/pdf/IBM_S3_Announ1.pdf |title=IBM System/3 announcement}}</ref>
 * [[System/32]] (introduced in 1975) <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/rochester/rochester_4017.html
+|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080127175325/http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/rochester/rochester_4017.html
-|title=IBM System/32  |website=IBM Corporation}}</ref> is a 16-bit single-user system also known as the IBM 5320.
+|url-status=dead
-* [[System/34]] (1977) is intended as successor to both the 3 and the 32.
+|archive-date=January 27, 2008
-* [[System/38]] (1979) is the first midrange system to have an integrated [[relational database management system]] (DBMS). The S/38 had [[48-bit]] addressing, and ran the [[Control Program Facility|CPF]] [[operating system]].
+|title=IBM System/32  |website=IBM Corporation|date=23 January 2003 }}</ref> was a 16-bit single-user system also known as the IBM 5320.
-* [[System/36]] (1983) has two 16-bit processors with an operating system that supported multiprogramming.
+* [[System/34]] (1977) was intended to be a successor to both the 3 and the 32.
-* [[AS/400]] was introduced under that name in 1988, renamed eServer iSeries in 2000, and subsequently became IBM System i in 2006. It ran the [[OS/400]] operating system.
+* [[System/38]] (1979) was the first midrange system to have an integrated [[relational database management system]] (DBMS). The S/38 had [[48-bit]] addressing, and ran the [[Control Program Facility|CPF]] [[operating system]].
-* [[IBM Power Systems]] was introduced in April 2008, a convergence of  [[IBM AS/400|IBM System i]] and [[IBM System p]].
+* [[System/36]] (1983) had two 16-bit processors with an operating system that supported multiprogramming.
+* [[AS/400]] was introduced under that name in 1988, renamed eServer iSeries in 2000, and subsequently became the IBM System i in 2006. It runs the [[OS/400]] operating system.
+* [[IBM Power Systems]] were introduced in April 2008, a convergence of  [[IBM AS/400|IBM System i]] and [[IBM System p]].
 ==Positioning==
-The main similarity of midrange computers and mainframes - they are both oriented for decimal-precision computing and high volume input and output (I/O), but most midrange computers have an (reduced and specially designed) internal architecture with limited compatibility to mainframes. The low-end mainframe can be more affordable and less powerful that a hi-end midrange system, but midrange system still was a "replacement solution" with another service process, different OS and internal architecture.
+The main similarity of midrange computers and mainframes is that they are both oriented for decimal-precision computing{{cn|date=November 2023}} and high volume input and output (I/O), but most midrange computers have a reduced and specially designed internal architecture, with limited compatibility with mainframes. A low-end mainframe can be more affordable and less powerful than a high-end midrange system, but a midrange system is still a "replacement solution" with another service process, different OS and internal architecture.
-The difference between similar-size Midrange and [[Superminicomputer|Supermini]]/[[Minicomputer]] - is a computing purposes: Super/mini oriented for float-point scientific computing, midrange - for decimal business-oriented computing, but without clear distinction border between classes.
+The difference between similar-size midrange computers and [[superminicomputer|supermini]]s/[[minicomputer]]s is the purpose for which they are used - supers/minis are oriented towards [[floating-point]] scientific computing, and midrange computers are oriented towards decimal business-oriented computing - but without a clear distinction border between classes.
-Earliest midrange computers was a single-user business calculation machines; the virtualization, typical feature of mainframes since 1972 (partially from 1965), was ported to midrange systems only in 1977; the multi-user support was added to midranges in 1976 instead of 1972 for mainframes (but that's still a significantly earlier that a limited release of x86 virtualization (1985/87) or multi-user support (1983)<ref name="DRI_1984_PCMODE">{{cite journal|author=Digital Research|author-link=Digital Research|date=1984|title=PC-Mode bridges CP/M and PC&nbsp;DOS|url=http://corphist.computerhistory.org/corphist/view.php?s=documents&id=1008|url-status=live|journal=Digital Dialogue - Employee Newsletter of Digital Research Inc.|volume=3|page=3|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170104174356/http://corphist.computerhistory.org/corphist/documents/doc-4468e75a9255a.pdf<!-- http://corphist.computerhistory.org/corphist/documents/doc-4468e75a9255a.pdf -->|archive-date=2017-01-04|access-date=2017-01-03|number=1}}</ref>).
