A minicomputer is a multi-user computer that is less powerful than a mainframe. This class of computers became available in the 1960’s when large scale integrated circuits made it possible to build a computer much cheaper than the then existing mainframes (minicomputers cost around $100,000 instead of the $1,000,000 cost of a mainframe).
The niche previously filled by the minicomputer has been largely taken over by high-end microcomputer workstations serving multiple users (see above).
