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A MINICOMPUTER-COMPATIBLE MICROCOMPUTER SYSTEM: THE DEC LSI-11 313

instruction set; the distributed nature of the network need not even be visible to the user.

SUMMARY

The LSI-l1, then, is the first of a new class of microcomputers and offers the user most of the advantages of a full-blown minicomputer at a significantly lower cost. It is. in fact, the first member of the PDP-l1 family ever offered as a single-board component to original equipment manufacturers and others. Gaining power and flexibility from its microprogrammed design, the LSI-l 1 provides a number of important system features not yet found in other LSI microcomputers. With its minicomputer-compatible instruction set, the LSI-l1 offers a new level of microcomputer accessibility and ease of use. Whether seen as low-end minicomputers or high-end microcomputers, machines like the LSI- 11 serve to bridge the gap which has separated minicomputer performance and convenience from microcomputer economy and flexibility.

And so, the computer revolution continues; from the maxi to the mini to the micro, the number and breadth of computer applications continue to grow. The DEC LSI-l1, a microprogrammed minicomputer-compatible microcomputer system, contributes to this growth. The LSI-l1 is an important step in this continuing evolution; it will certainly not be the last. For both designers and users of this new generation of computer systems, there remain many interesting days ahead.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The author wishes to express his gratitude to the many people who helped in the preparation and review of this paper, especially S. Teicher, M. Titelbaum. D. Dickhut, R. Olsen, and R. Eckhouse.

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