big iron

Free On-line Dictionary of Computing

<jargon> (Or "heavy metal [Cambridge]) Large, expensive, ultra-fast computers. Used generally of number crunching supercomputers such as Crays, but can include more conventional big commercial IBMish mainframes. The term implies approval, in contrast to "dinosaur". [Jargon File]

(2000-11-09)

The Jargon File

[common] Large, expensive, ultra-fast computers. Used generally of number-crunching supercomputers, but can include more conventional big commercial IBMish mainframes. Term of approval; compare heavy metal, oppose dinosaur.