microcomputer

[ mahy-kroh-kuhm-pyoo-ter ]

noun

1. a compact computer, with less capacity and capability than a minicomputer, consisting of a microprocessor and other components.

microcomputer

/ ˈmaɪkrəʊkəmˈpjuːtə /

noun

1. a small computer in which the central processing unit is contained in one or more silicon chips Sometimes shortened tomicro

Word History and Origins

Origin of microcomputer¹

First recorded in 1970–75; micro- + computer

Example Sentences

The total cost of equipment used to build the test unit in this study was approximately $5,000, Hua noted, mainly including the vehicle for $4,500, the heater for $200 and microcomputers for $100.

From Science Daily

In a first for the microcomputer maker, the Pico is powered by a custom chip designed in house called the RP2040.

From The Verge

Schlueter removed the pneumatic relays and the bundle of wires and replaced them with a purpose-built microcomputer and a few slim Ethernet cables.

From Washington Times

When Bill Gates was a lad, for example, he wrote a Basic interpreter for one of the earliest microcomputers, the TRS-80.

From The Guardian

“In the 1980s and 90s young designers grappled with coding on the new microcomputers and set the template for the industry with iconic games. We celebrate some of their landmark creations on stamps.”

From The Verge

Related Words

• disk drive
• hardware
• modem
• personal computer
• supercomputer