+The earliest midrange computers were single-user business calculation machines. Virtualization, a typical feature of mainframes since 1972 (partially from 1965), was ported to midrange systems only in 1977;  multi-user support was added to midrange systems in 1976 compared to 1972 for mainframes (but that's still significantly earlier than the limited release of x86 virtualization (1985/87) or multi-user support (1983)<ref name="DRI_1984_PCMODE">{{cite journal|author=Digital Research|author-link=Digital Research|date=1984|title=PC-Mode bridges CP/M and PC&nbsp;DOS|url=http://corphist.computerhistory.org/corphist/view.php?s=documents&id=1008|url-status=live|journal=Digital Dialogue - Employee Newsletter of Digital Research Inc.|volume=3|page=3|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170104174356/http://corphist.computerhistory.org/corphist/documents/doc-4468e75a9255a.pdf<!-- http://corphist.computerhistory.org/corphist/documents/doc-4468e75a9255a.pdf -->|archive-date=2017-01-04|access-date=2017-01-03|number=1}}</ref>).
-Latest midrange systems are primarily mid-class multi-user local network servers<ref>{{cite web|title=PC Magazine, Definition of: midrange computer|url=https://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/47026/midrange-computer}}</ref> that can handle the large-scale processing of many [[business applications]]. Although not as powerful and reliably as full-size [[Mainframe computer|mainframe computers]], they are less costly to buy, operate, and maintain than mainframe systems and thus meet the computing needs of many organizations.  Midrange systems was relatively popular as powerful network servers to help manage large Internet Web sites, but more oriented for corporate intranets and extranets, and other networks.  Today, midrange systems include servers used in industrial process-control and manufacturing plants and play major roles in computer-aided manufacturing (CAM).  They can also take the form of powerful technical workstations for computer-aided design (CAD) and other computation and graphics-intensive applications.  Midrange system are also used as front-end servers to assist mainframe computers in telecommunications processing and network management.
+The latest midrange systems are primarily mid-class multi-user local network servers<ref>{{cite web|title=PC Magazine, Definition of: midrange computer|url=https://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/47026/midrange-computer}}</ref> that can handle the large-scale processing of many [[business applications]]. Although not as powerful and reliable as full-size [[Mainframe computer|mainframe computers]], they are less costly to buy, operate, and maintain than mainframe systems and thus meet the computing needs of many organizations.  Midrange systems were relatively popular as powerful network servers to help manage large Internet Web sites, but more oriented for corporate intranets and extranets, and other networks.  Today, midrange systems include servers used in industrial process-control and manufacturing plants and play major roles in computer-aided manufacturing (CAM).  They can also take the form of powerful technical workstations for computer-aided design (CAD) and other computation and graphics-intensive applications.  Midrange system are also used as front-end servers to assist mainframe computers in telecommunications processing and network management.
-Since the end of 1980s, when the [[client–server model]] of computing became predominant, computers of the comparable class are instead usually known as ''[[Workgroup Server (disambiguation)|workgroup servers]]''<ref name="Brit">"now referred to as small or midsize servers." {{cite web|title=Minicomputer|url=https://www.britannica.com/technology/minicomputer|website=Britannica.com}}</ref> and [[Online transaction processing|''online transaction processing servers'']] to recognize that they usually "serve" end users at their "client" computers. For the 1990-2000's, in some non-critical cases both lines also was replaced by [[Web server|''web servers'']], oriented for working with global network, but with less security background,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Channel Surfing: IBM Brings One Voice to Server Group Reseller Channel|url=https://esj.com/Articles/2000/01/01/Channel-Surfing-IBM-Brings-One-Voice-to-Server-Group-Reseller-Channel_633718630603110674.aspx?Page=2|url-status=live|website=Enterprise System Journal}}</ref> and mainly based using [[General purpose computer|General purpose architecture]] (currently x86 or ARM).
+Since the end of 1980s, when the [[client–server model]] of computing became predominant, computers of the comparable class are instead usually known as ''[[Workgroup Server (disambiguation)|workgroup servers]]''<ref name="Brit">"now referred to as small or midsize servers." {{cite web|title=Minicomputer|url=https://www.britannica.com/technology/minicomputer|website=Britannica.com}}</ref> and [[Online transaction processing|''online transaction processing servers'']] to recognize that they usually "serve" end users at their "client" computers. During the 1990s and 2000s, in some non-critical cases both lines were replaced by [[Web server|''web servers'']], oriented for working with global networks, but with less security background,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Channel Surfing: IBM Brings One Voice to Server Group Reseller Channel|url=https://esj.com/Articles/2000/01/01/Channel-Surfing-IBM-Brings-One-Voice-to-Server-Group-Reseller-Channel_633718630603110674.aspx?Page=2|website=Enterprise System Journal}}</ref> and mainly using [[General purpose computer|General purpose architectures]] (currently x86 or ARM).
 ==See also==