Mainframe is a large, ultra-fast and powerful computer. It mainly used by large organizations for critical applications, typically bulk data processing such as census, industry and consumer statistics, enterprise resource planning, and financial transaction processing. Mainframe can include more conventional big serving 100-400 users so it can reduces management and administrative costs while providing greatly improved scalability and reliability but occupying a special air-conditioned room.
Microcomputer is usually called a personal computer or PC. It is a single user computer system with a microprocessor as its central processing unit. It is physically small compared to mainframe and microcomputer. A microcomputer contains a central processing unit (CPU) on a microchip (the microprocessor), a memory system (typically read-only memory and random access memory), a bus system and I/O ports, typically housed in a motherboard. These were used for small industrial, office and program development applications. The advent of affordable personal computers had lasting impact on education, business, music, games, social interaction, and entertainment.The first mainframe computers were developed in 1940s, and then in late 1950s through the 1970s, several manufacturers produced mainframe computers. The group of manufacturers was first known as "IBM and the Seven Dwarfs": IBM, Burroughs, UNIVAC, NCR, Control Data, Honeywell, General Electric and RCA. After that, in 1970s and 1980s, there were several minicomputer operating systems and architectures. Terminals used for interacting with mainframe systems were gradually replaced by microcomputers. Thus, demand plummeted and new mainframe installations were restricted mainly to financial services and government. Finally, in the early 1990s, there was a rough consensus among industry analysts that the mainframe was a dying market as mainframe platforms were increasingly replaced by microcomputer networks.
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