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> If it contains x86 parts it isn't a mainframe for sure. Nitpick: mainframes often contain x86 chips supporting various I/O devices, much in the same way that
by ch_123 8y ago
> If it contains x86 parts it isn't a mainframe for sure.
Nitpick: mainframes often contain x86 chips supporting various I/O devices, much in the same way that a modern x86 machine may have an ARM core or two or ten lying around somewhere.
Even when tweaking the definition to "uses x86 as the main CPU" this would rule out certain vendors (Unisys being the primary example that comes to mind) whose mainframes consist of an emulator running on a locked down Linux or Windows Xeon system.
- twic 8y agoIBM mainframes' "support element", which basically means operator console, was at one point a PC running OS/2 Warp: https://web.archive.org/web/20140305172128/https://www-304.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=isg2f2b053a60fd5a852852568dc00605f0d&aid=1 https://web.archive.org/web/20140305172128/https://www-304.i...
- dfox 8y agoOn current IBM mainframes Support Element is ThinkPad running Linux. Somewhat surprisingly it seems to be completely stock ThinkPad without any built-in weird interface hardware and the mainframe is connected by bunch of USB cables.