PDP

Series of computers made by Digital Equipment Corporation. PDP is an abbreviation for Programmable Data Processor[?] -- they were given that name because at the time of their introduction computers had a reputation of being large and expensive machines, and the PDP was aimed at a market who couldn't afford them.

Some of the PDP machines are related to each other; but most have little more in common than having been made by the same company.

Members of the PDP series include:

• PDP-1: the original PDP. It had the first multiuser operating system. One of the first computer games, Spacewar, was developed for this machine.
• PDP-6: 36-bit timesharing machine. Was considered a mainframe, although small by today's standards
• LINC(Laboratory Instrument Computer). The LINC and the PDP-8 can be considered the first mini computers and perhaps the first personal computers as well. Not in the PDP family, but important as progenitor of the PDP-12.
• PDP-7:
• PDP-8: 12-bit machine with a tiny instruction set. The first successful "personal computer", many were purchased by schools; also used in the DECmate word processor and the VT-78 workstation
• LINC-8[?]: A hybrid of the LINC and PDP-8 computers; two instruction sets. Progenitor of the PDP-12
• PDP-9[?]: ???
• PDP-10: 36-bit timesharing machine. Slightly elaborated form of PDP-6.
• PDP-11: 16-bit machine. Also LSI-11, primarily for embedded systems. The VAX series was descended from it.
• PDP-12: Descendant of the LINC-8
• PDP-14: An industrial controller

The PDP-8 and PDP-11 were the most popular of the PDP series of machines.

See also PDP-20, a computer that never was.