Go to On Line Documents, Go to Go to Antique Computer home page

91 US minicomputer company attempts from 1968 to 1982*

The following list Includes all general and special-purpose minicomputers for, real-time, communications, business etc., sold through QEMs, end users, and bundled for process control and testing, for example. It does not include scores of military, AT&T, European, and Japanese computers. At a later time, Tandem formed and array processing systems were developed for niche markets.

49 started up and retained autonomy

2 grew at significant rates and continue to grow

Data General, Prime

8 grew at diminished or declining rates, or found small niches

Adage, Basic 4, Computer Automation. Four Phase, General Automation, Macrodata, Microdata, Modcomp

39 ceased to manufacture

American Computer Tech., Atron, BIT, Cascade, Compiler Systems, Computer Development Corp., Computer Logic Systems, Computer Property, Datamate, Data Technology Corp., Datac, Decade, Digital Electronics, Digital Computer Corp. (ultimately merged with DG), Digital Scientific, Dresser. Elec Engineering, rotc-Men, GRI, Hetra, Information Technology Inc., Infotronics, Linolex, Minlcomp, Monitor Data, Multidata, Nanodata, Northeast Data, Nuclear Data, Omnicomp Computer, Omnus, Redcor, Scientific Control Corp., Standard Computer Corp., Spiras Systems, TEC, Unicorn Inc., Unicornp Inc., Viatron

10          started up and merged with larger companies

2  grew at significant rates and continue to grow

 Interdata >Perkin Elmer, SEL> Gould

2 continued and now manufacture niche products

 Comten > NCR, Datacraft > Harris

6 stopped manufacturing minicomputers in the merged division

ASI/EMR, Schlumberger, CCC/Honeywell, DMI/Varian PDS/EAI, SDS/Xerox/Honeywell, Tempo/GTE

8 existing computer companies built minicomputers

2 made successful minicomputers and grew rapidly

Digital Equipment Corporation, IBM

2 continued with diminishing success in minis

 Bunker-Ramo, CDC

4 stopped manufacturing minicomputers

 GE, Packard-Bell, Recomp, Victor

25 existing non-computer companies built minicomputers for backward Integration or special system niches

1 acquired an embryonic company in the design state and formed a division to become a highly successful supplier

HP acquired Dymec

3 continued to build and now supply minicomputers for niche markets

Hughes, Raytheon Texas instruments

21 discontinued building minicomputers

AC Electronics, Bailey Meter, Beckman Instruments, Cincinnati Milling, Clary, Collins, EM, Fabritek, Fairchild, Foxboro, GTE, Interstate Electronics, Lockheed, International Telephone and Telegraph, Litton, Motorola Philco-Ford, RCA, Singer, Teradyne, Westinghouse

*Bell, C. Gordon, “Mini and Micro Industries”, Computer, October 1984, pp 14-30.