People and History of the Mainframe Trivia

This month at Planet Mainframe, we’re looking at the people and history of the mainframe. If you’re not a mainframer, that may not sound particularly titillating—but it’s a story of innovation, evolution, and resilience. 

Originating in the mid-20th century, mainframes represented the pinnacle of computing power, capable of handling complex calculations and large-scale data processing tasks. These beasts handled all the heavy-duty computing tasks, and they soon became synonymous with reliability, scalability, and performance. 

Over the years, mainframes have undergone significant advancements in architecture, programming languages, and operating systems, leading to their widespread use in various industries. Despite facing off against smaller, nimbler competitors, mainframes have continued to innovate and adapt, proving that they’re here to stay. 

Take our Planet Mainframe quiz and see how well you know your mainframe history!

1. When was the term “mainframe” first used to describe large computers?

 1940s

 1950s

 1960s

 1970s

2. What was the name of IBM’s groundbreaking family of mainframe computers introduced in 1964?

 System/370

 System/360

 System/390

 System/z

3. Who is often referred to as the “father of the System/360”?

 John Backus

 Fred Brooks

 Thomas J. Watson Jr.

 Gene Amdahl

4. What was the primary motivation behind the development of the IBM System/360 architecture?

 To create a more energy-efficient computer

 To improve compatibility and scalability

 To reduce the cost of computing

 To increase processing speed

5. In what decade did mainframes face competition from minicomputers and later, personal computers?

 1950s

 1960s

 1970s

 1980s

6. Which company introduced the VAX series of mainframe-like computers in the 1970s?

 DEC

  IBM

 HP

 Sun Microsystems

7. Which mainframe architecture introduced support for Linux and Java in the early 2000s?

 IBM System/360

 DEC VAX

 IBM zSeries

 UNIVAC

8. Who is known as the “father of supercomputing” and contributed to mainframe architecture?

 Seymour Cray

 Grace Hopper

 John Cocke

  Alan Turing

9. What role did mainframes play in the early development of the Internet?

 They were the primary servers for the Internet

 They were not used for Internet-related tasks

 They played a minor role in Internet development

 They were used for email only

10. What is the current trend regarding the use of mainframe computers in modern computing environments?

 Mainframe usage is in a steep decline

 Mainframes are used only in specific industries

 Mainframes continue to be used in critical business operations

 Mainframes are used primarily for gaming

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