Origin of the term minicomputer (was Re: PDP-1 as minicomputer

[Chuck Guzis]

On 20 Aug 2010 at 22:42, Eric Smith wrote:

> IBM System p, which is a POWER7 platform integrating what was known as
> System i, formerly known as iSeries, and before that, AS/400, which
> was largely derived from the even earlier System/38.
> 
>  > If so, what makes them a minicomputer?
> 
> History?  Or that it doesn't fit very well in either the minicomputer
> or mainframe categories?

Does IBM call it a minicomputer in its marketing literature?  I'm 
just wondering if the mainframe, mini and micro terms are vanishing.  
After all, *everything* is a microcomputer nowadays, isn't it?

--Chuck