:dinosaur: n. 1. Any hardware requiring raised flooring and special
power. Used especially of old minis and mainframes, in contrast
with newer microprocessor-based machines. In a famous quote from
the 1988 UNIX EXPO, Bill Joy compared the liquid-cooled mainframe
in the massive IBM display with a grazing dinosaur "with a truck
outside pumping its bodily fluids through it". IBM was not
amused. Compare {big iron}; see also {mainframe}. 2. [IBM]
A very conservative user; a {zipperhead}.
-- The AI Hackers Dictionary
power. Used especially of old minis and mainframes, in contrast
with newer microprocessor-based machines. In a famous quote from
the 1988 UNIX EXPO, Bill Joy compared the liquid-cooled mainframe
in the massive IBM display with a grazing dinosaur "with a truck
outside pumping its bodily fluids through it". IBM was not
amused. Compare {big iron}; see also {mainframe}. 2. [IBM]
A very conservative user; a {zipperhead}.
-- The AI Hackers Dictionary
Related:
- dinosaur n.
1. Any hardware requiring raised flooring and
special power.
Used especially of old minis and mainframes, in contrast with newer microprocessor-based machines.... - mainframe: n. Term originally referring to the cabinet
containing the central processor unit or `main frame' of a
room-filling {Stone Age} batch machine.
After the emergence of smaller `minicomputer' designs in the early 1970s, the traditional {big iron} machines were described as `mainframe computers' and eventually just as mainframes.... - iron: n. Hardware, especially older and larger hardware of
{mainframe} class with big metal cabinets housing relatively
low-density electronics (but the term is also used of modern
supercomputers).
Often in the phrase {big iron}. Oppose {silicon}.... - dinosaur pen: n. A traditional {mainframe} computer room complete with
raised flooring, special power, its own ultra-heavy-duty air
conditioning, and a side order of Halon fire extinguishers.
See {boa}. -- The AI Hackers Dictionary... - box: n. 1. A computer; esp. in the construction `foo box'
where foo is some functional qualifier, like `graphics', or
the name of an OS (thus, `UNIX box', `MS-DOS box', etc.
) "We preprocess the data on UNIX boxes before handing it up to the mainframe.... - Big Red Switch: [IBM] n. The power switch on a computer, esp.
he `Emergency Pull' switch on an IBM {mainframe} or the power switch on an IBM PC where it really is large and red.... - dinosaur pen n.
A traditional mainframe computer room
complete with raised flooring, special power, its own
ultra-heavy-duty air conditioning, and a side order of Halon fire
extinguishers.
See boa.... - iron n.
Hardware, especially older and larger hardware of
mainframe class with big metal cabinets housing relatively
low-density electronics (but the term is also used of modern
supercomputers).
Often in the phrase big iron. Oppose silicon. See also dinosaur.... - mainframe n.
Term originally referring to the cabinet
containing the central processor unit or `main frame' of a
room-filling Stone Age batch machine.
After the emergence of smaller `minicomputer' designs in the early 1970s, the traditional big iron machines were described as `mainframe computers' and eventually just as mainframes....
