PDP-11/73

The PDP-11/73 was a mid-range member of the PDP-11 family of minicomputers manufactured by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC). Introduced in the early 1980s, it was a significant upgrade over earlier PDP-11 models, offering improved performance at a relatively lower cost.

The primary distinguishing feature of the PDP-11/73 was its processor, which implemented a number of architectural enhancements over previous implementations. This included features designed to improve execution speed and overall system throughput, such as a faster clock rate and optimized instruction execution. The processor also incorporated memory management capabilities, allowing it to support larger amounts of physical memory.

The PDP-11/73 was commonly used in a variety of applications, including time-sharing systems, industrial control, and scientific research. Its improved performance and relatively low cost made it a popular choice for both new installations and upgrades from older PDP-11 systems. It supported a range of operating systems available for the PDP-11 architecture, including RT-11, RSX-11, and UNIX.

Despite its advancements, the PDP-11/73 was eventually superseded by newer and more powerful computer architectures. However, it remains an important part of the history of minicomputing and the PDP-11 family.