[digi_owl]

The more i learn about mainframes (and minicomputers) the more i feel that the PC world is basically rediscovering old ideas as ICs become ever more potent.

[snaky]

Not only ICs, the very idea of The Cloud is basically the mainframe as it always was.

[dboreham]

Not necessarily rediscovering, just re-implementing.

[dbcurtis]

Ha, ha, no.

I worked as a CPU logic designer on several mainframes of different architectures before moving to Sili Valley. The "look what I just invented" arrogance I encountered astounded me. When I said something like: "You know, Seymour Cray invented that around 1959, right?" the cognitive dissonance was more than they could handle -- I was usually ignored. So, no, they aren't re-implementing, they are genuinely re-creating history and being proud of themselves for it.

[snaky]

It's everywhere these days. That would be very naive to expect from NoSQL 'inventors' to be familiar with IBM IMS and ADABAS, CODASYL Data Model, the history of pre-relational databases, or at least MUMPS or GemStone/S.

[BoorishBears]

Can you give an example?

[rbanffy]

Having dedicated computers to control peripherals (like a RAID controller or a network card).

To be fair, Atari and Commodore computers already had that.

[wglb]

It actually predates that. The CDC 3500 series had a separately programmable I/O controller.

And the marvelous 1403 printer would often be driven by a 1401.

[rbanffy]

HTTP form submission and 3270 screens.

[dbcurtis]

Hardware hyperthreading. See CDC 6600